Ezra 6:21

Those who partook of the Passover are described as belonging to two classes; (1) those who had returned from captivity, (2) those who had -separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land".

"The heathen of the land" (goyyê ha-ârec̣) is to be compared with "the peoples of the land" ("amme ha-ârec̣) in chap. Ezra 10:2; Ezra 10:11. "The land" is the land of Palestine: "the heathen" and "the peoples" are apparently the colo nists and mixed population that had settled in the territory of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. -The filthiness" (cf. Ezra 9:11) is the ceremonial pollution of idolatry practised by these heathen races.

Who then are those described here as having -separated themselves"?

(a) By very many they are considered to be proselytes from the heathen who had attached themselves to the Jewish religion since the return from the Captivity.

(b) But it appears most probable that they are Israelites.

(1) Israelites are described in Ezra 9:1 as not having "separated themselves from the peoples of the lands". (2) Ezra exhorts the Jews to "separate themselves from the peoples of the lands" (Ezra 10:11). If those who had not -separated" themselves were Israelites, it is probable that these who hadseparated themselves were also Israelites; and if so, they would be those Israelites who had not been carried into captivity, but had continued to dwell in Palestine or among the adjoining races.

The two classes mentioned therefore are both Israelite; the one, those who had returned from Babylon; the other, those who having remained behind and having mixed with "the heathen of the land" now separated themselves and attached themselves once more to their countrymen.

to seek the Lord God of Israel R.V. to seek the Lord, the God of Israel. See on chap. Ezra 1:3. To seek, i.e. with a view to worship: cf. on Ezra 4:2.