Chapter Nine

1–2. Ezra’s receipt of information about the existence of marriages with foreigners. 3–5. Ezra’s sorrow. 6–15. Ezra’s prayer.

Ezra 9:1. After these things, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites, “After these things.” An indefinite indication meaning that after the previously described events there occurred soon what the writer goes on to relate. From the fact that Ezra learned of the existence of mixed marriages from others and from the description of the strong impression these reports made on Ezra (vv. 3–5) it can also be concluded that the event described in ch. IX happened soon after Ezra’s arrival in Jerusalem. “Did not separate themselves from the peoples... with their abominations,” – more precisely according to the Hebrew in view of their abominations. From the enumeration of pagan peoples in v. 1 it cannot be concluded that Canaanite peoples still existed at that time; the enumeration is made following the pattern of the Pentateuch (cf. Deut 7:1-11). The law of Moses forbade marriages only with Canaanite women (Exod 34:12-16; Deut 7:2 and following; Judg 3:5 and following). The violation of this law in the period described was substantially caused by necessity, since in settlements and colonization the number of men always exceeds the number of women.

Ezra 9:3. When I heard this word, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled out the hair from my head and my beard, and sat appalled. The rending of the lower and upper garment served among ancient Jews as a sign of deep sorrow (cf. Josh 7:6); the pulling out of hair on the head and beard was a sign of strong anger and moral indignation (cf. Neh 13:25).

Ezra 9:4. Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel because of the faithlessness of the exiles gathered around me, and I sat appalled until the evening offering. “Because of the faithlessness of the exiles.” In view of the Greek text reading, the cited words are better assigned to the end of v. 3. The reference is to the exiles who had arrived earlier than Ezra.

Ezra 9:5. And at the evening offering I rose from my fasting, and with my garment and robe torn, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God “And with my garment and robe torn.” By these words the writer indicates a new expression of Ezra’s sorrow, not what was described in v. 3 (Slavonic: “and when I tore my clothes”). This expression of sorrow could make a strong impression on the people gathered for the evening offering.

Ezra 9:6. And I said, “My God, I am too ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens. Beginning with v. 6, the prayer of Ezra is set forth. From its content it is evident that Ezra prays not for the forgiveness of sins: his intention is to point to the people’s heavy transgression and to encourage them to do all they can to prevent sin and to mitigate divine wrath. In ch. X is described how the people responded.

Ezra 9:7. From the days of our fathers we have been in great guilt until this day, and because of our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been handed over to the kings of foreign lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to plundering and to shame, as it is even today. In v. 7 Ezra expresses the conviction that the Jewish community has not been cleansed from old sins and continues to bear punishment for them (“as it is even today”). Meanwhile, the people add new transgressions to the old ones.

Ezra 9:8. But now for a brief moment grace has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a firm place in His holy place, and to brighten our eyes, our God, and to grant us a little reviving in our bondage. “But now for a brief moment.” The expression, as in Isa 26:20 denotes a relatively brief period, namely the time from the liberation of the community from Babylon by Cyrus until the moment of Ezra’s speech. This period, compared to the time of troubles that began with the Assyrians, is called brief. In this brief period Israel was granted mercy, consisting in the preservation of a remnant (peletah) of the people and the granting by the Lord to the people of firmness (“and give to us jathed a peg for fastening a tent, a peg, metaphorically a support) in the place of His holiness. “Brighten our eyes,” that is, after the darkness of troubles to give them the ability to see the dawn of the day of salvation (cf. Prov 29:13; 1 Sam 14:27-29; Ps 14:4). “Grant us a little reviving in our bondage”: the meaning is the restoration of the life of Israel as a small community enjoying some degree of independence. A sign of this life was the restoration of the temple. But compared to ancient times, this life was only meat, a trifle, a nothing.

Ezra 9:9. We are slaves, yet our God has not abandoned us in our slavery, but has extended mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us some reviving, to raise up the house of our God and to restore its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem. “Gave us a wall (gader) in Judah and in Jerusalem” (cf. Isa 5:2-5). Gader – a fence, a fortified place. The expression does not indicate the walls of Jerusalem, which had not yet been restored at that time, but has a general meaning. Ezra wishes to say that, thanks to the protection of the Persian kings, the Jews obtained a peaceful and safe residence in their former homeland.

Ezra 9:10. And now, what shall we say, our God, after this? For we have turned away from Your commandments, “What shall we say, our God, after this?” that is, after the manifestation of the aforementioned mercies to the transgressing people. We can say nothing except that (Hebrew ki, Russian Ibo) “we have turned away from Your commandments.”

Ezra 9:11. Which You commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying: “The land that you are entering to occupy is an unclean land, unclean through the filthiness of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations which have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness. “Which You commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying” and following. The words brought through the end of v. 12, being close to Deut 7:1-3, do not occur literally in the prophetic books. But the thought expressed in them about the necessity of separation from communion with pagan peoples is the thought of all prophets, beginning with Moses.

Ezra 9:12. Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, and do not take their daughters for your sons, and do not seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong, eat the good things of the land, and leave it as an inheritance to your children forever. The words “do not seek their peace and prosperity forever” appear in Deut 23:6-7, where the requirement contained in them is limited only to the Moabites and Ammonites.