Ezra 9 2

Ezra 9:2 kjv

For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.

Ezra 9:2 nkjv

For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed is mixed with the peoples of those lands. Indeed, the hand of the leaders and rulers has been foremost in this trespass."

Ezra 9:2 niv

They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness."

Ezra 9:2 esv

For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost."

Ezra 9:2 nlt

For the men of Israel have married women from these people and have taken them as wives for their sons. So the holy race has become polluted by these mixed marriages. Worse yet, the leaders and officials have led the way in this outrage."

Ezra 9 verses

Ezra 9 2 Meaning

Ezra 9:2 expresses profound distress over the spiritual defilement of the returned Jewish community in Jerusalem. It states that members of Israel, including their leaders, have married non-Israelite women from the surrounding lands, violating God's command against such unions. This act of intermarriage is described as profaning their identity as "the holy race" — God's set-apart people – by mixing with those practicing idolatry. The verse identifies this as a grave act of "faithlessness" against God, exacerbated by the fact that the nation's "officials and chief men" were themselves leading the transgression, setting a negative example for the entire community.

Ezra 9 2 Context

Ezra 9:2 is part of Ezra's deeply emotional and desperate prayer of confession, uttered upon hearing about the widespread intermarriage among the returning exiles. This verse highlights the core of the problem: a direct violation of God's covenant instructions. Historically, the exiles had just returned to Judah after seventy years of Babylonian captivity, a period understood as divine judgment for their past sins, including idolatry and breaking the covenant. A key aspect of their restoration was to re-establish a holy community centered on the Law of Moses. However, within decades of rebuilding the temple, many had already compromised their spiritual integrity by taking foreign wives, which was expressly forbidden to prevent the spread of idolatry and ensure the purity of their faith. The profound disappointment here is not just that individuals sinned, but that "the officials and chief men" – those responsible for upholding God's law and leading the people in righteousness – were prominent in this "faithlessness," jeopardizing the entire community's future and its covenant relationship with Yahweh.

Ezra 9 2 Word analysis

• For they have taken (לָקַחוּ, laqachu): The verb means "to take, seize, acquire." In this context, it refers to acquiring wives, specifically marrying. The active participation and deliberate choice are implied, indicating a willful act rather than an accidental one.
• some of their daughters: Refers to daughters of the foreign peoples (listed in Ezra 9:1), highlighting the specific object of the forbidden marriages. The phrase indicates that this was not an isolated incident but widespread.
• for themselves and for their sons: This points to both direct marriages by the men of Israel themselves and arranging marriages for their male offspring. It shows a systemic problem spanning generations or social classes.
• so that the holy race (זֶרַע הַקֹּדֶשׁ, zera haqqodesh): This is a crucial theological term.
  • Zera means "seed," "offspring," or "descendants."
  • Qodesh means "holy," "set apart," or "sacred."
  • Together, "holy race" signifies Israel as God's chosen people, uniquely consecrated and separated from the nations, bearing a sacred lineage through which God's promises and redemptive plan (culminating in the Messiah) would be fulfilled. Their identity was rooted in their covenant with Yahweh, demanding spiritual and moral distinctiveness. This term emphasizes that the sin was not merely social but struck at their very theological identity and purpose.
• has mixed itself (הִתְחַלּוּ, hitchallu): This is the Hithpael form of the verb חָלַל (chalal), which fundamentally means "to profane," "defile," "make common," or "pollute." This word is exceptionally strong. It implies a deliberate act of desecration, transforming something sacred into something common or unholy. It's far beyond mere intermingling; it's an active process of spiritual degradation and covenant breach, making the consecrated unholy.
• with the peoples of the lands (עַמֵּי הָאֲרָצוֹת, ammei ha'aratsot): This refers to the non-Israelite inhabitants of Canaan and surrounding territories, identified in Ezra 9:1 as various pagan peoples. They were known for idolatrous practices, which were seen as defiling to the covenant people. The phrase carries a historical weight of forbidden associations (Deut 7:1-6).
• And in this faithlessness (בַּמַּעַל הַזֶּה, bamma’al hazzeh): Ma'al is a technical theological term meaning "trespass," "treachery," "unfaithfulness," or "breach of trust" against God, particularly regarding consecrated things or sacred responsibilities (e.g., in Leviticus regarding sacred offerings). It’s not just a social error but a direct betrayal of their covenant with Yahweh, a deliberate defilement of their holy standing before Him.
• the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost: This is a direct condemnation of the leadership.
  • Officials (שָׂרִים, sarim) refers to princes, rulers, or administrative leaders.
  • Chief men (סְגָנִים, seganim) refers to deputies or high-ranking officials.
  • Their "hand" being "foremost" (רִאשׁוֹנָה, rishona - first, leading) means they were the primary instigators or prominent participants in this faithlessness. This fact aggravates the sin because leaders are expected to model obedience and enforce the Law, not violate it. Their sin not only disgraced them but set a dangerous precedent for the entire community, undermining spiritual authority and discipline.

• "For they have taken... peoples of the lands": This phrase succinctly states the problem, indicating that the sin of intermarriage (forbidden by divine command, Deut 7) was widespread. It immediately highlights the violation of God's direct instruction given to Israel concerning maintaining their distinctive identity.
• "so that the holy race has mixed itself": This group of words profoundly illustrates the spiritual consequences. It emphasizes that Israel's unique, set-apart identity—given by God—was being fundamentally compromised and polluted. The mingling was not mere assimilation but a defilement of sacred purity and purpose.
• "And in this faithlessness, the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost": This critical indictment reveals the shocking extent of the apostasy. It highlights a leadership crisis where those who should have protected the spiritual integrity of the people were, in fact, leading the charge into grave disobedience and betrayal of their covenant with God. This points to systemic moral decay.

Ezra 9 2 Bonus section

The strong language used in Ezra 9:2 reflects a long-standing theological concern in Israel's history. From the very beginning of the nation's formation, God consistently warned against mixing with the idolatrous peoples of the land, understanding that religious syncretism was a primary threat to their unique monotheistic faith. The term ma'al ("faithlessness" or "breach of trust") is weighty, often used for betraying God in matters of the temple or consecrated offerings, highlighting the extreme sacrilege of their actions. The sin of intermarriage was never primarily about racial purity in a biological sense, but about preserving spiritual purity and the integrity of the covenant community that God was raising up to bear His name and truth to the world. It was a failure to recognize and live by their chosenness, risking spiritual obliteration and undermining God’s plan of salvation that was to unfold through them. This verse sets the stage for Ezra's fervent intercession and the subsequent corporate repentance and purification efforts.

Ezra 9 2 Commentary

Ezra 9:2 paints a vivid picture of Ezra’s distress, born from the spiritual degradation he witnesses in Judah. The problem is not merely an incidental social practice, but a severe breach of covenant law that undermines Israel's very identity as "the holy race." This title emphasizes their divine calling to be set apart for Yahweh, serving as a beacon of His truth. Their "mixing" is profoundly termed "profaning" (hitchallu), illustrating the transformation of sacred into common, and divine relationship into treachery. This spiritual adultery directly violated God's explicit commands to avoid alliances and intermarriage with the pagan peoples, specifically to prevent their defilement by idolatry. What exacerbates the crisis is the role of the leadership: the "officials and chief men" were not just complicit but were "foremost" in this "faithlessness" (ma'al), indicating a top-down corruption that permeated the entire society and severely endangered Israel’s redemptive purpose. The verse powerfully communicates that disregard for God's clear word, particularly among leaders, leads to widespread covenant violation and spiritual impurity.