KJV ORIGINAL
And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
They shook hands as a promise that they would divorce their wives, and because they felt guilty about their wrongdoing, they offered a ram from their flock as a sacrifice for their sin.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
The men made a formal promise to end their marriages and offered a sacrifice to God because they knew they had done wrong.
📚 Historical Context
This occurred after the Jewish people returned from exile in Babylon and found that some had married foreign wives, which was forbidden by their law. Ezra led a movement to restore proper worship and obedience to God's commands. The practice of 'giving hands' was a formal way of making a binding promise or covenant.
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