Ezra 9:7
What does Ezra 9:7 mean?
A plain-English look at Ezra 9:7 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Ezra 9:7 means
Ezra confesses that Israel’s guilt stretches back to the ancestors. The consequences have been severe and just: deliverance into the hands of foreign kings, experiencing sword, captivity, plunder, and public shame—realities still felt “as it is this day.” He reads Israel’s history theologically: their sufferings were not random politics but discipline for iniquity. This acknowledgment prevents blaming others and sets the stage for gratitude. It also implies that to walk the same path of disobedience is to invite the same discipline. Honest remembrance of past judgments becomes a guardrail, warning the present generation against repeating their fathers’ sins.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Since the days of our fathers we have been exceeding guilty unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to plunder, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Since the days of our fathers we have been exceeding guilty unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to plunder, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949From the days of our fathers till this day we have been great sinners; and for our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been given up into the hands of the kings of the lands, to the sword and to prison and to loss of goods and to shame of face, as it is this day.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862`From the days of our fathers we <FI>are<Fi> 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 <FI>at<Fi> this day.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752From the days of our fathers: and we ourselves also have sinned grievously unto this day, and for our iniquities we and our kings, and our priests have been delivered into the hands of the kings of the lands, and to the sword, and to captivity, and to spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is at this day.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Since the days of our fathers, we have been in great trespass to this day; and for our iniquities we, our kings, our priests, have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, and to captivity, and to spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.
Context
Building on the confession of guilt in verse 6, verse 7 recounts the long pattern of sin and its outcomes. This historical backdrop highlights the wonder of the brief grace described next (verse 8) and frames the present crisis as a potential return to old patterns. The flow moves from guilt and judgment to grace and restoration (verses 8–9), so that the people will feel the weight of betraying mercy if they persist in intermarriage (verses 10–12).
v.6and I said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God; for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our guiltiness is grown up unto the heavens.
v.7This passage
v.8And now for a little moment grace hath been showed from Jehovah our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Deuteronomy 31:20
For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, flowing with milk and honey, and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxed fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and despise me, and break my covenant.
- Jeremiah 44:22
so that Jehovah could not longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land become a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without inhabitant, as it is this day.
- Nehemiah 9:32
Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and lovingkindness, let not all the travail seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day.
- 2 Kings 17:5
Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
- 1 Kings 9:6
But if ye shall turn away from following me, ye or your children, and not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;
- 2 Chronicles 30:7
And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, who trespassed against Jehovah, the God of their fathers, so that he gave them up to desolation, as ye see.