Bible Commentaries

Ezra 9:1-4. Report is Made to Ezra of the Marriages of Jews with the Heathen.—Ezra's zeal in this matter resulted in his going beyond the requirements of the Law (cf. Deuteronomy 23:7).

Ezra 9:1. the Canaanites . . . Amorites: with the Gentiles here enumerated cf. Deuteronomy 7:1.

Ezra 9:2. holy seed: cf. Isaiah 61:3.

Ezra 9:5-15. Ezra's Confession.

Ezra 9:5. at the evening Oblation: therefore in the presence of the assembled worshippers.

Ezra 9:7. from the days of our fathers: i.e. from the times of the patriarchs onwards.

Ezra 9:8. a nail in his holy place: lit. ‘a tent-peg in, etc."; the rendering in the Greek Ezra is to be preferred, viz.: "a root and a name in the place of thy sanctuary."—in our bondage: the expression is a strong one; the Jews, though dependents of the Persian king, were not in servitude in the sense that their fathers had been in Egypt.

Ezra 9:9. a wall: lit. "a fence"; cf. Isaiah 5:5; the word is used of a fence round vineyards; it is used metaphorically for "protection," and does not, of course, refer to the wall of the city, which was in ruins (see Nehemiah 2:11-17).

Ezra 9:11. by thy servants the prophets saying . . .: cf. Deuteronomy 7:1-3; Deuteronomy 23:7. Ezra regards the teaching of the Law as identical with that of the prophets, and vice versa, and is thus the first to enunciate a principle which is often insisted upon in later Jewish literature.