Ezra 10:1 - Exposition

When Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed. Rather, "As Ezra prayed, and as he confessed." (Vulg.: " Orante Esdra et implorante ." LXX .: ὡς προσηύξατο ἔσδρας καὶ ὡς ἐξηγόρευσε .) Weeping and casting himself down. Ezra had knelt at first ( Ezra 9:5 ); but as he proceeded, and felt more and more the heinousness of the people's transgression, he threw himself forward upon the ground, in the attitude of extremest humiliation. Before the house of God. So far as can be gathered from the context, Ezra was in the great court of the temple when the princes came to him with their information ( Ezra 9:1 ). He at once "sat down astonied" (verse 8). So he remained until preparations began to be made for the evening sacrifice, when he arose, and took up a position directly in front of the altar and the holy place, towards which he proceeded to pray. Doubtless he had in his mind the words of Solomon, assented to by God ( 1 Kings 9:3 ), and pleaded by Jehoshaphat ( 2 Chronicles 20:9 ): "What prayer and supplication be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands towards this place : then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and do," etc. ( 1 Kings 8:38 , 1 Kings 8:39 ).