Ezra 9:7-14

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezra 9:5-15

What the meditations of Ezra's heart were, while for some hours he sat down astonished, we may guess by the words of his mouth when at length he spoke with his tongue; and a most pathetic address he here makes to Heaven upon this occasion. Observe, I. The time when he made this address?at the evening sacrifice, Ezra 9:5. Then (it is likely) devout people used to come into the courts of the temple, to grace the solemnity of the sacrifice and to offer up their own prayers to God in concurrence... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 9:7

Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day ,.... The sins they were guilty of had been long continued in, which was an aggravation of them: and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands ; the ten tribes and their king into the hand of the king of Assyria, the kings of Judah, Jehoiakim, Jeconiah, and Zedekiah, into the hands of the king of Babylon, with the priests and people: to the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 9:8

And now, for a little space, grace hath been showed from the Lord our God ,.... It was but a small time since the Lord first began to show favour to them, so that they soon after began to revolt from him; which argued the strange propensity of their minds to that which is evil, and from which they could not be restrained by the recent goodness of God unto them: to leave us a remnant to escape ; out of captivity, from whence a small number were graciously and safely returned to their own... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 9:9

For we were bondmen ,.... To the Chaldeans when in Babylon, which was more than the Jews in the times of Christ would own, John 8:33 , yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage ; had not left them to continue in it always: but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia ; moved them to have pity and compassion on them, and release them: to give us a reviving ; while in captivity, they were as in their graves, and like the dry bones in Ezekiel's vision,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 9:10

And now, O our God, what shall we say after this ?.... What apology or excuse can be made for such ingratitude? what can be said in favour of such a people? what kindness can be expected to be shown to a people who had behaved in so base a manner? for we have forsaken thy commandments : particularly those which related to marriages with people of other nations. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 9:11

Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets ,.... Moses, and Joshua, and others, see Deuteronomy 7:3 saying, the land, unto which ye go to possess it ; meaning the land of Canaan: 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 ; which is to be understood not of their idolatries only, but of their incestuous marriages, and impure copulations, on which account... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 9:12

Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons ,.... That is, in marriage, see Deuteronomy 7:3 , where the prohibition is expressed in the same language: nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever ; that is, as long as they continue in their idolatries and impurities, see Deuteronomy 23:6 , that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever ; that they might be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 9:13

And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass ,.... As famine, sword, pestilence, and captivity, for their idolatries and other heinous sins: seeing that our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve ; for they deserved eternal punishment, whereas it was temporal punishment that was inflicted, and this moderate, and now stopped; the sense is, according to Aben Ezra,"thou hast refrained from writing some of our sins in the book of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 9:14

Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations ?.... That are guilty of abominable idolatries, and of all uncleanness: wouldest thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us ; it might be justly expected: so that there should be no remnant nor escaping ? any left or suffered to escape the wrath of but all consumed by it. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezra 9:8

And now for a little space - This interval in which they were returning from servitude to their own land. Grace hath been showed - God has disposed the hearts of the Persian kings to publish edicts in our favor. To leave us a remnant to escape - The ten tribes are gone irrecoverably into captivity; a great part even of Judah and Benjamin had continued beyond the Euphrates: so that Ezra might well say, there was but a remnant which had escaped. A nail ... read more

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