Ezra 9:1
What does Ezra 9:1 mean?
A plain-English look at Ezra 9:1 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Ezra 9:1 means
After Ezra settled earlier matters, leading officials approached him with a grievous report: the people, including priests and Levites, had failed to keep distinct from the surrounding nations. They had begun to follow the practices—called “abominations”—of peoples long known in Israel’s history for idolatry and moral corruption. The issue is not mere ethnicity but covenant faithfulness. Israel was to be a holy people, set apart to worship Jehovah alone. Intermingling with those devoted to other gods threatened to dilute worship and obedience. The naming of multiple nations underscores how widespread and deep the compromise had become, touching many fronts and not confined to a single border or influence.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Now when these things were done, the princes drew near unto me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Now when these things were done, the princes drew near unto me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Now after these things were done, the captains came to me and said, The people of Israel and the priests and Levites have not kept themselves separate from the people of the lands, but have taken part in the disgusting ways of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And at the completion of these things, drawn nigh unto me have the heads, saying, `The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not been separated from the peoples of the lands, as to their abominations, even the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, the Ammonite, the Moabite, the Egyptian, and the Amorite,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And after these things were accomplished, the princes came to me, saying: The people of Israel, and the priests and Levites have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, and from their abominations, namely, of the Chanaanites, and the Hethites, and the Pherezites, and the Jebusites, and the Ammonites, and the Moabites, and the Egyptians, and the Amorrhites.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Now when these things were completed, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, according to their abominations, [even] of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites;
Context
Verse 1 opens the crisis that defines this chapter. “When these things were done” connects to Ezra’s recent arrival and reforms. The report comes from the princes, suggesting the matter is serious and public. It sets the theme: covenant distinctness has been breached through alliances with idolatrous peoples. This prepares the reader to see Ezra’s personal anguish (verse 3) and the gathering of those who fear God (verse 4), and it provides the factual basis for the confession that follows in Ezra’s prayer (verses 6–15).
v.1This passage
v.2For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the peoples of the lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Nehemiah 13:1
On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that an Ammonite and a Moabite should not enter into the assembly of God for ever,
- Deuteronomy 20:17
but thou shalt utterly destroy them: the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee;
- Exodus 13:5
And it shall be, when Jehovah shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month.
- Ezra 10:8
and 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.
- Exodus 33:16
For wherein now shall it be known that I have found favor in thy sight, I and thy people? is it not in that thou goest with us, so that we are separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth?
- Jeremiah 26:10
And when the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house unto the house of Jehovah; and they sat in the entry of the new gate of Jehovah’s house.