Ezra 9:11
in Ezra 9that 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land through the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, through their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their filthiness:
KJV
Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness.
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This verse in Ezra 9
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Saying - The words which follow in this verse are not quoted from any previous book of Scripture, but merely give the general sense of numerous passages. Compare the marginal references.
This site's exposition
what can we say after this
on Ezra 9:10-12
The confession turns to helplessness, asking "what can we say after this". He then states the law almost word for word from Deuteronomy 7:3. The stated ground is strength and the land as an inheritance, and Nehemiah 10:28 later receives those who separate themselves to the Law.
This site's exposition
polluted by the impurity of its peoples
Henry notes that sin appears exceedingly sinful when set beside the law it breaks, and Ezra sets the commandments of the prophets before God. The abominations here are those of verse 1, likened there to those of the Canaanites. Barnes reads them as idolatrous rites.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
For sin appears sin, appears exceedingly sinful, when we compare it with the law which is broken by it. Nothing could be more express: Give not your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons. The reason given is because, if they mingled with those nations, they would pollute themselves.
Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets,....
Ezra, like Barnabas when he came to Jerusalem and saw the grace of God to his brethren there, no doubt was glad, and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave to the Lord, Acts xi.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the Lord my God--The burden of his prayer, which was dictated by a deep sense of the emergency, was that he was overwhelmed at the flagrant enormity of this sin, and the bold impiety of continuing in it after having, as a people, so recently experienced the heavy marks of the divine displeasure.
Have filled it from one end to another - The abominations have been like a sweeping mighty torrent, that has increased till it filled the whole land, and carried every thing before it.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
and you shall cause..to inherit You shall give the land to your children as an inheritance to eternity.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
24 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוִּ֗יתָ | tzivita | you commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| בְּיַ֨ד | beyad | by [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| עֲבָדֶ֣יךָ | ʾavadeikha | servants your | H5650 → | 799 times |
| הַנְּבִיאִים֮ | haneviim | the prophets | H5030 → | |
| לֵאמֹר֒ | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הָאָ֗רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אַתֶּ֤ם | ʾatem | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| בָּאִים֙ | baim | [are] going | H935 → | 2568 times |
| לְרִשְׁתָּ֔הּ | lerishtah | to take possession of it | H3423 → | |
| אֶ֤רֶץ | ʾeretz | [is] a land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| נִדָּה֙ | nidah | impurity | H5079 → | |
| הִ֔יא | hi' | it | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| בְּנִדַּ֖ת | benidat | by [the] impurity of | H5079 → | |
| עַמֵּ֣י | ʾamei | [the] peoples of | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הָאֲרָצ֑וֹת | haaratzot | the lands | H776 → | 2504 times |
| בְּתוֹעֲבֹֽתֵיהֶ֗ם | betoavoteihem | by abominations their | H8441 → | 117 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| מִלְא֛וּהָ | miluha | they have filled it | H4390 → | |
| מִפֶּ֥ה | mipeh | from mouth | H6310 → | 498 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| פֶּ֖ה | peh | mouth | H6310 → | 498 times |
| בְּטֻמְאָתָֽם׃ | betumatam | with uncleanness their | H2932 → |
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
צִוִּ֗יתָyou commanded
tzivitaH6680 →494 times
בְּיַ֨דby [the] hand of
beyadH3027 →1618 times
עֲבָדֶ֣יךָservants your
ʾavadeikhaH5650 →799 times
הַנְּבִיאִים֮the prophets
haneviimH5030 →
לֵאמֹר֒<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
הָאָ֗רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אַתֶּ֤םyou
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
בָּאִים֙[are] going
baimH935 →2568 times
לְרִשְׁתָּ֔הּto take possession of it
lerishtahH3423 →
אֶ֤רֶץ[is] a land of
ʾeretzH776 →2504 times
נִדָּה֙impurity
nidahH5079 →
הִ֔יאit
hi'H1931 →1879 times
בְּנִדַּ֖תby [the] impurity of
benidatH5079 →
עַמֵּ֣י[the] peoples of
ʾameiH5971 →1873 times
הָאֲרָצ֑וֹתthe lands
haaratzotH776 →2504 times
בְּתוֹעֲבֹֽתֵיהֶ֗םby abominations their
betoavoteihemH8441 →117 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
מִלְא֛וּהָthey have filled it
miluhaH4390 →
מִפֶּ֥הfrom mouth
mipehH6310 →498 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
פֶּ֖הmouth
pehH6310 →498 times
בְּטֻמְאָתָֽם׃with uncleanness their
betumatamH2932 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ezra 9:1After 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…
it leads to
- Nehemiah 9:2
Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all the foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Leviticus 18:24–30
Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves.
- Nehemiah 9:2
Through
Deuteronomy 12:31You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 32:35
They have built the high places of Baal in the Valley of Hinnom to make their sons and daughters pass through the fire to Molech—something I never commanded them, nor had it ever entered…
- Jeremiah 7:31
They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom so they could burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I never commanded, nor did it even enter My mind.
- 2 Kings 17:15–17
They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and themselves became worthless, going after the surrounding…
- Jeremiah 32:35
Through
Ezra 6:21The Israelites who had returned from exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to seek the LORD, the God of Israel.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
- Isaiah 52:11
Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing; come out from it, purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the LORD.
- Exodus 12:47–49
The whole congregation of Israel must celebrate it.
- 2 Corinthians 7:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Ezra
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.