Ezra 10:9
What does Ezra 10:9 mean?
A plain-English look at Ezra 10:9 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Ezra 10:9 means
Within the deadline, all the men of Judah and Benjamin gather in Jerusalem. It is the ninth month, twentieth day, a cold, rainy time. The people sit in the broad place before the house of God, trembling both over the matter at hand and because of the great rain. Their physical discomfort mirrors their spiritual unease. The scene paints repentance as costly and inconvenient, yet necessary. Gathering before the temple underscores that this is a worship issue, not merely a social policy. Fear of God’s displeasure and the weight of guilt are palpable as the people await Ezra’s words in the midst of adverse conditions.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within the three days (it was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month); and all the people sat in the broad place before the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within the three days (it was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month); and all the people sat in the broad place before the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin came together to Jerusalem before three days were past; it was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people were seated in the wide square in front of the house of God, shaking with fear because of this business and because of the great rain.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And gathered are all the men of Judah and Benjamin to Jerusalem by the third day, it <FI>is<Fi> the ninth month, on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sit in the broad place of the house of God, trembling on account of the matter and of the showers.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Then all the men of Juda, and Benjamin gathered themselves together to Jerusalem within three days, in the ninth month, the twentieth day of the month: and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of the sin, and the rain.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Then were all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered together at Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth of the month; and all the people sat in the open space of the house ofGod, trembling because of the matter, and because of the pouring rain.
Context
The assembly scene transitions from proclamation to implementation: the people obey the summons under difficult weather. The narrative tension rises as Ezra stands to speak. Immediately after this verse, Ezra will directly name the sin and call for confession and separation. The trembling crowd, the timing, and the location all frame his address as urgent and sacred, paving the way for the people’s agreement and the establishment of a practical process to carry out repentance.
v.8and that whosoever came not within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the assembly of the captivity.
v.9This passage
v.10And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have trespassed, and have married foreign women, to increase the guilt of Israel.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- 1 Samuel 12:17
Is it not wheat harvest to-day? I will call unto Jehovah, that he may send thunder and rain; and ye shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of Jehovah, in asking you a king.
- Jeremiah 10:13
When he uttereth his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasuries.
- Jeremiah 10:10
But Jehovah is the true God; he is the living God, and an everlasting King: at his wrath the earth trembleth, and the nations are not able to abide his indignation.
- Esther 2:16
So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
- Ezra 7:8
And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.