The Meaning of Ezra 10:6 Explained

Ezra 10:6

KJV: Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.

YLT: And Ezra riseth from before the house of God, and goeth unto the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib; yea, he goeth there, bread he hath not eaten, and water he hath not drunk, for he is mourning because of the trespass of the removal.

Darby: And Ezra arose from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib; and when he came thither, he ate no bread and drank no water; for he mourned because of the unfaithfulness of them that had been carried away.

ASV: Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water; for he mourned because of the trespass of them of the captivity.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then Ezra  rose up  from before  the house  of God,  and went  into the chamber  of Johanan  the son  of Eliashib:  and [when] he came  thither, he did eat  no bread,  nor drink  water:  for he mourned  because of the transgression  of them that had been carried away. 

What does Ezra 10:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Ezra 10:1-19 - Putting Away Strange Marriages
The people seem to have been more impressed by Ezra's intense grief of soul than they could have been by his severest condemnation. Is not this the secret of winning men from their evil ways? But we must not expend all our force in tears; we must act when we have opportunity. Shechaniah was not implicated, but his father and other near relatives were, Ezra 10:26. His words may be appropriated by us all, Ezra 10:2. There is always hope for the man who repents and puts away evil. It is a great encouragement when brave men will stand by the reformer, but whether they do or not, there is One who neither leaves nor forsakes, Hebrews 13:5-6. A drastic remedy was required; it seemed very hard and must have occasioned many heartbreaks. Probably if a wife had truly turned to the God of Israel, she would have been retained. God demands the sacrifice of anything which comes between us and Him, however dear, Mark 9:43; Matthew 10:37. There is no warrant for such action in our days. The process of the Gospel is given in 1 Corinthians 7:12-13. A solemn assembly was convened in the month of December, the coldest and rainiest time of the year. A court of inquiry was finally appointed, who continued their labors for about a quarter of a year. The offense seems to have been temporarily eradicated, though we meet with it again, Nehemiah 13:23; Malachi 2:11. Each generation repeats the sins of its predecessors, unwarned by their bitter experiences. Not the study of history, but the Spirit of God is needed to deal with and subdue individual and national sins [source]

Chapter Summary: Ezra 10

1  Ezra encouraged to reform the strange marriages
6  Ezra assembles the people
9  The people repent, and promise amendment
15  The care to perform it
18  The names of them which had married strange wives

What do the individual words in Ezra 10:6 mean?

And rose up Ezra from before the house of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib And [when] he came there bread no he ate and water drank for he mourned because of the guilt of those from the captivity -
וַיָּ֣קָם עֶזְרָ֗א מִלִּפְנֵי֙ בֵּ֣ית הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים וַיֵּ֕לֶךְ אֶל־ לִשְׁכַּ֖ת יְהוֹחָנָ֣ן בֶּן־ אֶלְיָשִׁ֑יב וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ שָׁ֗ם לֶ֤חֶם לֹֽא־ אָכַל֙ וּמַ֣יִם שָׁתָ֔ה כִּ֥י מִתְאַבֵּ֖ל עַל־ מַ֥עַל הַגּוֹלָֽה ס

וַיָּ֣קָם  And  rose  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
עֶזְרָ֗א  Ezra 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶזְרָא  
Sense: the priest and scribe who led the reforms of the returned exiles in Jerusalem; co-worker with Nehemiah.
מִלִּפְנֵי֙  from  before 
Parse: Preposition-m, Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
בֵּ֣ית  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים  of  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וַיֵּ֕לֶךְ  and  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
אֶל־  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
לִשְׁכַּ֖ת  the  chamber 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: לִשְׁכָּה  
Sense: room, chamber, hall, cell.
יְהוֹחָנָ֣ן  of  Jehohanan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹוחָנָן  
Sense: a priest during the high priesthood of Joiakim who returned with Zerubbabel.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אֶלְיָשִׁ֑יב  of  Eliashib 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶלְיָשִׁיב  
Sense: a priest in David’s reign.
וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ  And  [when]  he  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
לֶ֤חֶם  bread 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
לֹֽא־  no 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
אָכַל֙  he  ate 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
וּמַ֣יִם  and  water 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
שָׁתָ֔ה  drank 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁתָה  
Sense: to drink.
מִתְאַבֵּ֖ל  he  mourned 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אָבַל 
Sense: to mourn, lament.
עַל־  because 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
מַ֥עַל  of  the  guilt 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַעַל  
Sense: unfaithful or treacherous act, trespass.
הַגּוֹלָֽה  of  those  from  the  captivity 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: גֹּולָה  
Sense: exiles, exile, captivity.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation