The Meaning of Ezra 9:1 Explained

Ezra 9:1

KJV: Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

YLT: And at the completion of these things, drawn nigh unto me have the heads, saying, 'The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not been separated from the peoples of the lands, as to their abominations, even the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, the Ammonite, the Moabite, the Egyptian, and the Amorite,

Darby: Now when these things were completed, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites;

ASV: Now when these things were done, the princes drew near unto me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now when these things were done,  the princes  came  to me, saying,  The people  of Israel,  and the priests,  and the Levites,  have not separated  themselves from the people  of the lands,  [doing] according to their abominations,  [even] of the Canaanites,  the Hittites,  the Perizzites,  the Jebusites,  the Ammonites,  the Moabites,  the Egyptians,  and the Amorites. 

What does Ezra 9:1 Mean?

Context Summary

Ezra 9:1-15 - A Leader's Sorrows For His People's Sins
The mingling of the holy seed with heathen peoples was always the curse of Israel, and it has been the temptation of God's children in every age. Do we sufficiently tremble at the words of the God of Israel because of our sins or those of others? The humiliation and anguish of soul experienced by Ezra and his associates are a great rebuke to us. We are indignant, but we do not view sin from God's standpoint. Notice the humility of his prayer, I blush to lift up my face; its vicarious confession of sin; its acknowledgment of God's grace in giving a little reviving; its recital of the aggravation which had dyed their sin of a deeper hue. Israel was intended to live in Canaan as a separated people. The land itself could not yield its good, or remain their permanent inheritance on condition of their fidelity to God. When confession of sin has been made, let us stand before God claiming forgiveness, acceptance, and cleansing, through the precious blood of Christ, 1 John 1:7. [source]

Chapter Summary: Ezra 9

1  Ezra mourns for the affinity of the people with strangers
5  He prays unto God, with confession of sins

What do the individual words in Ezra 9:1 mean?

And when were done these things came to me the leaders saying not have separated themselves the people of Israel and the priests and the Levites from the peoples of the lands [doing] with respect to the abominations of the Canaanite the Hittite the Perizzite the Jebusite the Ammonite the Moabite the Egyptian and the Amorite
וּכְכַלּ֣וֹת אֵ֗לֶּה נִגְּשׁ֨וּ אֵלַ֤י הַשָּׂרִים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹֽא־ נִבְדְּל֞וּ הָעָ֤ם יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְהַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים וְהַלְוִיִּ֔ם מֵעַמֵּ֖י הָאֲרָצ֑וֹת כְּ֠תוֹעֲבֹֽתֵיהֶם לַכְּנַעֲנִ֨י הַחִתִּ֜י הַפְּרִזִּ֣י הַיְבוּסִ֗י הָֽעַמֹּנִי֙ הַמֹּ֣אָבִ֔י הַמִּצְרִ֖י וְהָאֱמֹרִֽי

וּכְכַלּ֣וֹת  And  when  were  done 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: כָּלָה  
Sense: to accomplish, cease, consume, determine, end, fail, finish, be complete, be accomplished, be ended, be at an end, be finished, be spent.
אֵ֗לֶּה  these  things 
Parse: Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
נִגְּשׁ֨וּ  came 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָגַשׁ  
Sense: to draw near, approach.
אֵלַ֤י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הַשָּׂרִים֙  the  leaders 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
נִבְדְּל֞וּ  have  separated  themselves 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: בָּדַל  
Sense: to divide, separate.
הָעָ֤ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וְהַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים  and  the  priests 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
וְהַלְוִיִּ֔ם  and  the  Levites 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: לֵוִי  
Sense: the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah.
מֵעַמֵּ֖י  from  the  peoples 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הָאֲרָצ֑וֹת  of  the  lands 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
כְּ֠תוֹעֲבֹֽתֵיהֶם  [doing]  with  respect  to  the  abominations 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: תֹּועֵבָה  
Sense: a disgusting thing, abomination, abominable.
לַכְּנַעֲנִ֨י  of  the  Canaanite 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כִּנְעָן 
Sense: descendant of inhabitant of Canaan n.
הַחִתִּ֜י  the  Hittite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חִתִּי  
Sense: the nation descended from Heth, the 2nd son of Canaan; once inhabitants of central Anatolia (modern Turkey), later in north Lebanon.
הַפְּרִזִּ֣י  the  Perizzite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פְּרִזִּי  
Sense: a people who inhabited southern Canaan prior to the conquest.
הַיְבוּסִ֗י  the  Jebusite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְבוּסִי  
Sense: descendants of the 3rd son of Canaan who lived in or around the site of Jebus, the early name for Jerusalem.
הָֽעַמֹּנִי֙  the  Ammonite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַמֹּונִי  
Sense: descendants of Ammon and inhabitants of Ammon.
הַמֹּ֣אָבִ֔י  the  Moabite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹואָבִי  
Sense: an citizen of Moab.
הַמִּצְרִ֖י  the  Egyptian 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִצְרִי  
Sense: Egyptian—an inhabitant or citizen of Egypt.
וְהָאֱמֹרִֽי  and  the  Amorite 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱמֹרִי  
Sense: one of the peoples of east Canaan and beyond the Jordan, dispossessed by the Israelite incursion from Egypt.