What Does Ezra 10:14 Mean in the King James?

Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.

Ezra 10:14 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

This verse in the Selah Decoded Version

THE KEY

The verse’s central motion is a turning: an ordered public process seeks to turn God’s burning anger away from the community.

THE MEANING

Here, those who have taken foreign wives are called to appear at appointed times with their city’s elders and judges, while the rulers stand with the congregation. The stated aim is that God’s fierce anger over this matter turn away from the community. The verse holds the crisis and its public process together.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

This is only a private matter for the households involved; the verse places the response before the rulers, congregation, city elders, and judges.

THE ROOT

לְהָשִׁיב

lehashiv

GROWS FROM

שׁוּב

⁨שׁוּב⁩ (shuv): to turn or return; in this form, to cause something to turn or bring it back.

“be turned from” in this verse is lehashiv. The Hebrew frames the aim as causing the burning anger to turn away from the community. The root’s family carries turning in more than one direction: ⁨תְּשׁוּבָה⁩ names a return, while ⁨מְשׁוּבָה⁩ names a turning away or backsliding.

ALSO GROWS

teshuvah: return, turning

תְּשׁוּבָה

This branch names a change of direction toward return; here, the shared root presents anger as turning away from the community.

meshuvah: turning away, backsliding

מְשׁוּבָה

This branch uses the same root for a turning off course, showing how the root’s core image is a change of direction.

THE PATTERN

A community facing rupture brings the matter before appointed leaders so it can be considered through a shared process.

Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;

Deuteronomy 19:17 · KJVThe dispute is brought before appointed judges rather than left as a private matter between those involved.

And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.

Acts 15:6 · KJVA communal question is considered by leaders gathered together.

THE THREAD

Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.

Exodus 32:12 · KJV

The appeal uses ⁨שׁוּב⁩ (shuv, turn or return) alongside ⁨חֲרוֹן אַף⁩ (charon af, burning anger), echoing the root and phrase in Ezra. The shared wording makes the turning away of anger the central movement in both verses.

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