Ezra 10:18Among the sons of the priests there were found who had married foreign women: namely, of the sons of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and his brothers, Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.
The setting
Jerusalem, 457 BC. Ezra publicly reads names of guilty priests, starting with the high priest's own family. The shame is unbearable. Modern-day Jerusalem, Israel.
The emotion here: devastated at having to expose respected spiritual leaders
The original word
matsa (מצא) — discovered, found out, exposed
Why it matters
Jeshua was the high priest who helped rebuild the temple, making this betrayal especially shocking
Read with care
What most readers miss in Ezra 10:18
The list starts with priests because they were supposed to be the spiritual leaders
Common misconceptionPeople think this was about punishment, but it was about restoration. The goal was to bring the community back to God, not destroy individuals.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Ezra 10:18
Bible Genome reading
Ezra 10:18 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Ezra 10:18 comes from the book of Ezra, written during the Post-Exile period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include priestly failure, leadership corruption, widespread problem. Notable phrases: sons of the priests; sons of Jeshua.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Ezra 10:18 mean to you, today?
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