Ezra 9:4

There were assembled unto me everyone that trembled at the words of the God of Israel,.... That had a reverence for the word of God, and the things contained in it; feared to break the laws of God,

Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice.

Then were assembled unto me; to join with me both in lamenting the sin, and in endeavouring the redress of it. Every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, i.e. who stood in awe of God, and of his word, and durst not violate his commands; or who feared his threatenings against those that did so, and trembled for fear of God’ s judgments upon them, and upon the whole land for their sakes, as the following words imply. Compare ,5. Those that had been carried away, to wit, into captivity, and were safely returned from it, and yet were not reformed either by their former affliction, or by their latter deliverance. Until the evening sacrifice, when the people used to assemble together. See .

Ezra 9:4 Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice.Ver. 4. Then were assembled unto me] It was soon noised and noticed among the godly party how exceedingly Ezra was troubled; they therefore trouble themselves, as our Saviour is said to have done, John 11:33, and as Paul felt twinges when others were hurt. "Who is offended," saith he, "and I burn not?" 2 Corinthians 11:29. Sheep, when frighted, will get together; swine, when lugged, will grunt together. What should saints do (in case of national sins or judgments) but assemble and tremble together, as here; but vow and perform reformation to the Lord their God, as in the next chapter. Every one that trembled at the words] At the judgments of God whilst they yet hang in the threatenings. To such looketh the Lord with special intimations of his love, Isaiah 66:2. When as those that tremble not in hearing shall be crushed to pieces in feeling, said Mr Bradford the martyr. That had been carried away] But had not learned by the things that they had suffered, were as bad as before, if not worse, having lost the fruit of their afflictions, παθηματαμαθηματα. This is fearful; a bad sign of an incorrigible castaway, Jeremiah 6:30. Until the evening sacrifice] This time of the day good people usually took to pray at; that, together with the sacrifice, their prayers might come up for a memorial before God in those pillars of smoke, Son 3:6 Acts 10:4. See Luke 1:10 Acts 3:11.

IX.(1) Now when these things were done.—The remainder of the book is occupied with the execution of Ezra’s function as a moral reformer. One chief disorder is mentioned, that of the mixed marriages (Ezra 9:2), which the new lawgiver evidently regarded as fatal to the purity of the Divine service, and to the design of God in separating for a season this peculiar people. (1-4) The report of the abuse of mixed marriages is formally brought before Ezra. (1) The princes—Heads of tribes, native rulers of Jerusalem, as distinguished from the satraps and governors. Zerubbabel’s office had no successor; and the term princes expressed rather their eminence than their authority, which had been powerless to check the abuses they complain of. Doing according to their abominations.—Rather, as it regards their abominations. They are not charged with abandonment to idolatry, but with that peculiar laxity which appears in the sequel. The Ammonites.—It is remarkable that all the ancient proscribed races are mentioned, and not the specific nations by the names of which the Samaritans were known, as if to make the case as hateful as possible. At the same time, many of these races still lingered in the neighbourhood of Judæa.(2) The holy seed.—The “holy nation” or “peculiar people” of Exodus 19:6 is called the “holy seed” by Isaiah (Ezra 6:13), with reference to its being preserved and kept holy amidst judgments; and here the same term is used with reference to its desecration by being made common among the nations. The princes and rulers.—The upper classes, whether priests and Levites or laymen. This trespass.—There is no question as to the unlawfulness of these intermarriages, nor any palliation on account of necessity. The rulers report it, and Ezra receives the report as evidence that the whole purpose of God with regard to the people was, at the very outset of their new economy, in course of being defeated by the guilt of the heads of Israel. Their delinquency as such is admitted on all hands.(3) I rent my garment and my mantle.—The actions of Ezra betoken his horror and grief. But both the rending of the outer and inner garment and the plucking the hair were symbolical acts, teaching their lesson to the people who witnessed, and, as we see, were deeply impressed.(4) Trembled.—In fear of the Divine judgments. Transgression of those that had been carried away.—The usual name of the people at this time. During their captivity, however, they had not been thus guilty. It was the aggravation of their guilt that they committed the trespass now.

Verse 4. Those that had been carried away] Those that had returned long before with Zerubbabel; see Ezra 9:1. Until the evening sacrifice.] The morning sacrifice was the first of all the offerings of the day, the evening sacrifice the last. As the latter was offered between the two evenings, i.e., between sunset and the end of twilight, so the former was offered between break of day and sunrise. Ezra sat astonied-confounded in his mind, distressed in his soul, and scarcely knowing what to do. He probably had withdrawn himself into some sequestered place, or into some secret part of the temple, spending the time in meditation and reflection.

4. There are, collected unto Ezra those who believed in the word of God and dreaded the displeasure consequent upon such transgression. Perhaps the reference is especially to the threats contained in the Law. Cf. Deuteronomy 7:1-4. every one that trembled at the words &c.] cf. Ezra 10:3, ‘those that tremble at the commandment of our God’. Isaiah 66:2, ‘to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word’, and Ezra 9:5, ‘Hear the word of God, ye that tremble at his word’. The dread of the consequences of disobedience rather than horror at the nature of the offence seems here depicted. But if the nature of sin was not yet realised, the sovereignty of a Higher Law was recognised, and ‘sin is lawlessness’ (1 John 3:4). of those that had been carried away] R.V. of them of the captivity. Heb. ‘haggôlah’, the collective abstract name for those who had shared the captivity. until the evening sacrifice] R.V. until the evening oblation. This is the daily evening minkhah or meal offering. See note on Nehemiah 10:33. It is here mentioned as a common division of the day, as in 1 Kings 18:29. Cf. Jdt 9:1, ‘about the time that the incense of that evening was offered in Jerusalem’. Ezra probably spent the greater part of the day in this posture.

4. Every one that trembled — Ezra was not alone in grief and dismay over the sins of the people. Others with him realized the peril of the hour, and trembled with a profound sense of their danger.