Esdras mourneth for the transgression of the people: his confession and prayer.
For mariages and other association which the Iewes had with Gentiles, Esdras lamenteth, 5. and confessing the peoples iniquitie, prayeth God to conserue them from vtter destruction.
1And after these things were accomplished, the princes came to me, saying: The people of Israel, and the priests and Levites have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, and from their abominations, namely, of the Chanaanites, and the Hethites, and the Pherezites, and the Jebusites, and the Ammonites, and the Moabites, and the Egyptians, and the Amorrhites.Terminate queste cose, vennero a trovarmi i principi, e dissero: Il popolo d'Israele, i sacerdoti, e i Leviti non sono più segregati dai popoli di questi paesi, e dalle abbominazioni di costoro, viene a dire, de' Chananei, degli Hethei, de' Pherezei, delli Jebusei, e Ammoniti, e Moabiti, ed Egiziani, e Amorrhei.AND after these thinges were accomplished, the princes came to me, saying: The people of Israel, and the Priests and Leuites are not seperated from the people of the landes, and from the abhominations of them, to witte, of the Chananeite, and Hetheite, and Pherezeite, and Iebuseite, and of the Ammonites, and Moabites, and the Aegyptians, and Amorrheites.Postquam autem hæc completa sunt, accesserunt ad me principes, dicentes: Non est separatus populus Israël, sacerdotes et Levitæ, a populis terrarum et abominationibus eorum: Chananæi videlicet, et Hethæi, et Pherezæi, et Jebusæi, et Ammonitarum, et Moabitarum, et Ægyptiorum, et Amorrhæorum: 2For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, and they have mingled the holy seed with the people of the lands. And the hand of the princes and magistrates hath been first in this transgression.Perocché hanno preso delle loro figliuole per se, e pei proprj figliuoli, e hanno confusa la stirpe santa colle nazioni del paese: e i principi e i magistrati hanno i primi avuto parte a questa prevaricazione.For they haue taken of their daughters to them and to their sonnes, and haue mingled the holie seede with the people of the landes. The hand also of the princes and magistrates hath bene first in this transgression.tulerunt enim de filiabus eorum sibi et filiis suis, et commiscuerunt semen sanctum cum populis terrarum: manus etiam principum et magistratuum fuit in transgressione hac prima. 3And when I had heard this word, I rent my mantle and my coat, and plucked off the hairs of my head and my beard, and I sat down mourning.Udite queste parole, stracciai il mio pallio, e la tonaca, e mi strappai i capelli della testa, e della barba, e mi posi a sedere pieno di tristezza.And when I had heard this word, I rent my cloke and my coate, and plucked of the heares of my head and bearde, and sate mourning.Cumque audissem sermonem istum, scidi pallium meum et tunicam, et evelli capillos capitis mei et barbæ, et sedi mœrens. 4And there were assembled to me all that feared the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that were come from the captivity, and I sat sorrowful, until the evening sacrifice.E si radunarono presso di me tutti quelli che temevano la parola del Dio d'Israele per riguardo alla prevaricazione di quelli, che erano tornati dalla schiavitù: e io stava assiso con tristezza sino al sagrifizio della sera.And there assembled to me al that feared the God of Israel, for the trangression of them, that were come from the captiuitie, and I sate sorowful, vntil the euening sacrifice.Convenerunt autem ad me omnes qui timebant verbum Dei Israël, pro transgressione eorum qui de captivitate venerant, et ego sedebam tristis usque ad sacrificium vespertinum:
5And at the evening sacrifice I rose up from my affliction, and having rent my mantle and my garment, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands to the Lord my God,E all'ora del sagrifizio della sera io mi sollevai dalla mia afflizione, e stracciato il pallio, e la tonaca, m'inginocchiai, e alzai le mie mani al Signore Dio mio,And at the euening sacrifice I rose out of my affliction, and my cloke and coate being rent I fell vpon my knees, and spred forth my hands to our Lord my God,et in sacrificio vespertino, surrexi de afflictione mea, et scisso pallio et tunica, curvavi genua mea, et expandi manus meas ad Dominum Deum meum. 6And said: My God I am confounded and ashamed to lift up my face to thee: for our iniquities are multiplied over our heads, and our sins are grown up even unto heaven,E dissi: Dio mio, io mi vergogno, e non ardisco di alzar a te la mia faccia: perocché le nostre iniquità soverchiano la nostra testa, e i nostri delitti si sono alzati sino al cielo,And said: My God I am confounded and ashamed to lifte vp my face to thee: because our iniquities are multiplied ouer our head, and our sinnes haue growen euen vnto heauen,Et dixi: Deus meus, confundor et erubesco levare faciem meam ad te: quoniam iniquitates nostræ multiplicatæ sunt super caput nostrum, et delicta nostra creverunt usque ad cælum, 7From the days of our fathers: and we ourselves also have sinned grievously unto this day, and for our iniquities we and our kings, and our priests have been delivered into the hands of the kings of the lands, and to the sword, and to captivity, and to spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is at this day.Fin dai giorni de' padri nostri: ma oltre a ciò noi medesimi abbiam peccato grandemente, e per le nostre iniquità siamo abbandonati noi, i nostri re, e i nostri sacerdoti al potere dei re della terra, alla spada, e alla schiavitù, e alle rapine, e agli obbrobrj, come si vede anche in oggi.from the dayes of our fathers: yea and we our selues also haue sinned greuously vnto this day, and in our iniquities haue we bene deliuered our solues, and our Kinges, and our Priestes into the hand of the kinges of the landes, and into the sword, and into captuitie, and into spoyle, and into confusion of countenance, as also at this day.a diebus patrum nostrorum: sed et nos ipsi peccavimus graviter usque ad diem hanc, et in iniquitatibus nostris traditi sumus ipsi, et reges nostri, et sacerdotes nostri, in manum regum terrarum, et in gladium, et in captivitatem, et in rapinam, et in confusionem vultus, sicut et die hac. 8And now as a little, and for a moment has our prayer been made before the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant, and give us a pin in his holy place, and that our God would enlighten our eyes, and would give us a little life in our bondage.E ora come per poco, e per un momento è stata ammessa la nostra orazione presso al Signore Dio nostro, affinchè fosser lasciati in libertà i nostri avanzi, e ci fosse data fermezza nel suo luogo santo, e illuminasse il nostro Dio gli occhi nostri, e ci desse di respirare alcun poco nella nostra servitù;And now as it were a litle, and for a moment was our prayer made before the Lord our God, that a remnant might be left vs, and a nayle might be geuen vs in his holie place, and that our God would illuminate our eies, and would geue vs a litle life in our bondage.Et nunc quasi parum et ad momentum facta est deprecatio nostra apud Dominum Deum nostrum, ut dimitterentur nobis reliquiæ, et daretur nobis paxillus in loco sancto ejus, et illuminaret oculos nostros Deus noster, et daret nobis vitam modicam in servitute nostra:
9For we are bondmen, and in our bondage our God hath not forsaken us, but hath extended mercy upon us before the king of the Persians, to give us life, and to set up the house of our God, and to rebuild the desolations thereof, and to give us a fence in Juda and Jerusalem.Perocché noi siamo servi, ma nella nostra servitù non ci ha abbandonati il nostro Dio, che anzi colla sua misericordia ha ammollito il re de' Persiani, affinchè questi ci donasse la vita, e rialzasse la casa del nostro Dio, e ne ristorasse le ruine, e ci desse ricovero in Giuda, e in Gerusalemme.Because we are bondmen, and in our bondage our God •id not forsake vs, & he inclined mercie vpon vs before the king of the Persians, to geue vs life, and to aduance the house of our God, and to build the desolations therof and to geue vs a hedge in Iuda and Ierusalem.quia servi sumus, et in servitute nostra non dereliquit nos Deus noster, sed inclinavit super nos misericordiam coram rege Persarum, ut daret nobis vitam, et sublimaret domum Dei nostri, et exstrueret solitudines ejus, et daret nobis sepem in Juda et Jerusalem. 10And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments,E adesso, che direm noi dopo tali cose, o Dio nostro? Noi abbiam messi in non cale i tuoi comandamenti.And now what shal we fay, ô our God, after these thinges? because we haue forsaken thy cōmandmēts,Et nunc quid dicemus, Deus noster, post hæc ? Quia dereliquimus mandata tua, 11Which thou hast commanded by the hand of thy servants the prophets, saying: The land which you go to possess, is an unclean land, according to the uncleanness of the people, and of other lands, with their abominations, who have filled it from mouth to mouth with their filth.Intimati da te per mezzo de' profeti tuoi servi, mentre dicevi: La terra, di cui entrerete in possesso, ell'è terra immonda (come sono immondi gli altri popoli, e le altre terre) per le abbominazioni, e le immondezze, onde costoro l'hanno inondata da un'estremità sino all'altra.which thou hast cōmanded in the hand of thy seruantes the prophetes, saying: The land, to the which you enter to possesse it, is an vncleane land, according to the vncleannesse of peoples, and of other landes, by the abhominations of them that haue filled it from mouth vnto mouth in theier coinquination.quæ præcepisti in manu servorum tuorum prophetarum, dicens: Terra, ad quam vos ingredimini ut possideatis eam, terra immunda est juxta immunditiam populorum, ceterarumque terrarum, abominationibus eorum qui repleverunt eam ab ore usque ad os in coinquinatione sua. 12Now therefore give not your daughters to their sons, and take not their daughters for your sons, and seek not their peace, nor their prosperity for ever: that you may be strengthened, and may eat the good things of the land, and may have your children your heirs for ever.Voi pertanto non darete le vostre figliuole ai figliuoli di costoro, né le loro figlie darete per mogli ai vostri figliuoli, e non curate la loro pace, e la loro prosperità in eterno, affinchè diventiate possenti, sostentandovi dei beni di questa terra, e la lasciate in retaggio a' vostri figliuoli in eterno.Now therfore geue not your daughters to their sonnes, and their daughters take not for your sonnes, and doe ye not seeke their peace, and their prosperity for euer: that you may be strengthned, and may eate the goodes that are of the land, and may haue your children heyres for euer.Nunc ergo filias vestras ne detis filiis eorum, et filias eorum ne accipiatis filiis vestris, et non quæratis pacem eorum et prosperitatem eorum usque in æternum: ut confortemini, et comedatis quæ bona sunt terræ, et hæredes habeatis filios vestros usque in sæculum.
13And after all that is come upon us, for our most wicked deeds, and our great sin, seeing that thou our God hast saved us from our iniquity, and hast given us a deliverance as at this day,E dopo tutte le sciagure cadute sopra di noi per le opere nostre malvage, e pel nostro peccato grande, tu, Dio nostro, ci hai liberati dalla nostra iniquità, e ci hai data salute, come oggi l'abbiamo:And after al thinges that come vpon vs in our most wicked workes, and our most great sinne, because thou our God hast deliuered vs from our iniquitie, and hast geuen vs health as it is at this day 〈◊〉Et post omnia quæ venerunt super nos in operibus nostris pessimis, et in delicto nostro magno, quia tu, Deus noster, liberasti nos de iniquitate nostra, et dedisti nobis salutem sicut est hodie, 14That we should not turn away, nor break thy commandments, nor join in marriage with the people of these abominations. Art thou angry with us unto utter destruction, not to leave us a remnant to be saved?A condizione però, che noi non torniamo indietro, e non conculchiamo i tuoi precetti, e non facciamo matrimonj con que' popoli rei di tali abbominazioni. Se' tu forse irato con noi fino all'esterminio, onde non sia salute per gli avanzi, che a noi tu lasciasti?that we shal not turne away, and make frustrate thy commandementes, neither should ioyne matrimonies with the peoples of these abominations Why art thou angrie with vs vnto vtter destruction, not to leaue vs a remnant vnto saluation?ut non converteremur, et irrita faceremus mandata tua, neque matrimonia jungeremus cum populis abominationum istarum. Numquid iratus es nobis usque ad consummationem, ne dimitteres nobis reliquias ad salutem ? 15O Lord God of Israel, thou art just: for we remain yet to be saved as at this day. Behold we are before thee in our sin, for there can be no standing before thee in this matter.Signore Dio d'Israele, giusto se' tu: noi siamo rimasi per esser salvati come oggi si vede. Eccoci dinanzi a te col nostro peccato: perocché non può cosa tale sostenersi nel tuo cospetto.Lord God of Israel thou artiust: because we are leift, which should be saued as at this day. Behold we are before thee in our sinne, for there can be no standing before thee vpon this.Domine Deus Israël, justus es tu: quoniam derelicti sumus, qui salvaremur sicut die hac. Ecce coram te sumus in delicto nostro: non enim stari potest coram te super hoc.
9:1
Year of the World 3538, Year before Christ 466.
Du Hamel
Abominations, or sins, (Menochius) marrying with infidels, contrary to the law, Exodus 34:15., and Deuteronomy 7:3. (Du Hamel)
Worthington
Malachias 2:11. reprehends this conduct, and threatens both rulers and people who tolerate it, with God's indignation. (Worthington)
9:2
Calmet
First. Or "was in this first transgression," incurred by those who returned with Zorobabel; or "was concerned in this very heinous transgression;" in transgressione hac prima. (Calmet)
Haydock
Protestants, "hath been chief." 3 Esdras, "and the leaders and grandees partook in this illegal affair, from its commencement." Septuagint, "and the hand of the chiefs was in this trespass, in the beginning." This would greatly increase the difficulty of reformation. Some of the princes were however ready to undertake the work, and had preserved themselves from the too general contagion. (Haydock)
Tirinus
All marriages with the Moabites, etc., were prohibited, if the women remained infidels, Exodus xxxiv. (Tirinus)
9:3
Haydock
Coat, (tunicam) or inner garment. (Haydock)
Mourning. Hebrew, "astonished." (Syriac) (Montanus) (Calmet) (Protestants)
Haydock
Septuagint, "alone." 3 Esdras, "pensive and in grief." (Haydock)
Calmet
Arabic, "not uttering a word." See Job 1:20., and 2:8. This was the ordinary posture of people in sorrow, Isaias 3:26. (Calmet)
9:4
Menochius
To me, in the court of the temple, 1 Esdras 10:1. (Menochius)
St Leo the Great † AD 461
Sacrifice, which was offered last of all, about sun-set, Exodus 29:38. The Jews commonly protract their fasts till the stars appear. (Leo, p. 3, art. 8.)
9:7
9:8
Calmet
As a. Protestants, "for a little space, grace hath been shewed from the Lord," (Haydock) and yet we are again irritating Him! (Calmet)
Challoner
A pin, or nail, here signifies a small settlement or holding; which Esdras begs for, to preserve even a part of the people, who, by their great iniquity, had incurred the anger of God. (Challoner)
Delrio
Allusion is made to the pins which fasten down a tent, (Isaias 33:20., and 54:2.) or hinder a ship from being carried from the shore, (Tigur.; Menochius) on which utensils are hung up, (Tournemine) referring to the magistrates, who were now of the same country. (Tirinus) (Isaias 22:21.) (Delrio, adag. 218.)
Menochius
Septuagint, "a support." Hebrew yathed, denotes also a walking-stick, nail, etc. (Menochius)
Eyes, fill us with joy, in perfect security.
Calmet
Little life, free us from danger. (Calmet)
Worthington
Esdras is afraid to ask for the impunity of all, but only begs that a small part may be spared, like a nail or post from a house, which may serve to rebuild it. (Worthington)
9:9
Calmet
Fence. Hebrew gader, "the name which the Carthaginians" gave to Cadiz, "as it signifies a fence," or an inclosure. (Pliny, [Natural History?] xxii.) (Calmet)
Lyranus
Some Latin manuscripts read spem, "hope." (Lyranus)
Menochius
The Tig. version understands the wall of Jerusalem, built in a hurry. (Menochius)
Calmet
But this was not perfected, (Haydock) if begun, till the time of Nehemias, 2 Esdras 1:3. (Calmet)
Tirinus
God gave his protection to the people, (Haydock; Delrio, adag. 219.) by the king of Persia. (Tirinus)
9:11
Menochius
Mouth, like a vessel brim-full. (Menochius)
Haydock
Protestants, "from one end to the other." (Haydock)
9:12
Calmet
Peace. Alliance, (Menochius) or advantage. See Psalm 121:8. Moses had thus proscribed the Moabites, etc., as he had done the people of Chanaan still more severely. The Israelites were to execute God's decrees, Deuteronomy 23:6. (Calmet)
The obstinate idolaters were to be exterminated.
9:13
Calmet
Saved us. Protestants, "hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve and hast given us such deliverance as this." Septuagint, "hast made our transgressions light," (Haydock) not weighing them with rigid severity. (Calmet)
9:14
That. Hebrew, "should we again break, etc....Wouldst thou not be angry?" etc.
9:15
Haydock
To be saved from our iniquities, which are still upon us. (Haydock)
Calmet
We confess that, if we should be treated according to our deserts, we could expect no redress. But we trust in thy mercies, which have hitherto supported and brought us back from slavery. (Calmet)
9:1
This shows how sinful it is to intermarry with those that the Church forbids us, on account of the danger of perversion and falling off from the true faith.
9:8
A pin.... or nail, here signifies a small settlement or holding; which Esdras begs for, to preserve even a part of the people, who, by their great iniquity had incurred the anger of God.
9:1
Malachias the Prophet complaineth also of this fault c. 2. v. 11. threatning Gods punishment both to superiors and subiectes for not correcting it. •. 〈◊〉.
9:8
In respect o• their greatiniquities Esdias presumeth not to aske the conseruation of the whole people, but some reliques or ••rā lest part, as it were a little post or a naile of a whole house towards the reedifying therof.
9:2
2. For they took of their daughters for themselves — as wives. Note: God, in Exodus XXXIV and Deuteronomy VII, 3, had commanded the Jews not to take wives from the Canaanites who dwelt in the holy land to be occupied by the Jews, and this on account of the danger of perversion: namely lest they be seduced by idolatrous wives to worship idols, as Nehemias hints, in the last chapter, verses 24 and 26. The same judgment held regarding the Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, etc.: understand unless the wives first cast off idols and converted themselves to the true God and Judaism; then indeed it was lawful to take them, as Salmon took Rahab, and Booz took Ruth. Lyran and the Gloss assign this cause of the sin: that the Jews coming to Jerusalem, seeing their wives made lean, wrinkled and deformed by the labor and hardships of the journey, despised them, and therefore took young women, vigorous and beautiful, from the neighboring nations. The hand also of the princes and magistrates was in this first transgression, — as if to say: In this work of taking gentile wives, the princes were first, who ought to have turned others away from this crime and restrained them. For the hand is applied to a work so that we may perform it; and hand joined to hand is wont to give mutual faith between husband and wife.
9:7
7. Even as this day, — we perceive, experience and feel the plagues already mentioned, by which God continually scourges our backs, and chastises our sins.
9:8
8. And now as it were for a little while and for a moment has been made (acceptable and heard) our supplication before the Lord, — that is to say, We have obtained from God by our supplication a small thing and one that will, it is to be feared, last for a short time, namely that it should be permitted us to return from Babylon to our homeland. Whence the Septuagint translates: And now as it were a little the Lord has been made merciful to us. For Ezra feared lest on account of these marriages contracted with the Gentiles, God, being angry again, would revoke the return to Jerusalem, hinder it, and involve them in other afflictions. And there should be given to us a nail in the place of His sanctuary, (thus read with the Hebrew, Septuagint, and Romans, not, "His peace," that is to say "And there should be given to us a nail," that is a small firmness (for with nails and pegs they fixed the tabernacles, beams and wood, so that they might stand firm) of our habitation in Jerusalem. Whence the Septuagint for "nail" translate firmament. Thus Cajetan, Vatable and others. Symbolically, "nail" signifies the princes and magistrates from the Jewish people: for the people depended upon these, as a vessel or beam depends upon a nail, as I said on Isaiah XXII, 23, to those words of God concerning Eliakim the High Priest: "And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place, and he shall be for a throne of glory to the house of his father." Ezra therefore reckons it as a great benefit that Artaxerxes gave to the Jews princes and magistrates from his own people, who should govern them according to the laws and institutions of their fathers, and advance them in the true worship of God; for if he had given Persians, they would have cared little to preserve the worship of God. And by this benefit) let (that is, refresh, gladden (for as darkness is the symbol and cause of sadness, so light is of gladness)) our eyes God our God: and give us a little life in our servitude. — "Life," understand joyful, free and happy; for to live in sorrow and servitude is rather death than life. Add what Xenophon relates, in book VII of the Cyropaedia, that Cyrus, when the Persians raged against the citizens after the capture of Babylon, commanded that they should spare and give life to those who spoke the Syriac language, that is the Jewish: for God put this intention into his mind for the favor of the Jews.
9:9
9. And would build up the desolations, (thus he calls the ruins and desolate houses in Jerusalem, which were now being restored:) And give us a wall — (thus read with the Romans, not "hope," as others read,) that is a defense, protection and security from the Samaritans and other enemies who now under Cambyses hindered the building of the city and temple; and this was done through the favor of Artaxerxes, so benevolent and so powerful a monarch.
9:11
11. Who filled it from mouth to mouth in their uncleanness, — that is, filled it on every side, as a vessel is filled from mouth to mouth, that is, from one end to the other with vinegar or other liquid. Sanchez adds: "Mouth," he says, "denotes measure, because the measure of all things, especially of liquids, has an opening, which is at the top of the vessel, and where there is great abundance of any liquid, it is poured from one full vessel into another through a channel, and thence again into another, until all vessels are filled to the top." By which manner of speaking, many provinces are signified full of gentile abomination.
9:12
12. Now therefore, — are the words of God forbidding that anyone should take a gentile wife. And seek not their peace nor their prosperity, — that is to say, Do not care, love, seek the prosperity of the neighboring Gentiles, who enjoying peace abound in riches and delights, so that on this account you desire to make a covenant and marriages with them; but rather serve your God in your land, and from Him seek and expect all prosperous things. Secondly, that is to say, Be not anxious about the peace and prosperity of the neighboring Gentiles, so as to rejoice in it; and if it be taken from them, grieve; for I do not wish you to make friendship with them and join marriages, but rather I desire you to be turned away from them and to be their enemies, so that you may trample them down, overthrow and destroy them, as God commanded, Exodus XXIII, 32.
9:13
13. And after all things that have come upon us in our works (that is, on account of our works: for the כ is of price or merit) most wicked, and in our sin, (the great sin of idolatry, by which under Solomon, Manasseh, Jeconiah, etc., forsaking God we worshipped the idols of the Gentiles;) because Thou, our God, hast delivered us (from the captivity of Babylon, into which we fell on account of our sins,) and hast given us salvation (freedom, that we might return safe to Jerusalem) as it is this day, — that is, as we see, rejoice and are grateful this day; and this, O Lord, Thou hast done to this end, that attracted by so great a benefit of Thine,
9:14
14. We would not turn back — to our former idols and vices. Note: The particle כי, that is, because, is here not taken properly so as to signify a cause, but improperly and in two ways; first, so that it is a particle signifying nothing, but added redundantly through pleonasm and for the sake of ornament only: for thus the Hebrews often use כי, especially when they wish to signify a grave or remarkable matter, or one greatly desired or pleasing, as in John IV, where Christ says to the Samaritan woman: "Thou hast said well, because I have no husband;" that is, that I have no husband. And in Hosea, cap. X, verse 5: "Because the people mourned over it." And in the same chapter, verse 3: "Because now they will say: We have no king." And in Psalm XVII, four times the particle כי in Hebrew is placed for ornament, and the Latin "quoniam," which corresponds to it, which has the same force as "because," verses 31, 32, 33, 35. Wherefore the sense will be: After all these things, which we have suffered on account of our wicked deeds, thou, our God, hast delivered us. Thus Sanchez. Secondly, more forcefully Vatablus for "because" renders "yet." For in Hebrew כי, that is, "because," is often adversative and is taken for "but," "yet," "nevertheless," as in Isaiah XXXVI: "Shall the earth bring forth in one day? yet Sion hath brought forth and delivered her children;" that is, the earth cannot bring forth in one day; yet Sion can. Psalm XXXVI, when David had said of the just: "They shall not be confounded in the evil time;" he immediately adds of the wicked: "Yet the sinners shall perish;" that is, nevertheless the sinners shall perish. And Psalm XIII, when he had said of sinners: "They were afraid, where there was no fear;" he immediately adds of the just: "Yet the Lord is in the generation of the just," that is, nevertheless God is with the just and therefore they will not fear. So also here: whence Vatablus renders: "Now when all these things had come upon us because of our evil works, and because of our great sins; thou yet, O our God, hast spared us, lest thou shouldst destroy us for our iniquities." For Ezra marvels at the immense clemency of God toward the Jews, that on account of such great crimes in Babylon He did not abandon them, nor utterly destroy them, but spared them; nay, and increased them with new and great gifts, namely freedom, return to their homeland, restoration of the city and temple; so that He seemed to have contended with His benefits against their very ingratitude and misdeeds. This is divine clemency surpassing all human clemency, and proper to God alone. Art thou angry with us unto utter destruction (so that thou wouldst utterly destroy and consume us) that thou wouldst not leave us remnants for salvation? — that is, that thou wouldst not save from so many thousands of Jews a few, as it were the remnants of the people? as if to say: Not at all: for although thou couldst justly do this to us on account of our crimes, yet thou wouldst not. For thy clemency conquered thy justice, so that thou not only savest a few remnants, but many thousands of Jews both in Judea and in Babylon, and preservest them in life, who shall raise up again, as it were from death, the former glory and splendor of Israel and of the Commonwealth and of thy Church, and shall exhibit it revived and glorious.
9:15
15. O Lord God of Israel, thou art just: because we are left that should be saved as at this day, — it appears and is seen by all, as if to say: Many indeed of us have perished on account of sins, because by thy just judgment thou hast condemned them; yet not a few are left surviving in life who shall be saved: in which matter thou hast made a certain excess of justice, so that thou art most just and art called so, in that thou hast not destroyed all, as thou couldst justly do; but thou savest many, so that thou mightest temper thy justice with great clemency; nay, thy justice would allow itself to be overcome by thy clemency, or rather it would turn itself into clemency, and would cause clemency to take the place of justice. For this is the excess of justice, when justice yields its place to clemency, nay, transforms and converts itself into it. Behold we are before thee in our sin, — as if to say: We present ourselves to thee as guilty of a most grievous sin, namely that we have taken wives of the gentiles. For we cannot stand before thee in this, — as if to say: This cannot in any way be denied, excused, concealed, or defended; in Hebrew: For there is no standing before thee in this; but in judgment our cause falls, and we are judged sinners, ungrateful, and guilty of injury to thy divine majesty. Wherefore for shame we veil our face, nay, we cast it down to the earth, begging thy grace and mercy. Such ought to be the sense and prayer of the penitent, shame and contrition.
Machine translation from the Latin, not reviewed.
9:1
During the exile and even more after it, the A. tried to unite with the Jews in order to absorb them (Jer. 40:14-41:15; Ezra 9:1; Neh. 6:17-18; 13:4). Their leader, in the time of Nehemiah, was Tobiah, called "servant" (Neh. 2:10, 19) because he was a vassal of the king of Persia. …
Levites (Heb. Lēwī, pl. Lēwījīm; Gr. Lēwījī, pl. -ai)
… Esd. 2:41-42; Neh. 7:45, 56; cf. Esd. 8:15-19) in comparison with the priests (ca. 4,300; Esd. 2:36-39), more ardent in Yahwistic and nationalistic spirit (but they too, like the Levites, were in good number guilty of having contracted mixed marriage: Esd. 9:1; 10:5, 23). The Levites who returned settled in part in Jerusalem (cf. the episode of Neh. 13:10-11, 30), and in part scattered to other cities (ibid. 7:72). They remained essentially …
There is also insistence on reproving marriage with foreign women as a cause of religious syncretism and moral corruption (cf. Gen. 28:6-9; Jud. 3:5 f.; I Kings 11:1 f.; Mal. 2:11 f.; Esd. 9:1 ff.; Neh. 10:30; 13:23-25). In a particular way the prohibition applied to the various Canaanite populations of Palestine or of the neighboring regions (cf. Ex. 34:11-16; Deut. 7:1-4). …
Perizei (Heb. Pērizai; Septuagint ΦΕΡΕΙ͂ΑΊΟΙ)
… (Judg. 1:4-5). Nevertheless, even in the time of Solomon the P. are spoken of as tributaries of the kingdom (1 Kings 9:20-21; 2 Chron. 8:7-8); indeed, even in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah Perizzite women appear, illegally married by some Jews (Ezra 9:1; Neh. 9:8).
9:5
Eighteen Benedictions (Heb. Šēmōneh 'Ešrēh, understood as Bērākōth "Blessings")
… the community responds "Amen" (Bērākhōth, V, 4; Ta'onith, II, 5). In private, every Israelite must say it 3 times a day (Bērākhōth, III, 3; IV, 1), morning, afternoon, evening; the custom of praying three times a day was ancient (Dan. 6, 11, 14; 9, 21; Esd. 9, 5; Indt. 9, 1), but in the Miṣnāh the obligation is still limited to the twice-daily šēma' (Bērākhōth, II-III).
9:8
… Certain of being the "remnant" or "holy seed" that Jahweh had reserved for himself (Ezra 2, 26; 9, 8.13 ff.), those who undertook the long desert road for the return to their homeland (537 B.C.) thought that they would be realized in them integrally; the difficulties encountered (cf. Ezra-Nehemiah) …
9:9
… Nehemiah's complaints against his predecessors do not touch E. The gādheh ("wall"), of which E. speaks in the humble prayer to God, can only have the figurative sense of "protection" (cf. Ps. 79 [80]:13), since it is added: "in Judah and in Jerusalem" (Ezra 9:9). The traditional chronology seems confirmed by the papyri of Elephantine (v.), of about 410 B.C., since mention is made of a letter written to the sons of Nehemiah's adversary, Sanballat, …
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · Vulgata Clementina · original Douay-Rheims (Douay 1609-10), transcription by EEBO-TCP (CC0) · La Sacra Bibbia, tradotta dalla Volgata da Antonio Martini (1769-1781) (LaParola (laparola.net), Martini OSIS text, Public domain (LaParola's electronic edition marks it 'Dominio pubblico')). Public domain.