Ezrachapter 9
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Ezra Kneels in Prayer — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
A.Ezra hears of mixed marriages and sits down astonishedvv. 1-4
1 After these things had been accomplished, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the surrounding peoples whose abominations are like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites. 2 Indeed, the Israelites have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed has been mixed with the people of the land. And the leaders and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness!” 3 When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled out some hair from my head and beard, and sat down in horror. 4 Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles, while I sat there in horror until the evening offering.
B.A prayer at the evening sacrifice: our iniquities are grown over our headvv. 5-15
5 At the evening offering, I got up from my humiliation with my tunic and cloak torn, and I fell on my knees, spread out my hands to the LORD my God, 6 and said: “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, because our iniquities are higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached the heavens. 7 From the days of our fathers to this day, our guilt has been great. Because of our iniquities, we and our kings and priests have been delivered into the hands of the kings of the earth and put to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation, as we are this day. 8 But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from the LORD our God to preserve for us a remnant and to give us a stake in His holy place. Even in our bondage, our God has given us new life and light to our eyes. 9 Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but He has extended to us grace in the sight of the kings of Persia, giving us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and giving us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem. 10 And now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commandments 11 that You gave through Your servants the prophets, saying: ‘The land that you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the impurity of its peoples and the abominations with which they have filled it from end to end. 12 Now, therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong and may eat the good things of the land, leaving it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’ 13 After all that has come upon us because of our evil deeds and our great guilt (though You, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve and have given us such a remnant as this), 14 shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who commit these abominations? Would You not become so angry with us as to wipe us out, leaving no remnant or survivor? 15 O LORD, God of Israel, You are righteous! For we remain this day as a remnant. Here we are before You in our guilt, though because of it no one can stand before You.”
Chapter summary
The princes bring word that the people, priests, and Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands: 'and the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.' Ezra rends his garment and mantle, plucks hair from his head and beard, and sits astonished until the evening oblation.
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Chapter summary
The princes bring word that the people, priests, and Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands: 'and the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.' Ezra rends his garment and mantle, plucks hair from his head and beard, and sits astonished until the evening oblation.
Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾Show less ▴
The princes bring word that the people, priests, and Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands: 'and the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.' Ezra rends his garment and mantle, plucks hair from his head and beard, and sits astonished until the evening oblation. Then the confession, prayed in the first person plural though the sin was not his own: 'O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God; for our iniquities are increased over our head.' Yet for a little moment grace has been shown, 'to give us a nail in his holy place,' a reviving in their bondage.
Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament.
Context
History · Ezra — Ezra overview
- A. 1–4 Ezra hears of mixed marriages and sits down astonished
- B. 5–15 A prayer at the evening sacrifice: our iniquities are grown over our head
Top cross-references8 chapters ▾
Ezra 104 verses
- Ezra 10:2Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, an Elamite, said to Ezra: “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the people of the land, yet in spite of this, there is hope for Israel.
- Ezra 10:3So now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all the foreign wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God. Let it be done according to the Law.
- Ezra 10:10Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful by marrying foreign women, adding to the guilt of Israel.
- Ezra 10:18Among the descendants of the priests who had married foreign women were found these descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers:
- Read Ezra 10 →
1 Kings 83 verses
- 1 Kings 8:22Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven,
- 1 Kings 8:38then may whatever prayer or petition Your people Israel make—each knowing his own afflictions and spreading out his hands toward this temple—
- 1 Kings 8:54Now when Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and petition to the LORD, he got up before the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven.
- Read 1 Kings 8 →
Lamentations 32 verses
- Lamentations 3:22Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail.
- Lamentations 3:39Why should any mortal man complain, in view of his sins?
- Read Lamentations 3 →
Deuteronomy 92 verses
- Deuteronomy 9:8At Horeb you provoked the LORD, and He was angry enough to destroy you.
- Deuteronomy 9:14Leave Me alone, so that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven. Then I will make you into a nation mightier and greater than they are.”
- Read Deuteronomy 9 →
4 more chapters this one speaks with
John 82 verses
- John 8:21Again He said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for Me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”
- John 8:24That is why I told you that you would die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
- Read John 8 →
Leviticus 181 verse
- Leviticus 18:24Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves.
- Read Leviticus 18 →
Nehemiah 91 verse
- Nehemiah 9:2Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all the foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.
- Read Nehemiah 9 →
Nehemiah 131 verse
- Nehemiah 13:23In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.
- Read Nehemiah 13 →
Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.