Ezra 9

Mixed Marriages

1 Now when these things had been completed, the princes approached me, saying, "The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not ¹separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, ²according to their abominations, those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Amorites.

2 "For ³they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that ⁴the holy race has ⁵intermingled with the peoples of the lands; indeed, the hands of the princes and the rulers have been foremost in this unfaithfulness."

3 When I heard about this matter, I ⁶tore my garment and my robe, and pulled some of the hair from my head and my beard, and ⁷sat down appalled.

4 Then ⁸everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me, and I sat appalled until ⁹the evening offering.

Prayer of Confession

5 But at the evening offering I arose from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell on my knees and ¹⁰stretched out my hands to the LORD my God;

6 and I said, "O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen above our heads and our ¹¹guilt has grown even to the heavens.

7 "¹²Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt, and on account of our iniquities we, our kings and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity and to plunder and to ¹³open shame, as it is this day.

8 "But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the LORD our God, ¹⁴to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a ¹⁵peg in His holy place, that our God may ¹⁶enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage.

9 "¹⁷For we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not forsaken us, but ¹⁸has extended lovingkindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

10 "Now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments,

11 which You have commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, 'The land which you are entering to possess is an unclean land with the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations which have filled it from end to end and ¹⁹with their impurity.

12 'So now do not ²⁰give your daughters to their sons nor take their daughters to your sons, and ²¹never seek their peace or their prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and ²²leave it as an inheritance to your sons forever *.'

13 "After all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and ²³our great guilt, since You our God have requited us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us ²⁴an escaped remnant as this,

14 ²⁵shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who commit these abominations? ²⁶Would You not be angry with us to the point of destruction, until there is no remnant nor any who escape?

15 "O LORD God of Israel, ²⁷You are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as it is this day; behold, we are before You in ²⁸our guilt, for ²⁹no one can stand before You because of this."

Ezra 9 Commentary

Chapter 9

Ezra mourns for the Jews' conduct. (1-4) Ezra's confession of sins. (5-15)

Verses 1-4 Many corruptions lurk out of the view of the most careful rulers. Some of the people disobeyed the express command of God, which forbade all marriages with the heathen, ( Deuteronomy 7 ) . Disbelief of God's all-sufficiency, is at the bottom of the sorry shifts we make to help ourselves. They exposed themselves and their children to the peril of idolatry, that had ruined their church and nation. Carnal professors may make light of such connexions, and try to explain away the exhortations to be separate; but those who are best acquainted with the word of God, will treat the subject in another manner. They must forebode the worst from such unions. The evils excused, and even pleaded for; by many professors, astonish and cause regret in the true believer. All who profess to be God's people, ought to strengthen those that appear and act against vice and profaneness.

Verses 5-15 The sacrifice, especially the evening sacrifice, was a type of the blessed Lamb of God, who in the evening of the world, was to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Ezra's address is a penitent confession of sin, the sin of his people. But let this be the comfort of true penitents, that though their sins reach to the heavens, God's mercy is in the heavens. Ezra, speaking of sin, speaks as one much ashamed. Holy shame is as necessary in true repentance as holy sorrow. Ezra speaks as much amazed. The discoveries of guilt cause amazement; the more we think of sin, the worse it looks. Say, God be merciful to me sinner. Ezra speaks as one much afraid. There is not a surer or saddler presage of ruin, than turning to sin, after great judgments, and great deliverances. Every one in the church of God, has to wonder that he has not wearied out the Lord's patience, and brought destruction upon himself. What then must be the case of the ungodly? But though the true penitent has nothing to plead in his own behalf, the heavenly Advocate pleads most powerfully for him.

Cross References

• 1. Ezra 6:21; Nehemiah 9:2
• 2. Leviticus 18:24-30
• 3. Deuteronomy 7:3; Ezra 10:2, 18
• 4. Exodus 22:31; Deuteronomy 14:2; 2 Corinthians 6:14
• 5. Nehemiah 13:3
• 6. 2 Kings 18:37
• 7. Nehemiah 1:4
• 8. Ezra 10:3; Isaiah 66:2
• 9. Exodus 29:39
• 10. Exodus 9:29
• 11. 2 Chronicles 28:9; Ezra 9:13, 15; Revelation 18:5
• 12. 2 Chronicles 29:6; Psalms 106:6
• 13. Daniel 9:7
• 14. Ezra 9:13-15
• 15. Isaiah 22:23
• 16. Psalms 13:3
• 17. Nehemiah 9:36
• 18. Ezra 7:28
• 19. Ezra 6:21
• 20. Exodus 34:15, 16; Deuteronomy 7:3; Ezra 9:2
• 21. Deuteronomy 23:6
• 22. Proverbs 13:22
• 23. Ezra 9:6, 7
• 24. Ezra 9:8
• 25. Ezra 9:2
• 26. Deuteronomy 9:8, 14
• 27. Nehemiah 9:33; Daniel 9:7
• 28. Ezra 9:6
• 29. Job 9:2; Psalms 130:3

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "seed"
• [b]. Or "fasting"
• [c]. Lit "palms"
• [d]. Lit "multiplied over the head"
• [e]. Lit "shame of faces"
• [f]. Lit "of these abominations"
• [g]. Lit "to destroy"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EZRA 9

Ezra being informed, by some of the princes who complained unto him, of the marriages of many of the Israelites with the people of the land, the Canaanites and others, was greatly grieved and distressed, Ezr 9:1-5, upon which he made a confession of their sins to God, with great shame, sorrow, and contrition, and deprecated the evils which they deserved, Ezr 9:6-15.