Ezra 9 Study Notes: Ezra’s Prayer of Confession
Ezra learns that many returned exiles, priests and leaders included, have married into neighbors with detestable practices, and he is overcome with grief. At the evening sacrifice he confesses the people’s sin as his own, thanks God for sparing a remnant, and admits they have no standing before a righteous God.
General
What kindness from God does Ezra describe in the middle of his prayer (Ezra 9:8-9)?
Answer: A spared remnant, a firm place at His temple, and Persian favor
Ezra says that for a short time the LORD had been gracious: He had kept a remnant (a small surviving group) alive and given them a secure place in His holy temple (9:8). They were still subjects of Persia, yet God had not abandoned them. He had given them fresh life and brightened their eyes, and had won them favor with Persia’s kings so that they could rebuild God’s house and have protection in Jerusalem and Judah (9:9). Earlier the LORD had moved Cyrus in his spirit and later put it in the heart of Artaxerxes to honor His house (1:1; 7:27). Paul later speaks similarly of a remnant that exists by grace (Romans 11:5).
- Ezra 9:8-9 (BSB)“But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from the LORD our God to preserve for us a remnant and to give us a stake in His holy place. Even in our bondage, our God has given us new life and light to our eyes. Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but He has extended to us grace in the sight of the kings of Persia, giving us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and giving us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.”Ezra recounts the grace that preserved a remnant, gave them a stake in God’s holy place, and moved Persia’s kings to favor them.
- Ezra 1:1 (BSB)“In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows:”The return began when the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia.
- Ezra 7:27 (BSB)“Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put into the heart of the king to so honor the house of the LORD in Jerusalem,”Ezra blesses the LORD for putting it into the king’s heart to honor His house.
- Romans 11:5 (BSB)“In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.”Paul says that in his own time there is a remnant chosen by grace.
Theological
How does Ezra describe the grace God had shown the returned exiles (Ezra 9:8-9)?
Answer: A spared remnant, a firm place at His temple, and Persian favor
Ezra confesses that the community’s survival is pure grace: for a short while the LORD preserved a remnant and gave them a secure hold in His sanctuary (9:8). Though still in bondage under Persia, they were not forsaken; God revived them, lightened their eyes, and extended favor through the Persian kings so they could rebuild His house and enjoy protection (9:9). This favor came from God’s sovereign working in rulers’ hearts (1:1; 7:27), not from any merit in Israel, and Paul speaks of the remnant of his own day as chosen by grace (Romans 11:5).
- Ezra 9:8-9 (BSB)“But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from the LORD our God to preserve for us a remnant and to give us a stake in His holy place. Even in our bondage, our God has given us new life and light to our eyes. Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but He has extended to us grace in the sight of the kings of Persia, giving us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and giving us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.”Ezra recounts the grace that preserved a remnant, gave them a stake in God’s holy place, and moved Persia’s kings to favor them.
- Ezra 1:1 (BSB)“In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows:”The return began when the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia.
- Ezra 7:27 (BSB)“Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put into the heart of the king to so honor the house of the LORD in Jerusalem,”Ezra blesses the LORD for putting it into the king’s heart to honor His house.
- Romans 11:5 (BSB)“In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.”Paul says that in his own time there is a remnant chosen by grace.
General
Which of God’s commands does Ezra say the people had forsaken (Ezra 9:10-12)?
Answer: To avoid marrying the defiling nations of the land they entered
Ezra asks what they can say after such kindness, because they had forsaken God’s commands given through His servants the prophets (9:10-11). He sums those commands up: the land Israel was entering had been made unclean by the impure and detestable practices of its peoples, so Israel was not to intermarry with them or seek their welfare, so that Israel would be strong, enjoy the land, and leave it to their children (9:11-12). His words draw on several parts of the law: the ban on intermarriage (Deuteronomy 7:3), the command not to seek the peace of certain nations (Deuteronomy 23:6), and the warning that the nations had defiled the land by their practices (Leviticus 18:24-25).
- Ezra 9:10-12 (BSB)“And now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commandments that You gave through Your servants the prophets, saying: ‘The land that you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the impurity of its peoples and the abominations with which they have filled it from end to end. Now, therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong and may eat the good things of the land, leaving it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’”Ezra confesses that Israel has forsaken the commands not to intermarry with the peoples who defiled the land.
- Deuteronomy 7:3 (BSB)“Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons,”The law forbade giving daughters to the nations’ sons or taking their daughters.
- Deuteronomy 23:6 (BSB)“You are not to seek peace or prosperity from them as long as you live.”The law said Israel was not to seek peace or prosperity from certain nations.
- Leviticus 18:24-25 (BSB)“Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves. Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants.”The nations had defiled themselves and the land by their practices.
Theological
What command, given through the prophets, does Ezra say Israel had abandoned (Ezra 9:10-12)?
Answer: To avoid marrying the defiling nations of the land they entered
Having rehearsed God’s grace, Ezra confesses that Israel has forsaken the commandments given through the prophets (9:10-11). His summary gathers several strands of the Mosaic law: the land was defiled by the abominations of its inhabitants (Leviticus 18:24-25), Israel must not marry into their families (Deuteronomy 7:3), and must not seek their welfare or prosperity (Deuteronomy 23:6), so that the people might grow strong and pass the inheritance to their sons (9:12). The sin is thus measured against God’s revealed word, and it is all the worse for coming after so much undeserved kindness.
- Ezra 9:10-12 (BSB)“And now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commandments that You gave through Your servants the prophets, saying: ‘The land that you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the impurity of its peoples and the abominations with which they have filled it from end to end. Now, therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong and may eat the good things of the land, leaving it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’”Ezra confesses that Israel has forsaken the commands not to intermarry with the peoples who defiled the land.
- Deuteronomy 7:3 (BSB)“Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons,”The law forbade giving daughters to the nations’ sons or taking their daughters.
- Deuteronomy 23:6 (BSB)“You are not to seek peace or prosperity from them as long as you live.”The law said Israel was not to seek peace or prosperity from certain nations.
- Leviticus 18:24-25 (BSB)“Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves. Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants.”The nations had defiled themselves and the land by their practices.
General
How did Ezra react when he heard the leaders’ report (Ezra 9:3-4)?
Answer: He tore his garments, pulled hair from his head, and sat stunned
Ezra tore his clothing, pulled out hair from his head and his beard, and sat appalled (9:3), all signs of deep grief and shock. He stayed there until the time of the evening sacrifice, and everyone who stood in awe of what Israel’s God had said came and gathered near him (9:4). Those who gathered were people who took God’s word seriously, the kind of person the LORD says He esteems: humble and contrite, trembling at His word (Isaiah 66:2). Like the people in Ezekiel’s vision who groaned over the sins of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 9:4), they grieved because God’s law was not being kept (Psalm 119:136).
- Ezra 9:3-4 (BSB)“When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled out some hair from my head and beard, and sat down in horror. Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles, while I sat there in horror until the evening offering.”Ezra tears his garments and sits in horror, and those who tremble at God’s words gather around him.
- Isaiah 66:2 (BSB)“Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being,” declares the LORD. “This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word.”The LORD esteems the humble and contrite person who trembles at His word.
- Ezekiel 9:4 (BSB)““Go throughout the city of Jerusalem,” said the LORD, “and put a mark on the foreheads of the men sighing and groaning over all the abominations committed there.””In Ezekiel’s vision, those groaning over Jerusalem’s abominations are marked out by the LORD.
- Psalm 119:136 (BSB)“My eyes shed streams of tears because Your law is not obeyed.”The psalmist weeps because God’s law is not obeyed, the same grief Ezra shows.
Theological
What was Ezra’s immediate response to the news of the intermarriages (Ezra 9:3-4)?
Answer: He tore his garments, pulled hair from his head, and sat stunned
Ezra’s torn garments, plucked hair and beard, and sitting appalled (9:3) are the outward signs of grief over covenant breach. Around him gathered those who stood in awe of what Israel’s God had spoken (9:4), a remnant marked by reverence for God’s word, whom the LORD Himself esteems (Isaiah 66:2). Their grief resembles that of those who sighed over Jerusalem’s abominations in Ezekiel’s vision (Ezekiel 9:4) and the psalmist’s tears over a broken law (Psalm 119:136). Ezra sat until the evening sacrifice before turning to prayer.
- Ezra 9:3-4 (BSB)“When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled out some hair from my head and beard, and sat down in horror. Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles, while I sat there in horror until the evening offering.”Ezra tears his garments and sits in horror, and those who tremble at God’s words gather around him.
- Isaiah 66:2 (BSB)“Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being,” declares the LORD. “This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word.”The LORD esteems the humble and contrite person who trembles at His word.
- Ezekiel 9:4 (BSB)““Go throughout the city of Jerusalem,” said the LORD, “and put a mark on the foreheads of the men sighing and groaning over all the abominations committed there.””In Ezekiel’s vision, those groaning over Jerusalem’s abominations are marked out by the LORD.
- Psalm 119:136 (BSB)“My eyes shed streams of tears because Your law is not obeyed.”The psalmist weeps because God’s law is not obeyed, the same grief Ezra shows.
General
How does Ezra speak about the people’s sin when he begins his prayer (Ezra 9:6-7)?
Answer: He counts himself among the guilty and speaks of our iniquities
Kneeling with his hands spread out to the LORD, Ezra says he is too ashamed to lift his face to God, because their iniquities have risen above their heads and their guilt reaches up to heaven (9:5-6). The report concerned others, yet Ezra does not stand apart from them; he speaks of our sins. He also traces this guilt back through the generations, saying it was because of these sins that Israel, its kings, and its priests had been handed over to foreign kings, the sword, and captivity (9:7). Nehemiah, Daniel, and the psalmist pray the same way, confessing the sins of the people as their own (Nehemiah 1:6; Daniel 9:5; Psalm 106:6).
- Ezra 9:6-7 (BSB)“and said: “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, because our iniquities are higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached the heavens. From the days of our fathers to this day, our guilt has been great. Because of our iniquities, we and our kings and priests have been delivered into the hands of the kings of the earth and subjected to the sword and to captivity, to pillage and humiliation, as we are this day.”Ezra confesses that our iniquities are higher than our heads, and that guilt brought exile on Israel’s kings and priests.
- Nehemiah 1:6 (BSB)“let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to hear the prayer that I, Your servant, now pray before You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed against You. Both I and my father’s house have sinned.”Nehemiah likewise confesses Israel’s sins and says both he and his father’s house have sinned.
- Daniel 9:5 (BSB)“we have sinned and done wrong. We have acted wickedly and rebelled. We have turned away from Your commandments and ordinances.”Daniel’s confession also says we have sinned, counting himself among the guilty.
- Psalm 106:6 (BSB)“We have sinned like our fathers; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.”The psalmist confesses that we have sinned like our fathers.
Theological
How does Ezra identify himself with the people’s guilt in his confession (Ezra 9:6-7)?
Answer: He counts himself among the guilty and speaks of our iniquities
Ezra’s confession is corporate. Though the report concerned others, he prays in the first person plural: he is ashamed to lift his face because their iniquities rise above their heads and their guilt reaches the heavens (9:6). He sets the present sin within Israel’s long history of guilt, which had brought exile, the sword, and plunder on kings and priests alike (9:7). This solidarity in confession runs through Scripture’s prayers of repentance (Nehemiah 1:6; Daniel 9:5; Psalm 106:6), where the intercessor stands with the guilty people rather than above them.
- Ezra 9:6-7 (BSB)“and said: “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, because our iniquities are higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached the heavens. From the days of our fathers to this day, our guilt has been great. Because of our iniquities, we and our kings and priests have been delivered into the hands of the kings of the earth and subjected to the sword and to captivity, to pillage and humiliation, as we are this day.”Ezra confesses that our iniquities are higher than our heads, and that guilt brought exile on Israel’s kings and priests.
- Nehemiah 1:6 (BSB)“let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to hear the prayer that I, Your servant, now pray before You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed against You. Both I and my father’s house have sinned.”Nehemiah likewise confesses Israel’s sins and says both he and his father’s house have sinned.
- Daniel 9:5 (BSB)“we have sinned and done wrong. We have acted wickedly and rebelled. We have turned away from Your commandments and ordinances.”Daniel’s confession also says we have sinned, counting himself among the guilty.
- Psalm 106:6 (BSB)“We have sinned like our fathers; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.”The psalmist confesses that we have sinned like our fathers.
General
True or False: The report to Ezra said that the leaders and the officials had been foremost in this unfaithfulness (Ezra 9:2).
Answer: True
This is true. The report ends by saying that the leaders and the officials had been first in this sin (9:2), and priests and Levites are named as well (9:1). Those who should have guided the people had shown them the way into disobedience. Solomon’s history had already shown where such marriages could lead a leader: in his old age his wives drew his heart away toward other gods (1 Kings 11:4), as Nehemiah would later recall (Nehemiah 13:26). When the investigation was later carried out, the list began with priests, even members of the priestly family of Jeshua (10:18).
- Ezra 9:2 (BSB)“Indeed, the Israelites have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed has been mixed with the people of the land. And the leaders and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness!””The report says the leaders and the officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness.
- 1 Kings 11:4 (BSB)“For when Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his father David had been.”Solomon’s wives turned his heart after other gods, showing how a leader could be drawn away.
- Nehemiah 13:26 (BSB)“Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations, and he was loved by his God, who made him king over all Israel—yet foreign women drew him into sin.”Nehemiah later points to Solomon as a great king whom foreign women drew into sin.
- Ezra 10:18 (BSB)“Among the descendants of the priests who had married foreign women were found these descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.”The later list of offenders begins with priests from the family of Jeshua son of Jozadak.
Theological
True or False: According to the report in Ezra 9:2, the leaders and the officials had led the way in this unfaithfulness.
Answer: True
This is true. The report ends with the charge that the leaders and the officials had been first in this unfaithfulness (9:2), with priests and Levites already named (9:1). The guilt reached the very people responsible for teaching and guarding the covenant. Solomon stands as the great warning of a leader drawn into idolatry through foreign wives (1 Kings 11:4; Nehemiah 13:26), and the closing list of the book begins with priests from the family of Jeshua, the priest who had helped rebuild the altar (10:18; 3:2).
- Ezra 9:2 (BSB)“Indeed, the Israelites have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed has been mixed with the people of the land. And the leaders and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness!””The report says the leaders and the officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness.
- 1 Kings 11:4 (BSB)“For when Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his father David had been.”Solomon’s wives turned his heart after other gods, showing how a leader could be drawn away.
- Nehemiah 13:26 (BSB)“Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations, and he was loved by his God, who made him king over all Israel—yet foreign women drew him into sin.”Nehemiah later points to Solomon as a great king whom foreign women drew into sin.
- Ezra 10:18 (BSB)“Among the descendants of the priests who had married foreign women were found these descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.”The later list of offenders begins with priests from the family of Jeshua son of Jozadak.
General
What did the leaders report to Ezra after his arrival in Jerusalem (Ezra 9:1-2)?
Answer: That the people had married into nations given to detestable practices
The leaders told Ezra that the Israelites, priests and Levites among them, had not kept apart from the nearby nations whose practices were as detestable as the ways of the Canaanites and the other peoples listed, and had taken wives from them for themselves and for their sons (9:1-2). The report calls this unfaithfulness. The issue is loyalty to the LORD: the law of Moses forbade such marriages because they would turn Israel’s sons away to the worship of other gods (Deuteronomy 7:3-4; Exodus 34:15-16). Earlier, at the Passover, the returned exiles had shared the meal with everyone who had turned away from the impure ways of the nations around them in order to worship the LORD (6:21).
- Ezra 9:1-2 (BSB)“After these things had been accomplished, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the surrounding peoples whose abominations are like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites. Indeed, the Israelites have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed has been mixed with the people of the land. And the leaders and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness!””The leaders report that the people, including priests and Levites, have intermarried with peoples who practice abominations.
- Deuteronomy 7:3-4 (BSB)“Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.”The law forbade such marriages because they would turn Israel away to serve other gods.
- Exodus 34:15-16 (BSB)“Do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you, and you will eat their sacrifices. And when you take some of their daughters as brides for your sons, their daughters will prostitute themselves to their gods and cause your sons to do the same.”The LORD warned that marrying into the nations of the land would lead Israel into their idolatry.
- Ezra 6:21 (BSB)“The Israelites who had returned from exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to seek the LORD, the God of Israel.”The returned exiles ate the Passover together with all who had separated from the nations’ uncleanness to seek the LORD.
Theological
What problem did the leaders bring before Ezra once the earlier business was finished (Ezra 9:1-2)?
Answer: That the people had married into nations given to detestable practices
The report frames the intermarriage as covenant unfaithfulness: the people, including priests and Levites, had failed to separate from neighboring peoples whose abominations matched the ways of the Canaanites and the other nations named, so the holy people had become mingled with them (9:1-2). The reason the Law gives for the prohibition is worship: such unions would draw Israel’s sons after other gods (Deuteronomy 7:3-4; Exodus 34:15-16). At the earlier Passover the same community had shared the meal with everyone who had turned from the impurity of the nations to worship the LORD (6:21).
- Ezra 9:1-2 (BSB)“After these things had been accomplished, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the surrounding peoples whose abominations are like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites. Indeed, the Israelites have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed has been mixed with the people of the land. And the leaders and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness!””The leaders report that the people, including priests and Levites, have intermarried with peoples who practice abominations.
- Deuteronomy 7:3-4 (BSB)“Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.”The law forbade such marriages because they would turn Israel away to serve other gods.
- Exodus 34:15-16 (BSB)“Do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you, and you will eat their sacrifices. And when you take some of their daughters as brides for your sons, their daughters will prostitute themselves to their gods and cause your sons to do the same.”The LORD warned that marrying into the nations of the land would lead Israel into their idolatry.
- Ezra 6:21 (BSB)“The Israelites who had returned from exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to seek the LORD, the God of Israel.”The returned exiles ate the Passover together with all who had separated from the nations’ uncleanness to seek the LORD.
General
True or False: Ezra says God had punished Israel fully as much as their sins deserved (Ezra 9:13).
Answer: False
This is false. Ezra says that after all the trouble that came because of their evil deeds and great guilt, God had actually punished them less than their sins deserved and had left them a remnant (9:13). He then asks whether they should break God’s commands again, since God could rightly become angry enough to destroy them completely, leaving no survivors (9:14), as the law had warned (Deuteronomy 7:4). The psalmist says the same about God’s mercy: He has not repaid us as our sins deserve (Psalm 103:10), and it is because of His loving devotion that His people are not consumed (Lamentations 3:22).
- Ezra 9:13-14 (BSB)“After all that has come upon us because of our evil deeds and our great guilt (though You, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve and have given us such a remnant as this), shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who commit these abominations? Would You not become so angry with us as to wipe us out, leaving no remnant or survivor?”Ezra says God has punished them less than their iniquities deserve and asks whether they should break His commands again.
- Deuteronomy 7:4 (BSB)“because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.”The law warned that such marriages would bring the LORD’s anger and swift destruction.
- Psalm 103:10 (BSB)“He has not dealt with us according to our sins or repaid us according to our iniquities.”God has not repaid His people according to their sins and iniquities.
- Lamentations 3:22 (BSB)“Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail.”The LORD’s loving devotion is the reason His people are not consumed.
Theological
True or False: In Ezra 9:13, Ezra says the exile was a punishment exactly equal to Israel’s iniquities.
Answer: False
This is false. Ezra confesses that God had punished them less than their iniquities deserved and had granted them a remnant (9:13). Even the exile, severe as it was, fell short of full justice, so their survival was mercy, not something owed. That is why he trembles at the thought of sinning again, knowing God would be just to destroy them completely (9:14; Deuteronomy 7:4). Scripture consistently grounds Israel’s survival in God’s mercy rather than their merit (Psalm 103:10; Lamentations 3:22).
- Ezra 9:13-14 (BSB)“After all that has come upon us because of our evil deeds and our great guilt (though You, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve and have given us such a remnant as this), shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who commit these abominations? Would You not become so angry with us as to wipe us out, leaving no remnant or survivor?”Ezra says God has punished them less than their iniquities deserve and asks whether they should break His commands again.
- Deuteronomy 7:4 (BSB)“because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.”The law warned that such marriages would bring the LORD’s anger and swift destruction.
- Psalm 103:10 (BSB)“He has not dealt with us according to our sins or repaid us according to our iniquities.”God has not repaid His people according to their sins and iniquities.
- Lamentations 3:22 (BSB)“Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail.”The LORD’s loving devotion is the reason His people are not consumed.
General
How does Ezra end his prayer (Ezra 9:15)?
Answer: He declares God righteous and admits none can stand before Him
Ezra ends by declaring that Israel’s God is righteous, noting that they remain alive as a remnant, and confessing that they stand before Him in their guilt, and that in such guilt nobody could stand in His presence (9:15). He makes no excuses and offers no promises of good behavior to earn favor. He simply admits the people’s guilt and leaves them in the hands of a righteous God, much as Paul says the law silences every mouth before God (Romans 3:19). The psalmist says that if God kept a record of sins no one could stand, yet with Him there is forgiveness (Psalm 130:3-4). The Levites’ prayer in Nehemiah makes the same confession: God has acted faithfully while His people acted wickedly (Nehemiah 9:33).
- Ezra 9:15 (BSB)“O LORD, God of Israel, You are righteous! For we remain this day as a remnant. Here we are before You in our guilt, though because of it no one can stand before You.””Ezra declares the LORD righteous and confesses that they stand before Him in their guilt.
- Psalm 130:3-4 (BSB)“If You, O LORD, kept track of iniquities, then who, O Lord, could stand? But with You there is forgiveness, so that You may be feared.”If the LORD kept track of iniquities no one could stand, but with Him there is forgiveness.
- Nehemiah 9:33 (BSB)“You are just in all that has befallen us, because You have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly.”In a later prayer the Levites confess that God is just in all that has happened, for He has been faithful while His people acted wickedly.
- Romans 3:19 (BSB)“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.”The law silences every mouth and holds the whole world accountable to God.
Theological
On what note does Ezra’s confession close (Ezra 9:15)?
Answer: He declares God righteous and admits none can stand before Him
The prayer closes without a plea based on merit. Ezra vindicates God by declaring Him righteous, notes that they survive as a remnant, and confesses that they stand guilty before Him, unable to stand in His presence (9:15). Paul likewise says the law silences every mouth and holds the whole world accountable to God (Romans 3:19), and the psalmist rests his hope on the forgiveness that is found with Him (Psalm 130:3-4). The Levites’ later prayer makes the same confession: God has been just in everything that came upon Israel, for He acted faithfully while they acted wickedly (Nehemiah 9:33).
- Ezra 9:15 (BSB)“O LORD, God of Israel, You are righteous! For we remain this day as a remnant. Here we are before You in our guilt, though because of it no one can stand before You.””Ezra declares the LORD righteous and confesses that they stand before Him in their guilt.
- Psalm 130:3-4 (BSB)“If You, O LORD, kept track of iniquities, then who, O Lord, could stand? But with You there is forgiveness, so that You may be feared.”If the LORD kept track of iniquities no one could stand, but with Him there is forgiveness.
- Nehemiah 9:33 (BSB)“You are just in all that has befallen us, because You have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly.”In a later prayer the Levites confess that God is just in all that has happened, for He has been faithful while His people acted wickedly.
- Romans 3:19 (BSB)“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.”The law silences every mouth and holds the whole world accountable to God.