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Ezra 9:1 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

1 Now when these things were done, H3615 the princes H8269 came H5066 to me, saying, H559 The people H5971 of Israel, H3478 and the priests, H3548 and the Levites, H3881 have not separated H914 themselves from the people H5971 of the lands, H776 doing according to their abominations, H8441 even of the Canaanites, H3669 the Hittites, H2850 the Perizzites, H6522 the Jebusites, H2983 the Ammonites, H5984 the Moabites, H4125 the Egyptians, H4713 and the Amorites. H567

Cross Reference

Leviticus 18:24-30 STRONG

Defile H2930 not ye yourselves in any of these things: H428 for in all these the nations H1471 are defiled H2930 which I cast out H7971 before H6440 you: And the land H776 is defiled: H2930 therefore I do visit H6485 the iniquity H5771 thereof upon it, and the land H776 itself vomiteth out H6958 her inhabitants. H3427 Ye shall therefore keep H8104 my statutes H2708 and my judgments, H4941 and shall not commit H6213 any of these abominations; H8441 neither any of your own nation, H249 nor any stranger H1616 that sojourneth H1481 among H8432 you: (For all these H411 abominations H8441 have the men H582 of the land H776 done, H6213 which were before H6440 you, and the land H776 is defiled;) H2930 That the land H776 spue not you out H6958 also, when ye defile H2930 it, as it spued out H6958 the nations H1471 that were before H6440 you. For whosoever shall commit H6213 any of these abominations, H8441 even the souls H5315 that commit H6213 them shall be cut off H3772 from among H7130 their people. H5971 Therefore shall ye keep H8104 mine ordinance, H4931 that ye commit H6213 not any one of these abominable H8441 customs, H2708 which were committed H6213 before H6440 you, and that ye defile H2930 not yourselves therein: I am the LORD H3068 your God. H430

Deuteronomy 12:30-31 STRONG

Take heed H8104 to thyself that thou be not snared H5367 by following H310 them, after H310 that they be destroyed H8045 from before H6440 thee; and that thou enquire H1875 not after their gods, H430 saying, H559 How did these nations H1471 serve H5647 their gods? H430 even so will I do H6213 likewise. H1571 Thou shalt not do H6213 so unto the LORD H3068 thy God: H430 for every abomination H8441 to the LORD, H3068 which he hateth, H8130 have they done H6213 unto their gods; H430 for even their sons H1121 and their daughters H1323 they have burnt H8313 in the fire H784 to their gods. H430

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 STRONG

Be ye G1096 not G3361 unequally yoked together G2086 with unbelievers: G571 for G1063 what G5101 fellowship G3352 hath righteousness G1343 with G2532 unrighteousness? G458 and G1161 what G5101 communion G2842 hath light G5457 with G4314 darkness? G4655 And G1161 what G5101 concord G4857 hath Christ G5547 with G4314 Belial? G955 or G2228 what G5101 part G3310 hath he that believeth G4103 with G3326 an infidel? G571 And G1161 what G5101 agreement G4783 hath the temple G3485 of God G2316 with G3326 idols? G1497 for G1063 ye G5210 are G2075 the temple G3485 of the living G2198 God; G2316 as G2531 God G2316 hath said, G2036 G3754 I will dwell G1774 in G1722 them, G846 and G2532 walk in G1704 them; and G2532 I will be G2071 their G846 God, G2316 and G2532 they G846 shall be G2071 my G3427 people. G2992 Wherefore G1352 come out G1831 from G1537 among G3319 them, G846 and G2532 be ye separate, G873 saith G3004 the Lord, G2962 and G2532 touch G680 not G3361 the unclean G169 thing; and G2504 I will receive G1523 you, G5209 And G2532 will be G2071 G1519 a Father G3962 unto you, G5213 and G2532 ye G5210 shall be G2071 my G3427 sons G5207 G1519 and G2532 daughters, G2364 saith G3004 the Lord G2962 Almighty. G3841

Romans 2:17-25 STRONG

Behold, G2396 thou G4771 art called G2028 a Jew, G2453 and G2532 restest G1879 in the law, G3551 and G2532 makest thy boast G2744 of G1722 God, G2316 And G2532 knowest G1097 his will, G2307 and G2532 approvest G1381 the things that are more excellent, G1308 being instructed G2727 out of G1537 the law; G3551 And G5037 art confident G3982 that thou thyself G4572 art G1511 a guide G3595 of the blind, G5185 a light G5457 of them which are in G1722 darkness, G4655 An instructor G3810 of the foolish, G878 a teacher G1320 of babes, G3516 which hast G2192 the form G3446 of knowledge G1108 and G2532 of the truth G225 in G1722 the law. G3551 Thou therefore G3767 which G3588 teachest G1321 another, G2087 teachest thou G1321 not G3756 thyself? G4572 thou that preachest G2784 a man should G2813 not G3361 steal, G2813 dost thou steal? G2813 Thou that sayest G3004 a man should G3431 not G3361 commit adultery, G3431 dost thou commit adultery? G3431 thou that abhorrest G948 idols, G1497 dost thou commit sacrilege? G2416 Thou G3739 that makest thy boast G2744 of G1722 the law, G3551 through G1223 breaking G3847 the law G3551 dishonourest thou G818 God? G2316 For G1063 the name G3686 of God G2316 is blasphemed G987 among G1722 the Gentiles G1484 through G1223 you, G5209 as G2531 it is written. G1125 For G1063 circumcision G4061 verily G3303 profiteth, G5623 if G1437 thou keep G4238 the law: G3551 but G1161 if G1437 thou be G5600 a breaker G3848 of the law, G3551 thy G4675 circumcision G4061 is made G1096 uncircumcision. G203

Nehemiah 13:1-3 STRONG

On that day H3117 they read H7121 in the book H5612 of Moses H4872 in the audience H241 of the people; H5971 and therein was found H4672 written, H3789 that the Ammonite H5984 and the Moabite H4125 should not come H935 into the congregation H6951 of God H430 for H5704 ever; H5769 Because they met H6923 not the children H1121 of Israel H3478 with bread H3899 and with water, H4325 but hired H7936 Balaam H1109 against them, that he should curse H7043 them: howbeit our God H430 turned H2015 the curse H7045 into a blessing. H1293 Now it came to pass, when they had heard H8085 the law, H8451 that they separated H914 from Israel H3478 all the mixed multitude. H6154

Ezra 10:10-11 STRONG

And Ezra H5830 the priest H3548 stood up, H6965 and said H559 unto them, Ye have transgressed, H4603 and have taken H3427 strange H5237 wives, H802 to increase H3254 the trespass H819 of Israel. H3478 Now therefore make H5414 confession H8426 unto the LORD H3068 God H430 of your fathers, H1 and do H6213 his pleasure: H7522 and separate H914 yourselves from the people H5971 of the land, H776 and from the strange H5237 wives. H802

Ezra 6:21-22 STRONG

And the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 which were come again H7725 out of captivity, H1473 and all such as had separated H914 themselves unto them from the filthiness H2932 of the heathen H1471 of the land, H776 to seek H1875 the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel, H3478 did eat, H398 And kept H6213 the feast H2282 of unleavened bread H4682 seven H7651 days H3117 with joy: H8057 for the LORD H3068 had made them joyful, H8055 and turned H5437 the heart H3820 of the king H4428 of Assyria H804 unto them, to strengthen H2388 their hands H3027 in the work H4399 of the house H1004 of God, H430 the God H430 of Israel. H3478

1 Kings 11:5-7 STRONG

For Solomon H8010 went H3212 after H310 Ashtoreth H6253 the goddess H430 of the Zidonians, H6722 and after H310 Milcom H4445 the abomination H8251 of the Ammonites. H5984 And Solomon H8010 did H6213 evil H7451 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 and went not fully H4390 after H310 the LORD, H3068 as did David H1732 his father. H1 Then did Solomon H8010 build H1129 an high place H1116 for Chemosh, H3645 the abomination H8251 of Moab, H4124 in the hill H2022 that is before H6440 Jerusalem, H3389 and for Molech, H4432 the abomination H8251 of the children H1121 of Ammon. H5983

Deuteronomy 23:3-5 STRONG

An Ammonite H5984 or Moabite H4125 shall not enter H935 into the congregation H6951 of the LORD; H3068 even to their tenth H6224 generation H1755 shall they not enter H935 into the congregation H6951 of the LORD H3068 for H5704 ever: H5769 Because H1697 they met H6923 you not with bread H3899 and with water H4325 in the way, H1870 when ye came forth H3318 out of Egypt; H4714 and because they hired H7936 against thee Balaam H1109 the son H1121 of Beor H1160 of Pethor H6604 of Mesopotamia, H763 to curse H7043 thee. Nevertheless the LORD H3068 thy God H430 would H14 not hearken H8085 unto Balaam; H1109 but the LORD H3068 thy God H430 turned H2015 the curse H7045 into a blessing H1293 unto thee, because the LORD H3068 thy God H430 loved H157 thee.

Deuteronomy 20:17-18 STRONG

But thou shalt utterly H2763 destroy H2763 them; namely, the Hittites, H2850 and the Amorites, H567 the Canaanites, H3669 and the Perizzites, H6522 the Hivites, H2340 and the Jebusites; H2983 as the LORD H3068 thy God H430 hath commanded H6680 thee: That they teach H3925 you not to do H6213 after all their abominations, H8441 which they have done H6213 unto their gods; H430 so should ye sin H2398 against the LORD H3068 your God. H430

Numbers 25:1-3 STRONG

And Israel H3478 abode H3427 in Shittim, H7851 and the people H5971 began H2490 to commit whoredom H2181 with the daughters H1323 of Moab. H4124 And they called H7121 the people H5971 unto the sacrifices H2077 of their gods: H430 and the people H5971 did eat, H398 and bowed down H7812 to their gods. H430 And Israel H3478 joined H6775 himself unto Baalpeor: H1187 and the anger H639 of the LORD H3068 was kindled H2734 against Israel. H3478

Genesis 15:19-21 STRONG

The Kenites, H7017 and the Kenizzites, H7074 and the Kadmonites, H6935 And the Hittites, H2850 and the Perizzites, H6522 and the Rephaims, H7497 And the Amorites, H567 and the Canaanites, H3669 and the Girgashites, H1622 and the Jebusites. H2983

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ezra 9


Chapter 9

The affairs of the church were in a very good posture, we may well suppose, now that Ezra presided in them. Look without; the government was kind to them. We hear no complaints of persecution and oppression; their enemies had either their hearts turned or at least their hands tied; their neighbours were civil, and we hear of no wars nor rumours of wars; there were none to make them afraid; all was as well as could be, considering that they were few, and poor, and subjects to a foreign prince. Look at home; we hear nothing of Baal, or Ashtaroth, nor Moloch, no images, nor groves, nor golden calves, no, nor so much as high places (not only no idolatrous altars, but no separate ones), but the temple was duly respected and the temple service carefully kept up. Yet all was not well either. The purest ages of the church have had some corruptions, and it will never be presented "without spot or wrinkle' till it is "a glorious church,' a church "triumphant,' Eph. 5:27. We have here,

  • I. A complaint brought to Ezra of the many marriages that had been made with strange wives (v. 1, 2).
  • II. The great trouble which he, and others influenced by his example, were in upon this information (v. 3, 4).
  • III. The solemn confession which he made of this sin to God, with godly sorrow, and shame (v. 5-15).

Ezr 9:1-4

Ezra, like Barnabas when he came to Jerusalem and saw the grace of God to his brethren there, no doubt was glad, and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave to the Lord, Acts 11:23. He saw nothing amiss (many corruptions lurk out of the view of the most vigilant rulers); but here is a damp upon his joys: information is brought him that many of the people, yea, and some of the rulers, had married wives out of heathen families, and joined themselves in affinity with strangers. Observe,

  • I. What the sin was that they were guilty of: it was mingling with the people of those lands (v. 2), associating with them both in trade and in conversation, making themselves familiar with them, and, to complete the affinity, taking their daughters in marriages to their sons. We are willing to hope that they did not worship their gods, but that their captivity had cured them of their idolatry: it is said indeed that they did according to their abominations; but that (says bishop Patrick) signifies here only the imitation of the heathen in promiscuous marriages with any nation whatsoever, which by degrees would lead them to idolatry. Herein,
    • 1. They disobeyed the express command of God, which forbade all intimacy with the heathen, and particularly in matrimonial contracts, Deu. 7:3.
    • 2. They profaned the crown of their peculiarity, and set themselves upon a level with those above whom God had by singular marks of his favour, of late as well as formerly, dignified them.
    • 3. They distrusted the power of God to protect and advance them, and were led by carnal policy, hoping to strengthen themselves and make an interest among their neighbours by these alliances. A practical disbelief of God's all-sufficiency is at the bottom of all the sorry shifts we make to help ourselves.
    • 4. They exposed themselves, and much more their children, to the peril of idolatry, the very sin, and introduced by this very way, that had once been the ruin of their church and nation.
  • II. Who were the persons that were guilty of this sin, not only some of the unthinking people of Israel, that knew no better, but many of the priests and Levites, whose office it was to teach the law, and this law among the rest, and in whom, by reason of their elevation above common Israelites, it was a greater crime. It was a diminution to the sons of that tribe to match into any other tribe, and they seldom did except into the royal tribe; but for them to match with heathen, with Canaanites, and Hittites, and I know not whom, was such a disparagement as, if they had had any sense, though not of duty, yet of honour, one would think, they would never have been guilty of. Yet this was not the worst: The hand of the princes and rulers, who by their power should have prevented or reformed this high misdemeanour, was chief in this trespass. If princes be in a trespass, they will be charged as chief in it, because of the influence their examples will have upon others. Many will follow their pernicious ways. But miserable is the case of that people whose leaders debauch them and cause them to err.
  • III. The information that was given of this to Ezra. It was given by the persons that were most proper to complain, the princes, those of them that had kept their integrity and with it their dignity; they could not have accused others if they themselves had not been free from blame. It was given to the person who had power to mend the matter, who, as a ready scribe in the law of God, could argue with them, and, as king's commissioner, could awe them. It is probable that these princes had often endeavoured to redress this grievance and could not; but now they applied to Ezra, hoping that his wisdom, authority, and interest, would prevail to do it. Those that cannot of themselves reform public abuses may yet do good service by giving information to those that can.
  • IV. The impression this made upon Ezra (v. 3): He rent his clothes, plucked off his hair, and sat down astonished. Thus he expressed the deep sense he had,
    • 1. Of the dishonour hereby done to God. It grieved him to the heart to think that a people called by his name should so grossly violate his law, should be so little benefited by his correction, and make such bad returns for his favours.
    • 2. Of the mischief the people had hereby done to themselves and the danger they were in of the wrath of God breaking out against them. Note,
      • (1.) The sins of others should be our sorrow, and the injury done by them to God's honour and the souls of men is what we should lay to heart.
      • (2.) Sorrow for sin must be great sorrow; such Ezra's was, as for an only son or a first-born.
      • (3.) The scandalous sins of professors are what we have reason to be astonished at. We may stand amazed to see men contradict, disparage, prejudice, ruin, themselves. Strange that men should act so inconsiderately and so inconsistently with themselves! Upright men are astonished at it.
  • V. The influence which Ezra's grief for this had upon others. We may suppose that he went up to the house of the Lord, there to humble himself, because he had an eye to God in his grief and that was the proper place for deprecating his displeasure. Public notice was soon taken of it, and all the devout serious people that were at hand assembled themselves to him, it should seem of their own accord, for nothing is said of their being sent, to, v. 4. Note,
    • 1. It is the character of good people that they tremble at God's word; they stand in awe of the authority of its precepts and the severity and justice of its threatenings, and to those that do so will God look, Isa. 66:2.
    • 2. Those that tremble at the word of God cannot but tremble at the sins of men, by which the law of God is broken and his wrath and curse are incurred.
    • 3. The pious zeal of one against sin may perhaps provoke very many to the like, as the apostle speaks in another case, 2 Co. 9:2. Many will follow who have not consideration, talent, and courage, enough to lead in a good work.
    • 4. All good people ought to own those that appear and act in the cause of God against vice and profaneness, to stand by them, and do what they can to strengthen their hands.

Ezr 9:5-15

What the meditations of Ezra's heart were, while for some hours he sat down astonished, we may guess by the words of his mouth when at length he spoke with his tongue; and a most pathetic address he here makes to Heaven upon this occasion. Observe,

  • I. The time when he made this address-at the evening sacrifice, v. 5. Then (it is likely) devout people used to come into the courts of the temple, to grace the solemnity of the sacrifice and to offer up their own prayers to God in concurrence with it. In their hearing Ezra chose to make this confession, that they might be made duly sensible of the sins of their people, which hitherto they had either not taken notice of or had made light of. Prayer may preach. The sacrifice, and especially the evening sacrifice, was a type of the great propitiation, that blessed Lamb of God which in the evening of the world was to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself, to which we may suppose Ezra had an eye of faith in this penitential address to God; he makes confession with his hand, as it were, upon the head of that great sacrifice, through which we receive the atonement. Certainly Ezra was no stranger to the message which the angel Gabriel had some years ago delivered to Daniel, at the time of the evening sacrifice, and as it were in explication of it, concerning Messiah the Prince (Dan. 9:21, 24); and perhaps he had regard to that in choosing this time.
  • II. His preparation for this address.
    • 1. He rose up from his heaviness, and so far shook off the burden of his grief as was necessary to the lifting up of his heart to God. He recovered from his astonishment, got the tumult of his troubled spirits somewhat stilled and his spirit composed for communion with God.
    • 2. He fell upon his knees, put himself into the posture of a penitent humbling himself and a petitioner suing for mercy, in both representing the people for whom he was now an intercessor.
    • 3. He spread out his hands, as one affected with what he was going to say, offering it up unto God, waiting, and reaching out, as it were, with an earnest expectation, to receive a gracious answer. In this he had an eye to God as the Lord, and as his God, a God of power, but a God of grace.
  • III. The address itself. It is not properly to be called a prayer, for there is not a word of petition in it; but, if we give prayer its full latitude, it is the offering up of pious and devout affections to God, and very devout, very pious, are the affections which Ezra here expresses. His address is a penitent confession of sin, not his own (from a conscience burdened with its own guilt and apprehensive of his own danger), but the sin of his people, from a gracious concern for the honour of God and the welfare of Israel. Here is a lively picture of ingenuous repentance. Observe in this address,
    • 1. The confession he makes of the sin and the aggravations of it, which he insists upon, to affect his own heart and theirs that joined with him with holy sorrow and shame and fear, in the consideration of it, that they might be deeply humbled for it. And it is observable that, though he himself was wholly clear from this guilt, yet he puts himself into the number of the sinners, because he was a member of the same community-our sins and our trespass. Perhaps he now remembered it against himself, as his fault, that he had staid so long after his brethren in Babylon, and had not separated himself so soon as he might have done from the people of those lands. When we are lamenting the wickedness of the wicked, it may be, if we duly reflect upon ourselves and give our own hearts leave to deal faithfully with us, we may find something of the same nature, though in a lower degree, that we also have been guilty of. However, he speaks that which was, or should have been, the general complaint.
      • (1.) He owns their sins to have been very great: "Our iniquities are increased over our heads (v. 6); we are ready to perish in them as in deep waters;' so general was the prevalency of them, so violent the power of them, and so threatening were they of the most pernicious consequences. "Iniquity has grown up to such a height among us that it reaches to the heavens, so very impudent that it dares heaven, so very provoking that, like the sin of Sodom, it cries to heaven for vengeance.' But let this be the comfort of true penitents that though their sins reach to the heavens God's mercy is in the heavens, Ps. 36:5. Where sin abounds grace will much more abound.
      • (2.) Their sin had been long persisted in (v. 7): Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass. The example of those that had gone before them he thought so far from excusing their fault that it aggravated it. "We should have taken warning not to stumble at the same stone. The corruption is so much the worse that it has taken deep root and begins to plead prescription, but by this means we have reason to fear that the measure of the iniquity is nearly full.'
      • (3.) The great and sore judgments which God had brought upon them for their sins did very much aggravate them: "For our iniquities we have been delivered to the sword and to captivity (v. 7), and yet not reformed, yet not reclaimed-brayed in the mortar, and yet the folly not gone (Prov. 27:22)-corrected, but not reclaimed.'
      • (4.) The late mercies God had bestowed upon them did likewise very much aggravate their sins. This he insists largely upon, v. 8, 9. Observe,
        • [1.] The time of mercy: Now for a little space, that is, "It is but a little while since we had our liberty, and it is not likely to continue long.' This greatly aggravated their sin, that they were so lately in the furnace and that they knew not how soon they might return to it again; and could they yet be secure?
        • [2.] The fountain of mercy: Grace has been shown us from the Lord. The kings of Persia were the instruments of their enlargement; but he ascribes it to God and to his grace, his free grace, without any merit of theirs.
        • [3.] The streams of mercy,-that they were not forsaken in their bondage, but even in Babylon had the tokens of God's presence,-that they were a remnant of Israelites left, a few out of many, and those narrowly escaped out of the hands of their enemies, by the favour of the kings of Persia,-and especially that they had a nail in his holy place, that is (as it is explained, v. 9), that they had set up the house of God. They had their religion settled and the service of the temple in a constant method. We are to reckon it a great comfort and advantage to have stated opportunities of worshipping God. Blessed are those that dwell in God's house, like Anna that departed not from the temple. This is my rest for ever, says the gracious soul.
        • [4.] The effects of all this. It enlightened their eyes, and it revived their hearts; that is, it was very comfortable to them, and the more sensibly so because it was in their bondage: it was life from the dead to them. Though but a little reviving, it was a great favour, considering that they deserved none and the day of small things was an earnest of greater. "Now,' says Ezra, "how ungrateful are we to offend a God that has been so kind to us! how disingenuous to mingle in sin with those nations from whom we have been, in wonderful mercy, delivered! how unwise to expose ourselves to God's displeasure when we are tried with the returns of his favour and are upon our good behaviour for the continuance of it!'
      • (5.) It was a great aggravation of the sin that it was against an express command: We have forsaken thy commandments, v. 10. It seems to have been an ancient law of the house of Jacob not to match with the families of the uncircumcised, Gen. 34:14. But, besides that, God had strictly forbidden it. He recites the command, v. 11, 12. For sin appears sin, appears exceedingly sinful, when we compare it with the law which is broken by it. Nothing could be more express: Give not your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons. The reason given is because, if they mingled with those nations, they would pollute themselves. It was an unclean land, and they were a holy people; but if they kept themselves distinct from them it would be their honour and safety, and the perpetuating of their prosperity. Now to violate a command so express, backed with such reasons, and a fundamental law of their constitution, was very provoking to the God of heaven.
      • (6.) That in the judgments by which they had already smarted for their sins God had punished them less than their iniquities deserved, so that he looked upon them to be still in debt upon the old account. "What! and yet shall we run up a new score? Has God dealt so gently with us in correcting us, and shall we thus abuse his favour and turn his grace into wantonness?' God, in his grace and mercy, had said concerning Sion's captivity, She hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins (Isa. 40:2); but Ezra, in a penitential sense of the great malignity that was in their sin, acknowledged that, though the punishment was very great, it was less than they deserved.
    • 2. The devout affections that were working in him, in making this confession. Speaking of sin,
      • (1.) He speaks as one much ashamed. With this he begins (v. 6), O my God! I am ashamed and blush, O my God! (so the words are placed) to lift up my face unto thee. Note,
        • [1.] Sin is a shameful thing; as soon as ever our first parents had eaten forbidden fruit they were ashamed of themselves.
        • [2.] Holy shame is as necessary an ingredient in true and ingenuous repentance as holy sorrow.
        • [3.] The sins of others should be our shame, and we should blush for those who do not blush for themselves. We may well be ashamed that we are any thing akin to those who are so ungrateful to God and unwise for themselves. This is clearing ourselves, 2 Co. 7:11.
        • [4.] Penitent sinners never see so much reason to blush and be ashamed as when they come to lift up their faces before God. A natural sense of our own honour which we have injured will make us ashamed, when we have done a wrong thing, to look men in the face; but a gracious concern for God's honour will make us much more ashamed to look him in the face. The publican, when he went to the temple to pray, hung down his head more than ever, as one ashamed, Lu. 18:13.
        • [5.] An eye to God as our God will be of great use to us in the exercise of repentance. Ezra begins, O my God! and again in the same breath, My God. The consideration of our covenant-relation to God as ours will help to humble us, and break our hearts for sin, that we should violate both his precepts to us and our promises to him; it will also encourage us to hope for pardon upon repentance. "He is my God, notwithstanding this;' and every transgression in the covenant does not throw us out of covenant.
      • (2.) He speaks as one much amazed (v. 10) "What shall we say after this? For my part I know not what to say: if God do not help us, we are undone.' The discoveries of guilt excite amazement: the more we think of sin the worse it looks. The difficulty of the case excites amazement. How shall we recover ourselves? Which way shall we make our peace with God?
        • [1.] True penitents are at a loss what to say. Shall we say, We have not sinned, or, God will not require it? If we do, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Shall we say, Have patience with us and we will pay thee all, with thousands of rams, or our first-born for our transgression? God will not thus be mocked: he knows we are insolvent. Shall we say, There is no hope, and let come on us what will? That is but to make bad worse.
        • [2.] True penitents will consider what to say, and should, as Ezra, beg of God to teach them. What shall we say? Say, "I have sinned; I have done foolishly; God be merciful to me a sinner;' and the like. See Hos. 14:2.
      • (3.) He speaks as one much afraid, v. 13, 14. "After all the judgments that have come upon us to reclaim us from sin, and all the deliverances that have been wrought for us to engage us to God and duty, if we should again break God's commandments, by joining in affinity with the children of disobedience and learning their ways, what else could we expect but that God should be angry with us till he had consumed us, and there should not be so much as a remnant left, nor any to escape the destruction?' There is not a surer nor sadder presage of ruin to any people than revolting to sin, to the same sins again, after great judgments and great deliverances. Those that will be wrought upon neither by the one nor by the other are fit to be rejected, as reprobate silver, for the founder melteth in vain.
      • (4.) He speaks as one much assured of the righteousness of God, and resolved to acquiesce in that and to leave the matter with him whose judgment is according to truth (v. 15): "Thou art righteous, wise, just, and good; thou wilt neither do us wrong nor be hard upon us; and therefore behold we are before thee, we lie at thy feet, waiting our doom; we cannot stand before thee, insisting upon any righteousness of our own, having no plea to support us or bring us off, and therefore we fall down before thee, in our trespass, and cast ourselves on thy mercy. Do unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee, Jdg. 10:15. We have nothing to say, nothing to do, but to make supplication to our Judge,' Job 9:15. Thus does this good man lay his grief before God and then leave it with him.