Ezra 9:2-6
Konteks9:2 Indeed, they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race 1 has become intermingled with the local residents. Worse still, the leaders and the officials have been at the forefront of all of this!”
9:3 When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and my robe and ripped out some of the hair from my head and beard. Then I sat down, quite devastated. 9:4 Everyone who held the words of the God of Israel in awe 2 gathered around me because of the unfaithful acts of the people of the exile. 3 Devastated, I continued to sit there until the evening offering.
9:5 At the time of the evening offering I got up from my self-abasement, 4 with my tunic and robe torn, and then dropped to my knees and spread my hands to the Lord my God. 9:6 I prayed, 5
“O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to you, my God! For our iniquities have climbed higher than our heads, and our guilt extends to the heavens.
Ezra 10:1-6
Konteks10:1 While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself to the ground before the temple of God, a very large crowd of Israelites – men, women, and children alike – gathered around him. The people wept loudly. 6 10:2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the descendants of Elam, 7 addressed Ezra:
“We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying 8 foreign women from the local peoples. 9 Nonetheless, there is still hope for Israel in this regard. 10 10:3 Therefore let us enact 11 a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in keeping with your counsel, my lord, 12 and that of those who respect 13 the commandments of our God. And let it be done according to the law. 10:4 Get up, for this matter concerns you. We are with you, so be strong and act decisively!”
10:5 So Ezra got up and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath to carry out this plan. 14 And they all took a solemn oath. 10:6 Then Ezra got up from in front of the temple of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he stayed 15 there, he did not eat food or drink water, for he was in mourning over the infidelity of the exiles.
[9:2] 1 tn Heb “the holy seed,” referring to the Israelites as God’s holy people.
[9:4] 2 tn Heb “who trembled at the words of the God of Israel.”
[9:4] 3 tn Heb “the exile”; the words “the people” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[9:5] 4 tn The Hebrew word used here is a hapax legomenon. It refers to the self-abasement that accompanies religious sorrow and fasting.
[10:1] 6 tn Heb “with much weeping.”
[10:2] 7 tc The translation reads with the Qere, many medieval Hebrew
[10:2] 8 tn Heb “in that we have given a dwelling to.” So also in vv. 14, 17, 18.
[10:2] 9 tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”
[10:3] 12 tn The MT vocalizes this word as a plural, which could be understood as a reference to God. But the context seems to suggest that a human lord is intended. The apparatus of BHS suggests repointing the word as a singular (“my lord”), but this is unnecessary. The plural (“my lords”) can be understood in an honorific sense even when a human being is in view. Most English versions regard this as a reference to Ezra, so the present translation supplies “your” before “counsel” to make this clear.
[10:3] 13 tn Heb “who tremble at”; NAB, NIV “who fear.”
[10:5] 14 tn Heb “to do according to this plan.”
[10:6] 15 tc The translation reads וַיָּלֶן (vayyalen, “and he stayed”) rather than the reading וַיֵּלֶךְ (vayyelekh, “and he went”) of the MT. Cf. the LXX.
