Ezra 9:1-5

Ezra Prays About Intermarriage

1 After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, "The people of Israel and the priests and the ¹Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands ²with their abominations, from the ³Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

2 ⁴For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the ⁵holy race^[a] has ⁶mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost."

3 As soon as I heard this, I ⁷tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and ⁸sat appalled.

4 Then all who ⁹trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat ¹⁰appalled until the evening sacrifice.

5 And at the ¹¹evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment ¹²and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees ¹³and spread out my hands to the LORD my God,

Ezra 9:1-5 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Cross References

• 1. [Ezra 6:21; Nehemiah 9:2]
• 2. Deuteronomy 12:30, 31
• 3. See Exodus 13:5
• 4. Ezra 10:2; Nehemiah 13:23, 27; [Exodus 34:16; Deuteronomy 7:3; Nehemiah 10:30]
• 5. See Deuteronomy 7:6
• 6. Psalms 106:35; [2 Corinthians 6:14]
• 7. See Joshua 7:6
• 8. [Nehemiah 1:4]
• 9. Ezra 10:3; Isaiah 66:2, 5
• 10. Exodus 29:39, 41
• 11. [See ver. 4 above]
• 12. [See ver. 3 above]
• 13. 1 Kings 8:22

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew offspring