Ezra 9:19

Ezra 9:6 , etc. The train of thought in this prayer is as follows: I scarcely dare to lift up my fact to God, through shame for the greatness of our misdeeds ( Ezra 9:6 ). From the days of our fathers, God has sorely punished us for our sins by delivering us into the power of our enemies; but has now again turned His pity towards us, and revived us in the place of His sanctuary, through the favour of the king of Persia ( Ezra 9:7 ). But we have again transgressed His commands, with the keeping of which God has connected our possession of the good land given unto us ( Ezra 9:10 ). Should we then, after God has spared us more than we through our trespasses have deserved, bring His wrath upon us, till we are wholly consumed? God is just; He has preserved us; but we stand before Him with heavy guilt upon us, such guilt that we cannot endure God's presence ( Ezra 9:13 ). Ezra does not pray for the pardon of their sin, for he desires only to bring the congregation to the knowledge of the greatness of their transgression, and so to invite them to do all that in them lies to atone for their guilt, and to appease God's wrath. "I am ashamed, and am covered with shame, to lift up my face to Thee, my God." ונכלמתּי בּשׁתּי united, as in Jeremiah 31:19, comp.

Daniel's prayer. This prayer has been judged very severely by modern critics. According to Berth., v. Leng., Hitzig, Staeh., and Ewald, its matter and its whole design are constructed according to older patterns, in particular according to the prayers of Nehemiah 9 and Ezra 9:1-15 , since Daniel 9:4 is borrowed from Nehemiah 1:5 ; Nehemiah 9:32 ; Daniel 9:8 from Nehemiah 9:34 ; Daniel 9:14 from Nehemiah 9:33 ; Daniel 9:15 from Nehemiah 1:10 ; Nehemiah 9:10 ; and, finally, Daniel 9:7 , Daniel 9:8 from Ezra 9:7 . But if we consider this dependence more closely, we shall, it is true, find the expression הפנים בּשׁת (confusion of faces, Ezra 9:7 , Ezra 9:8 ) in Ezra 9:7 , but we also find it in 2 Chronicles 32:21 ; Jeremiah 7:19 , and also in Psalm 44:16 ; סלחות (forgivenesses, Daniel 9:9 ) we find in Nehemiah 9:17 , but also in Psalm 130:4 ; and על תּתּך (is poured upon, spoken of the anger of God, Daniel 9:11 ) is found not only in 2 Chronicles 12:7 ; 2 Chronicles 34:21 , 2 Chronicles 34:25 , but also Jeremiah 42:18 ; Jeremiah 44:6 , and Nahum 1:6 . We have only to examine the other parallel common thoughts and words adduced in order at once to perceive that, without exception, they all have their roots in the Pentateuch, and afford not the slightest proof of the dependence of this chapter on Nehemiah 9 .

6 . A brief exordium: expression of personal shame and national guilt. I am ashamed and blush ] These words occur together frequently as in Jeremiah 31:19 ‘I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth’. Isaiah 45:16 ; Psalm 35:4 . Ezra’s expression of shame and confusion is the echo of the prophet’s words, ‘Beashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel’ ( Ezekiel 36:32 ), the very opposite of their spirit, who ‘were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush’ ( Jeremiah 6:15 ; Jeremiah 8:12 ). to lift up my face to thee ] The consciousness of sin will not permit the humble supplicant to ‘lift up so much as his eyes to heaven’ ( Luke 18:13 ). The first person singular is here dropped. for our iniquities are increased over our head ] The metaphor is drawn from the waters of a flood (cf. Genesis 7:17-18 ). Compare Psalm 38:4 ‘For mine iniquities are gone over mine head’. and our trespass ] R.V. our guiltiness . The word ‘guiltiness’ (‘ashmah’, not ‘ma-al’ ‘trespass’ of Ezra 9:1 ) is used here and in Ezra 9:7 ; Ezra 9:13 ; Ezra 9:15 , Ezra 10:10 ; Ezra 10:19 . It is the state of guilt resulting from sin, e.g.

The attitude of spreading out the hands expressed the desire to receive and to embrace the Divine gift, the hands open and the palms turned upwards as if to accept. Cf. Exodus 9:29 ; 1 Kings 8:22 , Isaiah 1:15 ‘And when ye spread forth your hands’. 2Ma 3:20 ‘All holding their hands toward heaven made supplication’. the Lord my God ] Cf. Ezra 7:6 ; Ezra 7:9 ; Ezra 7:14 ; Ezra 7:19-20 ; Ezra 7:25-26 and especially 28.

of Jeftis Chrift. 45: D. 1 8. 27, he means, be was but what Sin ha<l I yea^ he had fotxitching cf the fmuc and berarings of Sin yet upon him : wherefore 'twas luftoKi with //rtff/indays ofold, when they Days apart for Confeflion of Sin, and Humi- :ion for the fame, to fprinkie thcmfelves with, to wallow in Duft and Aihes, Efth. 4. 1,9. Jer. 16. Job 30. 9* cbaf, 42. 6. as a token that chey dconfefs they were but what Sin had left, and iit they were dcfiCd^ weal^ncd and foliutea by it. This then is the next PJea of our goodly Advo* Ite for QS, O SaUfif this is a brntid plucked out of hi Fire. As who ihould fay, thou objedefl againft By Servant Jofkua that he is black like a Coal, or Au the Fire of Sin, at times, is Aiti burning in \ku And what then ? the reafon why he is not hittUy extinAasTow, is not thy Pity, but my hther's Mercy to him : I have pluckd him out iifthe Fire, yet not fo out biit that the fmell there* Jfisyet upon him ; and tny Father and I, wc soofider his weaknefs, and pity him ; for fincc he % Ziz Brand pulled out f can it be expeded by my ?aiher or me, that he fhould appear before us as dear, and do our biddings as welj.as^ he had ever been there ? Ibis is a Brand f lucked out of he Fiyej and muft be ccnliJer'd as fuch, and muft e born with as much. Thus as Mefhibxfl^eth leadedfor his Excufe, his lamenefs, x Sain* ij. 4, 25,x6.fo Chnft pleads the infirm and indi* ei)t condition of his Per p!e againft Satan for leir AdTa4fttage.

Secondly, Go4's Intcrcfi in his People, a-nd p eth that God would remember chat : T/v i rebuke thee, O Satan ; the l^rd that bath ch Jcrufalem, rebuki thee. True, the Church, Saints are difpicable iii the World, wherefore I do think to tread them down: The Saints alfo weak in Grace, but have Corruptions are ftrong, and therefore Satan, the God of World, doth think to tread them down ; but Saints have a God, the. Living, the Eternal C and therefore (hall net be trodden down, yea,' /hail he holden up, for God is able to muk? t Jiand, Rom. 14. 4. It was Haman\ Mifhap to be engag'd aga the duecn, and the Kindred of the Queen, 't that made him be could not profper, that broi him rp Contempt and the Gallows ; had be foi: to ruin another People, probably he might h brought bis Deftgn to a defir'd Conclufion, his compajjing the Death of the Queen fpoiPd 5^rfln aJfo, when he fighteth againft the Chu: >tf l^ litre fo come to ihc yio\ft^ fot Goi. ^ ofjcfus Chrift. 5 i