Ezra 9:2

2 The Israelites and their sons have married some of these foreign women. They have mixed our holy race with the neighboring groups of people. Furthermore, the leaders and officials have led the way in being unfaithful."

Ezra 9:2 Meaning and Commentary

Ezra 9:2

For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for
their sorts
Some that were widowers not only took wives to themselves of the above nations, either when they were of Babylon, where many of these nations also were, or rather since their return; but they took for their sons also; yea, some that had wives took Heathenish ones to them, see ( Malachi 2:13-15 ) ,

so that the holy seed;
such as the Lord had separated from other nations, chosen them to be an holy people above all others, and devoted them to his service and worship:

have mingled themselves with the people of those lands;
before mentioned, by marrying with them:

yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this
trespass;
they were the first that went into it, were ringleaders of it, who should by their authority and example have restrained others; or they were

in this first trespass
^F9; which was the first gross and capital one the people fell into after their return from the captivity.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 (hnavr hzh lemb) "in praevaricatione ista prima", Pagninus, Montanus.

Ezra 9:2 In-Context

1 After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, "The people of Israel, including the priests and Levites, have failed to keep themselves separate from the neighboring groups of people and from the disgusting practices of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.

2 The Israelites and their sons have married some of these foreign women. They have mixed our holy race with the neighboring groups of people. Furthermore, the leaders and officials have led the way in being unfaithful."

3 When I heard this, I tore my clothes [in distress], pulled hair from my scalp and my beard, and sat down in shock.

4 Since the former exiles had been unfaithful, everyone who gathered around me there trembled at the words of the God of Israel. I sat in shock until the evening sacrifice.

5 At the evening sacrifice I got up from my misery, and with my clothes torn, I knelt down, stretched out my hands to the LORD my God in prayer,