Ezra 9 13

Ezra 9:13 kjv

And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this;

Ezra 9:13 nkjv

And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, since You our God have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such deliverance as this,

Ezra 9:13 niv

"What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins deserved and have given us a remnant like this.

Ezra 9:13 esv

And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this,

Ezra 9:13 nlt

"Now we are being punished because of our wickedness and our great guilt. But we have actually been punished far less than we deserve, for you, our God, have allowed some of us to survive as a remnant.

Ezra 9 verses

Ezra 9 13 Meaning

Ezra 9:13 is Ezra's heartfelt confession to God on behalf of the Israelites. He acknowledges the righteous judgment they have experienced due to their profound "evil deeds" and "great guilt," specifically referring to the sin of intermarriage with foreign peoples after returning from exile. Despite the severity of their transgressions, Ezra profoundly observes that God, in His divine mercy, has punished them "less than our iniquities deserve" and has graciously preserved "such a remnant." It is a declaration of God's justice alongside His unparalleled grace in not consuming them utterly.

Ezra 9 13 Context

Ezra 9 focuses on Ezra's personal and public lament over the shocking discovery that, despite returning from the Babylonian exile—a punishment for their historical unfaithfulness, including idolatry and intermarriage—the post-exilic community had once again succumbed to unlawful intermarriage with the pagan peoples of the land (Ezra 9:1-2). This sin was seen as defiling the holy seed and blurring the lines of God's chosen people. Verse 13 comes amidst Ezra's heartfelt and humbling prayer (Ezra 9:6-15), offered after he had torn his garments in anguish (Ezra 9:3-5). The prayer acknowledges the justice of God's prior judgments (the exile), identifies the present community's renewed wickedness as worthy of even greater judgment, yet praises God's enduring mercy in having preserved them this far and not having dealt with them according to the full measure of their egregious iniquity. This verse is central to the prayer's acknowledgment of both corporate guilt and divine compassion, providing a foundation for the subsequent actions of separation from foreign wives (Ezra 10).

Ezra 9 13 Word analysis

• וְאַחֲרֵי֙ כָּל־ הַבָּ֣א עָלֵ֔ינוּ (v'aḥarey kol-habā ʿālēynu):

  • "And after all that has come upon us": Implies a recognition of divine agency in past and present calamities. Ezra links the current state to the cumulative consequences of historical disobedience, seeing God's hand in every judgment.

• עַל־ מַעֲשֵׂ֙ינוּ֙ הָרָעִ֜ים וְעַל־ אַשְׁמָתֵ֣נוּ הַגְּדֹלָ֗ה (ʿal maʿaśēynu hā-rāʿîm v'al 'ashmatenu ha-gedolâ):

  • maʿaśēynu hā-rāʿîm (מַעֲשֵׂינוּ הָרָעִים): "our evil deeds" – Refers to wicked actions, specific instances of transgression. These are deliberate acts against God's law.
  • 'ashmatenu ha-gedolâ (אַשְׁמָתֵנוּ הַגְּדֹלָה): "our great guilt" – Ashmah (אַשְׁמָה) denotes the state of culpability or blameworthiness that results from committing offenses. Gedolâ (גְּדֹלָה), "great," emphasizes the immense, pervasive, and egregious nature of their corporate offense and its moral defilement. It highlights the profound depth of their collective wrongdoing.

• כִּ֣י אַתָּ֧ה אֱלֹהֵינוּ֙ חָשַׂ֣כְתָּ לָּ֗נוּ (ki 'attāh 'elōheynu ḥāśaḵtā lānū):

  • ḥāśaḵtā (חָשַׂכְתָּ): Root חָשַׂךְ (ḥasak), meaning "to hold back," "to withhold," "to spare." It implies God's intentional restraint of the full judgment that they justly deserved. This verb underlines God's compassionate action in tempering His wrath.

• מֵאַֽף־ עֲוֺנֹתֵ֕ינוּ (mē'aph 'awōnōṯeynū):

  • mē'aph (מֵאַף): "from the fullness of," "less than the anger/severity of." It conveys the idea that God's punishment was diminished in intensity compared to what their sins truly merited.
  • 'awōnōṯeynū (עֲוֹנֹתֵינוּ): Root עָוֹן (ʿawon), "iniquities" – This term describes not just actions, but the twisting or perversion of moral character or covenantal standard. It often implies the guilt and spiritual deformity accumulated by repeated sin, which warrants just punishment. It’s distinct from "deeds" (actions) and "guilt" (state of culpability) by emphasizing the perverse nature of their wrongdoing.

• וְנָתַ֥תָּ לָּ֙נוּ֙ פְּלֵיטָ֣ה כָזֹ֔את (v'nātatā lānū pleytâ kāzōt):

  • nātatā (וְנָתַתָּ): "and have given" – A deliberate act of divine bestowal.
  • pleyṭâ (פְּלֵיטָה): From root פָּלַט (palat), meaning "escape," "deliverance," "survival," or "a remnant of survivors." This term profoundly points to God's gracious act of preservation, ensuring that a portion of His people survived.
  • kāzōt (כָּזֹאת): "such" or "this kind" – Emphasizes the astounding nature of their survival and the preserving grace, given their deserved fate.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "Our evil deeds and for our great guilt": This phrase highlights the dual nature of Israel's transgression – specific, wicked actions that contribute to a pervasive, collective state of deep moral culpability. It underscores a complete confession of pervasive and undeniable sin.
  • "You, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve": This is a profound statement of divine mercy balanced with justice. Ezra acknowledges that the people's suffering is just, but also that God's compassion has held back the ultimate, destructive consequences. It demonstrates that any present blessing or continued existence is a testament to God's restraint, not human merit.
  • "And have given us such a remnant": This phrase points to God's faithfulness to His covenant promises even in judgment. The preserved remnant is the vehicle through which His ultimate redemptive plans, including the coming of the Messiah, will be fulfilled. It represents hope despite overwhelming unfaithfulness.

Ezra 9 13 Bonus section

• This verse provides a crucial theological framework for understanding God's dealings with humanity: while sin certainly incurs consequences and deserves judgment, God's nature is such that His mercy often triumphs over strict judgment, holding back what is fully deserved.
• Ezra's recognition of the quality of God's punishment ("less than our iniquities deserve") moves beyond mere lament to profound theological reflection. It positions the "remnant" not as a proof of human resilience, but solely as an unmerited gift of God's sovereign grace.
• The emphasis on "our" ("our evil deeds," "our great guilt," "our God," "our iniquities") signifies a deep sense of corporate responsibility and identity with the sins of the community, even for Ezra who himself was likely not directly involved in the intermarriage upon his immediate arrival.

Ezra 9 13 Commentary

Ezra 9:13 encapsulates a vital theological truth: God is both just and merciful. Ezra's confession is not an attempt to excuse sin but to highlight the overwhelming depth of human depravity that consistently earns divine judgment. By declaring that God has punished them "less than our iniquities deserve," Ezra explicitly acknowledges God's righteous authority to utterly destroy them, yet marvels at His restraint. The preserved "remnant" stands as tangible evidence of God's steadfast covenant faithfulness and enduring grace, demonstrating that He will not completely abandon His people, even when they abandon Him. This is not simply a lessening of wrath, but a positive act of preservation, showing His enduring purpose despite their continued failure. It's a profound recognition that any continued existence or blessing is not earned, but purely a result of divine compassion.