And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.
Among the priests, some were found who had married foreign wives. This included men from the family of Jeshua (son of Jozadak) and his relatives: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.
This verse lists specific priests who had married foreign women, which was against God's commands for His people at that time.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs after the Jewish people returned from exile in Babylon around 458 BC. Ezra discovered that many Israelites, including priests, had married women from surrounding pagan nations, which was forbidden because it led people away from worshiping God. The priests were especially accountable since they were supposed to be spiritual leaders and examples to the people.
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