= Ezra 9 * Please see [[nsv:license|License]] for Copyright notice and Licensing information. * [ [[Ezra_8|Previous]] | [[Ezra_10|Next]] ] == Ezra 9 1 Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass. 3 And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied. 4 Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice. 5 And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the Lord my God, 6 And said, 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, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens. 7 Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day. 8 And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage. 9 For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem. 10 And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments, 11 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. 12 Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever. 13 And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this; 14 Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping? 15 O Lord God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this. == Notes == Cross Reference == Concordance == Commentary == Rashi ==== Verse 1 these these incidents that related the kings’ decrees. the chiefs of Israel. saying And so they said to me. ==== Verse 2 was first in this treachery for they commenced to deal treacherously by intermarrying with the peoples of the lands. ==== Verse 3 bewildered Heb. מְשּׁוֹמֵם miserable and bewildered, like (Ez. 3:15): “...seven days bewildered among them.” ==== Verse 5 from my fast for I had not eaten on that day. ==== Verse 7 we were delivered Heb. נִתַּנוּ, like נִתַּנְנוּ. The “dagesh” in the “nun” is instead of another “nun,” like (II Chron. 14:10): “for we rely (תִשְּׁעַנוּ) on You,” like נִשְּׁעַנְנוּ. (Gen. 34:16): “... then we will give (וְנָתַנוּ) our daughters,” like וְנָתַנְנוּ. as of this day as appears this day, for the Ten Tribes have already been exiled, and many of the exiles still remain in Babylon. ==== Verse 8 And now, for a short moment temporarily. favor Heb. תְּחִנָה, like חֲנִינָה and to give us a peg to establish us in the land of Israel. a peg יָתֵד, like (Isa. 22:23): “And I will thrust him like a peg (יָתֵד) in a sure place.” a little life [as translated,] a little life. ==== Verse 9 For we are slaves to Darius, king of Persia. has not forsaken us Heb. לֹא עֲזָבָנוּ, a combination of לֹא עָזַב אוֹתָנוּ. and He has extended Heb. וַיַט, an expression of the causative, like מַטֶה. He extended His loving-kindness upon us. a fence for they had created a fence to keep His commandments. ==== Verse 11 unclean Heb. נִדָה, unclean and repulsive. ==== Verse 12 and you shall cause...to inherit You shall give the land to your children as an inheritance to eternity. ==== Verse 13 And after all that has come upon us after all the calamity that has befallen us because of our evil deeds. You have punished less You have held back from our iniquities until below them [i.e., less than them], for our iniquity was lessened by the expiation effected by our exile. We may also interpret it in this manner: You held Yourself back from collecting from us all our iniquity, and You collected from us below [less than] the iniquities, and You requited us according to all our sins. ==== Verse 14 If we revert Heb. הֲנָשּׁוּב, if we return. will You not be wroth with us a wonder with an affirmative answer. ==== Verse 15 for we cannot lit. for there is nothing; i.e., we do not have the power of good deeds to stand and exist before You, because of this transgression.