Ezra 9
Ezra 9 is the ninth chapter of the Book of Ezra in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, or the book of Ezra-Nehemiah in the Hebrew Bible, which treats the book of Ezra and book of Nehemiah as one book. Jewish tradition states that Ezra is the author of Ezra-Nehemiah as well as the Book of Chronicles, but modern scholars generally accept that a compiler from the 5th century BCE is the final author of these books. The section comprising chapters 7 to 10 mainly describes the activities of Ezra the scribe and the priest. This chapter and the next deal with the problem of intermarriage, starting with the introduction of the crisis, then Ezra's public mourning and prayer of shame. J. Gordon McConville suggests that this chapter is central to the Book of Ezra because it draws a sharp contrast between what the people of God ought to be and what they actually are.
Text
This chapter is divided into 15 verses. The original text of this chapter is in Hebrew language.Textual witnesses
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes Codex Leningradensis.There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Vaticanus, and Codex Alexandrinus.
An ancient Greek book called 1 Esdras, containing some parts of 2 Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah, is included in most editions of the Septuagint and is placed before the single book of Ezra–Nehemiah. 1 Esdras 8:68-90 is equivalent to Ezra 9, dealing with the resettled community's repentance for entering into mixed marriages.
The report (verses 1–2)
Some Jewish leaders in Jerusalem reported to Ezra about 'the misconduct of various leaders and members of the community'.Verse 1
This verse lists the origins of the mixed marriage partners as Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites. It is not clear how much time had elapsed between the celebrations in Ezra 8:35 and this incident. H. E. Ryle offers "two dates... by which we can conjecture the length of the interval":- the sacred gifts had been handed over to the care of the priests and Levites on the 4th day of the fifth month, see Ezra 7:8 and Ezra 8:33;
- the summons for the general assembly, convened to enquire into the people's sin, was sent out on the 27th date of the ninth month.
Verse 2
- "The peoples of those lands": are associated with , which is "the most common cultic term for idolatrous practices", and also denoting the "objectionable actions and behavior".
The response (verses 3–5)
Hearing the report, Ezra responded with a "public act of contrition" in his function as "the official representative of the community".Verse 3
- "Rent my garment and my mantle": Here Ezra is rending his 'under-garment' or 'tunic' and the 'long loose robe' that he was wearing. The act of rending one's clothes is frequently mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as a sign of grief, such as:
- Reuben rent his 'clothes' on not finding Joseph
- Jacob rent his 'garments' on seeing Joseph's blood-stained coat
- Joseph's brethren rent their clothes when the cup was found in Benjamin's sack
- Joshua rent his 'clothes' after the repulse at Ai
- Jephthah rent his 'clothes' on meeting his daughter
- the messenger from the field of Ziklag came with his clothes rent
- Job rent his mantle on hearing of his children's death
- Job's friends rent their mantle when they came to visit him.
- Hezekiah and his ministers rent their clothes after Rabshakeh's speech
- Mordecai rent his clothes on hearing of Haman's determination
- See also ; ;.
- the High-priest rent his garments on hearing the testimony of Jesus.