Ezra 9:3

And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied.

And when I heard {H8085} this thing {H1697}, I rent {H7167} my garment {H899} and my mantle {H4598}, and plucked off {H4803} the hair {H8181} of my head {H7218} and of my beard {H2206}, and sat down {H3427} astonied {H8074}.

When I heard this, I tore my robe and tunic, pulled hair from my head and beard, and sat down in shock.

When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled out some hair from my head and beard, and sat down in horror.

And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my robe, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down confounded.

Context

Ezra 9:3 describes Ezra's intense emotional and physical reaction upon receiving news about the spiritual compromise among the returned exiles in Judah. Specifically, he learns that the people, including priests and Levites, had taken foreign wives from the surrounding pagan nations, a direct violation of God's clear commands against intermarriage (e.g., Deuteronomy 7:3-4). This command was given to preserve Israel's spiritual purity and prevent them from falling into idolatry. Having just returned from Babylonian exile—a judgment largely attributed to their previous unfaithfulness—this immediate relapse into such a foundational sin deeply shocked and distressed Ezra, a devout scribe and priest.

Key Themes

  • Profound Grief and Shock: Ezra's extreme physical actions—tearing his garments, plucking hair from his head and beard—vividly portray his deep anguish, horror, and despair at the spiritual state of his people.
  • Identification with Sin: As a spiritual leader, Ezra doesn't merely condemn; he personally identifies with the sin of the nation, expressing a corporate lament that goes beyond mere disappointment to profound spiritual agony.
  • Zeal for God's Law: His visceral reaction underscores his unwavering commitment to the covenant and the holiness of God's people, revealing a heart deeply grieved by disobedience.

Linguistic Insight

The KJV word "astonied" translates the Hebrew term shamen (שָׁמֵם), which conveys a sense of being utterly desolate, appalled, or stupefied. It signifies a profound, almost paralyzing shock that leaves one dumbfounded and overwhelmed by the magnitude or devastation of an event. This intense emotional state highlights Ezra's complete emotional and spiritual collapse in the face of such widespread and grievous disobedience against God's explicit commands.

Cultural Significance

Tearing one's garment (Hebrew: qara) was a widely recognized sign of extreme sorrow, distress, or indignation in ancient Near Eastern cultures. However, Ezra's additional act of plucking hair from his head and beard was an even more severe expression of lament and humiliation. This was not typical mourning; it indicated profound anguish, self-abasement, and often a desperate identification with a great calamity or sin. It signified a complete breakdown and intense spiritual agony, far beyond mere disappointment. Similar expressions of extreme grief and distress can be seen in Job 1:20 and among those coming to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 41:5.

Practical Application

Ezra's powerful reaction serves as a poignant reminder for believers today:

  • The Seriousness of Sin: It illustrates that sin, especially against clear divine commands, should provoke deep spiritual distress and not be met with indifference or apathy.
  • Leadership and Lament: Spiritual leaders, in particular, are called to keenly feel the spiritual pulse of their communities and to lament over sin, modeling true repentance and intercession.
  • Personal and Corporate Holiness: The passage emphasizes the ongoing importance of maintaining spiritual purity and distinctness from worldly influences, just as Israel was called to be set apart. Our response to sin, both personal and corporate, should reflect a profound reverence for God's holiness.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Nehemiah 1:4

    And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned [certain] days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

  • Joshua 7:6

    ¶ And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.

  • Daniel 4:19

    ¶ Then Daniel, whose name [was] Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream [be] to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.

  • Leviticus 21:5

    They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.

  • Jeremiah 7:29

    ¶ Cut off thine hair, [O Jerusalem], and cast [it] away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.

  • 2 Kings 18:37

    Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which [was] over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with [their] clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.

  • 2 Kings 19:1

    ¶ And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard [it], that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.

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