Ezra 9:5-9
Chapter 9
I said: “My God! I am ashamed and confused, my God; I do not dare raise my eyes to you, for our sins have increased over our heads, and our crimes reach up to the heavens.
From the days of our ancestors to this day, our guilt has been great. We, our kings and priests, have been given into the hands of foreign kings because of our crimes; we have been delivered to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and put to shame as on this day.
However, for a brief moment, the mercy of the Lord, our God, has been shown to us. He made a remnant of our people survive and allowed the survivors to settle once again in his Holy Place. He has given us joy and life, though we are in bondage.
We are no more than slaves, but amid our slavery, God has not abandoned us; he has extended a merciful hand over us to support us before the kings of Persia. He has revived our lives, enabled us to rebuild the house of our God, and has strengthened the walls of Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah.
Commentaries
The Problem of Marriages with Foreigners.
In this chapter and the next, Ezra describes his actions in a manner he considers important: the issue of mixed marriages. The fear of idolatry or syncretism drove the prohibitions in Exodus and Deuteronomy, a threat that was resurfacing. Within a large, unified empire, the presence of different groups posed the biggest threat to national identity. A single Temple meant little if families practiced strange cults and rites around it. Ezra’s decisive actions aim to cut off and stop these dangers. The community of the chosen people is still called “the exiles,” even though most were born in Judah, as if exile were a necessary part of their identity. If we compare the list in 10:18-43 with the group of returnees (2:1-70), we see that almost all are descendants of families from the first caravan. Ezra leaves the scene, leaving his people with a focus on separation to protect their national and religious identity. His legacy is a strict interpretation of the Law.