Ezra 9:7 - Exposition

Since the days of our fathers. The historical sketches in Nehemiah ( Nehemiah 9:6-35 ) and the Acts ( Acts 7:2-53 ) show that this phrase might be taken in a very wide sense, and be regarded as including the "fathers" of the nation who came out of Egypt; but perhaps Ezra has rather in his mind the series of idolatries belonging to the kingly period, and extending from Solomon to Zedekiah. We , our kings, and our priests, have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands. Menahem into the hand of Pul, Pekah of Tiglath-Pileser, Hoshea of Shalmaneser or Sargon, Manasseh of Esarhaddon, Josiah of Pharaoh-Necho, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah, of Nebuchadnezzar. That the priests had their full share in the calamities of the captivity appears from 2 Kings 25:18 ; Jeremiah 52:24 ; Ezekiel 1:1-3 . And to confusion of face. i.e. To disgrace and shame (compare Psalms 44:13-15 ).