Ezra 9

NOw when these things were done, the princes Who feared God, and understood that Ezra was come with large Commission from the King, and with this design, to reform all disorders, whereof this was not the least. came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the people of the lands i. e. From the Heathen Nations round about them, which God had expresly commanded them to do, Deut. 7. 2, 3., doing according to their abominations To wit, either, 1. Marrying promiscuously whomsoever they liked, as the Heathens used to do; Or, 2. Imitating them in their Idolatrous or other wicked practices, into which they were drawn by their Heathenish Affinities. Although they are not charged with any other crime besides their Marriage in the following account of it., even of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, the Ammonite, the Moabite, the Egyptian, and the Amorite.

For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands This they had done, either, 1. In the Land of their Captivity, into which these People were carried as well as others, as appears from Ier. 25. 9, &c. Or rather, 2. Since their return, as may be gathered from.... 8, 9, 10, 14.: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers Who should have restrained the People from this sin, by their authority and example, and by doing otherwise, made the sin more general, and involved themselves and the Nation in the guilt of it. has been chief in this trespass.

And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment, and my mantle, Both my inner and my upper garment. and pluckt off the hair of my head, and of my beard In testimony of my great grief and indignation; which was usual among all those Eastern and Antient People, wherein he did not transgress that Law, Levit. 19 27. Deut. 14. 1. because he did not shave off all the hair, but only plucked off some hairs., and sat down astonied. Partly for grief and shame at the sin; and partly for fear of some great and dreadful Judgment which he expected and feared for it.

Then were assembled unto me To joyn with me both in lamenting the sin, and in indeavouring the redress of it. every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel i. e. Who stood in awe of God, & of his Word, & durst not violate his commands; or who feared his threatnings against those that did so, and trembled for fear of God's Judgments upon them, and upon the whole Land for their sakes, as the following words imply. Compare Isa 66. 2, 5., because of the transgression of those that had been carried away To wit, into Captivity, and were safely returned from it, and yet were not reformed either by their former affliction, or by their latter deliverance., and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice When the People used to Assemble together. See Psal. 141. 2. Acts 3. 1..

And at the evening sacrifice I arose from my heaviness, i. e. From that mournful posture, v. 4. and put my self into the posture of a Petitioner. Or, by reason of my heaviness, or affliction. Having mourned for the sin, I considered that was not sufficient, and that God expected the confession and amendment of it, and therefore I fell to prayer. and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God,

And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities He includes himself in the number of the transgressors, not only by a Rhetorical figure called Communication, but guilty in this kind: and partly because the Princes and Priests, and so many of the People having done this, the guilt was now become National. are increased over our head, Like deep Waters, in which we are as it were drowned, and ready to perish. Compare Psal. 38. 4. and our trespasses grown up unto the heavens.

Since the days of our fathers, have we been in a great trespass unto this day We are not purged from the guilt and filth of our Fathers sins, but we are still feeling the sad effects of their sins in the continuing Captivity of a great number of our Brethren; and we are still repeating the same sins., and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.

And now for a little space It is but a little while since God has delivered and restored us, and yet we are already returned to our former sin and solly. Or thus, we have enjoyed this favour but a little while, and now we are sinning it away, and shortening our own happiness. grace has been showed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape That by his favour many of us should escape out of Captivity, whom he calls but a remnant, because the far greatest part of the Israelitish Nation were yet in Captivity., and to give us a nail i. e. Either 1. A just and merciful Prince of our own Nation and Religion: such being compared to Nails or Pins, as Isa. 22. 23. Or rather 2. Some kind of settlement: whereas before we were tossed and removed from place to place as our Masters pleased. It is a metaphor from Tents, which are fastened by Cords and Nails, or Pins. in his holy place i. e. In this holy Land, as the Land of Iudah is called, Zech. 2. 12. Or, in Ierusalem, which is called The holy City, Neh. 11. 1, 18. Dan 9. 24. which is peculiarly mentioned, because of the Temple, which was the Nail which fastened their Tents, and gave them some ground of hopes to continue in their Land., that our God may lighten our Eyes i. e. That he might revive and comfort our hearts. For as darkness is oft put for a state of sorrow and affliction; so light is put for joy and comfort., and give us a little reviving in our bondage For we are not quite delivered, but still wear our setters upon us, being even here in subjection to our former Lords.:

For we were bond-men i. e. In greater bondage than that in which we now are., yet our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia i. e. Has given us to find favour in their eyes., to give us a reviving To recover us from the grave of dreadful calamities in which we lay like dead men and dry bones, Ezek. 37. 1, &c. to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, To wit, of the Temple; either to build the house where there was only an heap of the ruines of the old Temple. Or rather 2. To frequent & celebrate the Worship of God in that place, which has long lain like a desolate & neglected place. For the building of the House was mentioned in the next foregoing words. and to give us a wall Heb. an hedge, or a fence; either 1. The Wall built about Ierusalem. But it is probable that was not yet built, as we shall see by the following History. Besides, this fence is intimated to be as much a fence to the rest of Iudah, as to Ierusalem: Or 2. The favour and protection of the Kings of Persia, whose Edicts on their behalf were under God their security against all those enemies wherewith they were encompassed. Or 3. The powerful and gracious Providence of God, which had brought them together, and planted them in their own Land, and watched over them from time to time. in Judah and in Jerusalem.

And now, O our God, what shall we say after this What Apology can we make for our selves after thou hast conferred such great and high favours upon us, and we have so grosly abused them?? for we have forsaken thy commandments,

Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land unto which ye go to possess, it is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people This notes the cause or matter of this uncleanness. The Land was not unclean in it self, but only polluted by the filthiness of its Inhabitants. of the lands, Or, of these Lands, which are round about it. This Land is as corrupt as any of the rest of the Heathen Nations. with their abominations. which have filled it from one end to another, with their uncleanness.

Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace, or their wealth for ever: But root them out, as I have commanded you to do; which also they have abundantly deserved, both of mine, and of your hands. See Deut. 7. 2, that ye may be strong Although you may fancy that this way of making Leagues and Marriages with them, is the only way to establish and settle you, yet I assure you, it will weaken and ruine you, and the contrary course will make you stronger. and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever.

And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass After all our sore sufferings for our sins., seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve And after all thy favour showed to us in the mitigation of thy Judgments., and hast given us such deliverances as this So full, so sudden, and unexpected, and amazing, not only to our enemies, but also to our selves..

Should we again break thy commandments, Was this a fit and just requital of all thy kindnesses? or was this thy end and design in these actions? or wilst thou take this well from our hands? and joyn in affinity with the people of these abominations I wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping Can we reasonably expect any thing from thee less than utter ruine??

O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous A just and holy God, who dost hate, and wilst infallibly punish sin and sinners. Or, thou art merciful, as appears from hence, that notwithstanding all our sins, thou hast not utterly destroyed us, but left a remnant of us. The Hebrew word here rendred righteous, is oft used for merciful; as is well known to all the learned., for we remain yet escaped Or, though we remain, &c. i. e. Though thou hast yet spared us in part. yet thou art righteous, and therefore wilt certainly punish and destroy us according to our deserts, if we do not repent of, and reform this great wickedness., as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses We are here in thy presence, and so are all our sins; we are arraigning our selves before thy Tribunal, acknowledging our selves to be vile offenders, and thee to be just, if thou destroy us.: for we cannot stand before thee To wit, in Judgment, as that word is oft used, as Psal. 130. 3. Compare Psal. 1. 5. we must needs fall and perish at thy presence, as the phrase is, Psal. 9. 3., because of this Because of this our great guilt, and the aggravations of it..