Nehemiah 9:2

2 And the seed of the children of Israel separated themselves from every stranger: and they stood, and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.

Nehemiah 9:2 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 9:2

And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers,
&c.] Such as were genuine Israelites, of the seed of Abraham, who had married wives of the Gentiles, strangers to the commonwealth of Israel, either before the reformation by Ezra, not being then discovered, or had fallen into this evil since; but now, on the reading of the law, were convinced of it, and so separated themselves from such wives, which was a proof of the truth of their repentance:

and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their
fathers:
particularly their taking of strange wives, which their fathers had also done, and set them a bad example, which they had followed; of standing and confessing, see ( Luke 18:13 ) .

Nehemiah 9:2 In-Context

1 And in the four and twentieth day of the month the children of Israel came together with fasting and with sackcloth, and earth upon them.
2 And the seed of the children of Israel separated themselves from every stranger: and they stood, and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.
3 And they rose up to stand: and they read in the book of the law of the Lord their God, four times in the day, and four times they confessed, and adored the Lord their God.
4 And there stood up upon the step of the Levites, Josue, and Bani, and Cedmihel, Sabania, Bonni, Sarebias, Bani, and Chanani: and they cried with a loud voice to the Lord their God.
5 And the Levites Josue and Cedmihel, Bonni, Hasebnia, Serebia, Oduia, Sebnia, and Phathahia, said: Arise, bless the Lord your God from eternity to eternity: and blessed be the high name of thy glory with all blessing and praise.
The Douay-Rheims Bible is in the public domain.