New International Version
Ezra 9:2
2They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.”
Ezra 9:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost."
- New King James Version (NKJV)For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed is mixed with the peoples of those lands. Indeed, the hand of the leaders and rulers has been foremost in this trespass.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)For the men of Israel have married women from these people and have taken them as wives for their sons. So the holy race has become polluted by these mixed marriages. Worse yet, the leaders and officials have led the way in this outrage.”
Context of Ezra 9:2
1After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites. They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.” 3When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled. 4Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice.
Read all of Ezra 9Ezra 9:2 word by word
כִּֽי־נָשְׂא֣וּ מִבְּנֹֽתֵיהֶ֗ם לָהֶם֙ וְלִבְנֵיהֶ֔ם וְהִתְעָֽרְבוּ֙ זֶ֣רַע הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ בְּעַמֵּ֖י הָאֲרָצ֑וֹת וְיַ֧ד הַשָּׂרִ֣ים וְהַסְּגָנִ֗ים הָֽיְתָ֛ה בַּמַּ֥עַל הַזֶּ֖ה רִאשׁוֹנָֽה׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For they have takenנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: marryH5375
- of their daughtersבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- for themselves, and for their sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- so that the holyקֹ֫דֶשׁqôdesh · holinessH6944
- seedזֶ֫רַעzera‛ · seed: childrenH2233
- have mingledעָרַב‛ârab · to pledgeH6148
- themselves with the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- landsאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- yea, the handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
- of the princesשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
- and rulersסָגָןsâgân · rulerH5461
- hath been chiefרִאשׁוֹןri'shôn ri'shôn · first: chiefH7223
- in this trespassמַ֫עַלma‛al · unfaithfulnessH4604
Cross-references for Ezra 9:2
- Ezra 10:18Among the descendants of the priests, the following had married foreign women: From the descendants of Joshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah.
- Exodus 34:16And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same.
- Deuteronomy 7:1When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you—
- Nehemiah 13:23Moreover, in those days I saw men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab.
- Malachi 2:11Judah has been unfaithful. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the Lord loves by marrying women who worship a foreign god.
- Exodus 19:6you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
- Exodus 22:31“You are to be my holy people. So do not eat the meat of an animal torn by wild beasts; throw it to the dogs.
- Deuteronomy 7:6For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.
- Deuteronomy 14:2for you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his treasured possession.
- Isaiah 6:13And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.”
- Malachi 2:15Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.
- 1 Corinthians 7:14For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
- Genesis 6:2the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.
- Nehemiah 13:3When the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all who were of foreign descent.
- 2 Corinthians 6:14Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
- Nehemiah 13:4Before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God. He was closely associated with Tobiah,
Commentaries on Ezra 9:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Hath been chief in this trespass - They who are the first men have been the most capital offenders; so Virgil, Aen. ix. 783: - Unus homo, vestris, o cives, undique septus Aggeribus, tantas strages impune per urbem Ediderit? Juvenum primos tot miserit orco? "Shall one, and he enclosed within your walls, One rash imprisoned warrior, vanquish all? Calm you look on, and see the furious foe Plunge crowds of heroes to the shades below!" Pitt. The first of the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-2The events that follow occurred about four months after Ezra arrived (compare Ezra 7:9; 10:9). Intermarriage with non-Israelites was risky because Israelites might worship other gods and adopt harmful religious practices (compare Ezra 4:1–5; Deuteronomy 7:1–4). the holy seed has been mixed: Literally the holy seed has intermingled itself. Israel was a holy covenant nation (Exodus 19:6) and was not supposed to engage in pagan practices (Leviticus 19:2–4…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-41-2. Now when these things were done--The first days after Ezra's arrival in Jerusalem were occupied in executing the different trusts committed to him. The nature and design of the office with which the royal authority had invested him was publicly made known to his own people by the formal delivery of the contribution and the sacred vessels brought from Babylon to the priests to be deposited in the temple. Then his credentials were privately presented…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezra 9:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ezra 9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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