Ezra 9:10

9:5-15 The sacrifice, especially the evening sacrifice, was a type of the blessed Lamb of God, who in the evening of the world, was to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Ezra's address is a penitent confession of sin, the sin of his people. But let this be the comfort of true penitents, that though their sins reach to the heavens, God's mercy is in the heavens. Ezra, speaking of sin, speaks as one much ashamed. Holy shame is as necessary in true repentance as holy sorrow. Ezra speaks as much amazed. The discoveries of guilt cause amazement; the more we think of sin, the worse it looks. Say, God be merciful to me sinner. Ezra speaks as one much afraid. There is not a surer or saddler presage of ruin, than turning to sin, after great judgments, and great deliverances. Every one in the church of God, has to wonder that he has not wearied out the Lord's patience, and brought destruction upon himself. What then must be the case of the ungodly? But though the true penitent has nothing to plead in his own behalf, the heavenly Advocate pleads most powerfully for him.

And now, O our God, what shall we say after this?.... What apology or excuse can be made for such ingratitude? what can be said in favour of such a people? what kindness can be expected to be shown to a people who had behaved in so base a manner? for we have forsaken thy commandments: particularly those which related to marriages with people of other nations.

Ezr 9:5-15. Prays to God. 5-15. I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the Lord my God—The burden of his prayer, which was dictated by a deep sense of the emergency, was that he was overwhelmed at the flagrant enormity of this sin, and the bold impiety of continuing in it after having, as a people, so recently experienced the heavy marks of the divine displeasure. God had begun to show returning favor to Israel by the restoration of some. But this only aggravated their sin, that, so soon after their re-establishment in their native land, they openly violated the express and repeated precepts which commanded them to extirpate the Canaanites. Such conduct, he exclaimed, could issue only in drawing down some great punishment from offended Heaven and ensuring the destruction of the small remnant of us that is left, unless, by the help of divine grace, we repent and bring forth the fruits of repentance in an immediate and thorough reformation.

10 . A sudden apostrophe. God’s mercy has been great; but now, in spite of all, Israel has broken this command: what does she deserve? And now … after this ] It has been very generally supposed that ‘after this’ means ‘after this manifestation of Divine clemency’. But it seems better to suppose that Ezra breaks abruptly off at Ezra 9:9 . The thought of God’s favour in the past makes Ezra mentally compare it with the present position of the Jews. ‘And now, at this moment, after this fresh violation of commandment, after this further proof of our guiltiness, what can we say?’ Ezra 9:10

10 . Ezra the priest ] See note on Ezra 7:11 . Ye have transgressed ] R.V. Ye have trespassed , as in Ezra 10:2 ; Ezra 10:6 , Ezra 9:4 and Nehemiah 1:8 ; Nehemiah 13:27 . It is best to keep ‘transgress’ and ‘transgression’ for the Hebrew words ‘pâsha’ and ‘pesha’, which only once occur in this book ( Ezra 10:13 ) but are very frequent elsewhere. and have taken strange wives ] R.V. and have married strange women. See note on Ezra 10:2 . to increase the trespass of Israel ] R.V. to increase the guilt of Israel. The ‘guilt’ or ‘guiltiness of Israel’, see on Ezra 9:6 ; Ezra 9:15 . The fresh offence had added to the black account against Israel. 10–11 . Ezra’s address to the people: (1) the offence stated; (2) the reform commanded, consisting of ( a ) public confession, ( b ) practical amendment.

"And now, O our God, what can we say after this? That we have forsaken Thy commandments," זאת, i.e., such proofs of the divine compassion as have just been mentioned. The answer which follows commences with כּי, before which נאמר is mentally repeated: "we can only say that we have forsaken Thy commandments, requited Thy kindness with sins."