5 And at the present of the evening I have risen from mine affliction, and at my rending my garment and my upper robe, then I bow down on my knees, and spread out my hands unto Jehovah my God, 6 and say, 'O my God, I have been ashamed, and have blushed to lift up, O my God, my face unto Thee, for our iniquities have increased over the head, and our guilt hath become great unto the heavens. 7 'From the days of our fathers we 'are' in great guilt unto this day, and in our iniquities we have been given—we, our kings, our priests—into the hand of the kings of the lands, with sword, with captivity, and with spoiling, and with shame of face, as 'at' this day. 8 'And now, as a small moment hath grace been from Jehovah our God, to leave to us an escape, and to give to us a nail in His holy place, by our God's enlightening our eyes, and by giving us a little quickening in our servitude; 9 for servants we 'are', and in our servitude our God hath not forsaken us, and stretcheth out unto us kindness before the kings of Persia, to give to us a quickening to lift up the house of our God, and to cause its wastes to cease, and to give to us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem. 10 'And now, what do we say, O our God, after this? for we have forsaken Thy commands, 11 that Thou hast commanded by the hands of thy servants the prophets, saying, The land into which ye are going to possess it, 'is' a land of impurity, by the impurity of the people of the lands, by their abominations with which they have filled it—from mouth unto mouth—by their uncleanness; 12 and now, your daughters ye do not give to their sons, and their daughters ye do not take to your sons, and ye do not seek their peace, and their good—unto the age, so that ye are strong, and have eaten the good of the land, and given possession to your sons unto the age. 13 'And after all that hath come upon us for our evil works, and for our great guilt (for Thou, O our God, hast kept back of the rod from our iniquities, and hast given to us an escape like this), 14 do we turn back to break Thy commands, and to join ourselves in marriage with the people of these abominations? art not Thou angry against us—even to consumption—till there is no remnant and escaped part? 15 'O Jehovah, God of Israel, righteous 'art' Thou, for we have been left an escape, as 'it is' this day; lo, we 'are' before Thee in our guilt, for there is none to stand before Thee concerning this.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ezra 9:5-15
Commentary on Ezra 9:5-15
(Read Ezra 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.