Ezra 10 6

Ezra 10:6 kjv

Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.

Ezra 10:6 nkjv

Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib; and when he came there, he ate no bread and drank no water, for he mourned because of the guilt of those from the captivity.

Ezra 10:6 niv

Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.

Ezra 10:6 esv

Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib, where he spent the night, neither eating bread nor drinking water, for he was mourning over the faithlessness of the exiles.

Ezra 10:6 nlt

Then Ezra left the front of the Temple of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. He spent the night there without eating or drinking anything. He was still in mourning because of the unfaithfulness of the returned exiles.

Ezra 10 verses

Ezra 10 6 Meaning

Ezra 10:6 describes a profound continuation of Ezra's distress following the revelation of Israel's widespread sin of intermarriage. After his public prayer of confession, Ezra withdrew from the presence of the people in the Temple courtyard. He entered a private chamber belonging to Jehohanan, likely within the Temple precincts, and there, as an extreme expression of his sorrow, he abstained entirely from food and water. This severe fast was a deep spiritual act of mourning over the community's profound "faithlessness"—a betrayal of their covenant relationship with God through forbidden alliances with pagan peoples. It signified Ezra's deep identification with their sin and his overwhelming anguish before God for their transgression.

Ezra 10 6 Context

Ezra 10:6 stands immediately after Ezra's fervent, public prayer of confession in chapter 9. There, Ezra learned of the Israelites' grave sin of intermarrying with the pagan peoples of the land, a direct violation of God's covenant commands intended to preserve their holiness and distinctiveness. Overwhelmed with anguish, Ezra tore his garments, plucked hair from his head and beard, and lay prostrate before the Temple, publicly confessing the sin of the nation. The immediate context of verse 6 describes his transition from this public display of grief and intercession to a more personal and intense period of mourning and fasting. This spiritual anguish precedes the communal response and practical actions that would unfold later in Ezra 10, highlighting Ezra's profound identification with the people's sin and his burden for their spiritual purity and covenant faithfulness.

Ezra 10 6 Word analysis

• Then Ezra rose up: This marks a shift from his prostrate position in public prayer (Ezra 9:5). It indicates resolute action, a physical movement from intense, prayerful despair to a continued, more private and severe form of mourning.
• from before the house of God (מִלִּפְנֵי בֵית הָאֱלֹהִים - mil-lif-nei beit ha'E-lo-him): Signifies his departure from the public courtyard of the Temple (the "House of God"). While his initial reaction was openly witnessed, his subsequent deep grief would be processed in seclusion.
• and went into the chamber (וַיָּבֹא אֶל־לִשְׁכַּת - va-ya-vo el lish-kat): A chamber (לִשְׁכָּה - lishkah) refers to a room or hall, likely a designated space within the Temple complex, providing privacy and solemnity. This implies seeking a quiet, personal space for continued mourning.
• of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib: This reference grounds the narrative in specific historical figures. Eliashib was the high priest (Neh 3:1), and Jehohanan (יוחנן - Yochanan) was his prominent descendant, possibly an important Temple official. Entering his chamber indicates a respected priestly dwelling or office, suggesting a continued focus on holy matters even in withdrawal.
• and when he came there, he ate no food and drank no water: This describes a total fast (צוֹם - tzom). Such an extreme measure of abstinence was a deep biblical practice indicating intense grief, profound repentance, desperate pleading, and utter dependence on God. It reflected a soul consumed by anguish, overriding all physical needs.
• for he was mourning (כִּי־מִתְאַבֵּל הוּא - ki mit-ab-bel hu): The verb 'aval (אָבַל) means to grieve, lament, or mourn. It expresses not mere sadness, but a deep, often visceral, sorrow leading to visible manifestations of distress like fasting, tearing clothes, or lamenting. It shows the spiritual burden felt by Ezra.
• over the faithlessness (עַל מַעַל - al ma'al): Ma'al is a critical Hebrew term. It denotes an act of treachery, breach of trust, or unfaithfulness, especially against God or a sacred obligation. It's more than just a common sin; it’s a specific violation of the covenant, often with the nuance of desecrating what is holy or withholding what is due to God. Here, it specifically points to the forbidden intermarriages.
• of the exiles (הַגּוֹלָה - hagolah): Refers to the returned exiles, the remnant community God had miraculously brought back from Babylonian captivity. This emphasizes the gravity of their sin—it was committed by the very people God had recently redeemed, making their faithlessness all the more grievous in light of their history of judgment and restoration.
• "rose up... and went into the chamber": This sequence illustrates Ezra’s move from a public display of contrition to a more personal and internal grappling with the magnitude of the people's sin. It reflects a deeper descent into his grief.
• "ate no food and drank no water, for he was mourning over the faithlessness": This clause establishes a direct cause-and-effect relationship. His extreme fasting was not a mere ritual but an intense physical expression of his overwhelming spiritual anguish rooted in the severe betrayal (faithlessness) of God's covenant by the people.

Ezra 10 6 Bonus section

Ezra's act of severe fasting also implicitly serves as a poignant, non-verbal sermon to those around him, reinforcing the gravity of the nation's spiritual state. His bodily deprivation declared a crisis that surpassed physical hunger, pointing to the spiritual famine and decay caused by disobedience. This type of fasting wasn't primarily for gaining favor from God but was an outward manifestation of an inward brokenness, a deep personal and vicarious grief over sin. Such radical personal commitment by leaders is often a catalyst for a greater communal awakening to sin, as seen when the people later assembled and wept (Ezra 10:9). Ezra embodied the very repentance he longed to see in the exiles.

Ezra 10 6 Commentary

Ezra 10:6 provides a profound insight into Ezra's spiritual depth and pastoral heart. His action is a continuation of the public lament from chapter 9, moving into a private, intense phase of mourning. The choice to retreat to Jehohanan's chamber underscores a need for seclusion in his deep spiritual agony. The act of abstaining completely from food and water is a classic biblical response to overwhelming distress and a sign of fervent prayer and identification with the suffering or sin of others. It highlights Ezra's recognition that the people's "faithlessness" (a direct breach of their covenant with God through intermarriage) was not a light matter, but a grave betrayal threatening the very identity and existence of the holy nation. This personal suffering of Ezra paved the way for the community's repentance, demonstrating true spiritual leadership that profoundly bears the burden of its people's sin before God. It emphasizes that genuine spiritual reform often begins with the agonizing, self-abasing sorrow of those called to lead.