10:15 were employed about this matter. The Hebrew word here translated “employed” has a wide variety of meanings depending on context, with its basic etymology apparently meaning “stand.” The context here seems to indicate that the four men listed in this verse “stood” against Ezra’s command to divorce their “strange wives,” at least for a time. One of them, Meshullam, had married one of these women, but he did agree finally to divorce her (Ezra 10:19,29). It is significant that no other opposition than this arose against Ezra’s seemingly harsh decree.