The Sons of Hashum - Ezra 10:33

In the book of Ezra, Ezra began to name the male offspring of the children of Israel who put away their strange wives by listing, “the sons of Immer; Harim and Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah; Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer; Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; and of the sons of Elam; and of the sons of Zattu; of the sons also of Bebai; the sons of Bani; the sons of Pahathmoab and “the sons of Harim” including “Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah”, and in chapter ten and verse thirty three of Ezra, Ezra added “the sons of Hashum”, where we read,

Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.

The verse reads, “Of the sons of Hashum;” Ezra began with the words, “of the sons” or “pertaining to the male offspring and progeny” “of Hashum” whose name means “rich”. Ezra said the male offspring of “Hashum” were part of the men who married pagan women and eventually put them away. 

The verse goes on to say, “Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.” Ezra added the word, “Mattenai” whose name means “gift of Jehovah”, “Matthathah” or “gift of Jehovah”, “Zabad” whose name means “he endows”, “Eliphelet” or “God is deliverance”, “Jeremai” whose name means “my exaltation”, “Manasseh” or “causing to forget”, “and Shimei” whose name means “renowned” to the list of men. Ezra mentioned the men of Israel whose names means, “gift of Jehovah, gift of Jehovah, he endows, God is deliverance, my exaltation, causing to forget and renowned” in the group of men who married pagan foreign wives and subsequently separated from them. 

When we think through the words in this verse, we learn through Ezra the names of more of the men of Israel who separated from their foreign wives after instructed to do so. God was calling the people of Israel into an exclusive relationship with Him and His ways, and He does the same today through His Son Jesus whom He sent into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind. When we put our faith and trust in Him as our personal “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and teach us the value of following His way for all our lives. 

Next time Ezra includes, “the sons of Bani”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".