The Meaning of Ezra 9:14 Explained

Ezra 9:14

KJV: Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping?

YLT: do we turn back to break Thy commands, and to join ourselves in marriage with the people of these abominations? art not Thou angry against us -- even to consumption -- till there is no remnant and escaped part?

Darby: should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the peoples of these abominations? wouldest thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor any to escape?

ASV: shall we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the peoples that do these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Should we again  break  thy commandments,  and join in affinity  with the people  of these abominations?  wouldest not thou be angry  with us till thou hadst consumed  [us], so that [there should be] no remnant  nor escaping? 

What does Ezra 9:14 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 9:14 mean?

should we again break Your commandments and join in marriage with the people [committing] abominations these would not You be angry with us until You had consumed [us] so that [there would be] no remnant or survivor -
הֲנָשׁוּב֙ לְהָפֵ֣ר מִצְוֺתֶ֔יךָ וּ֨לְהִתְחַתֵּ֔ן בְּעַמֵּ֥י ؟ הַתֹּעֵב֖וֹת הָאֵ֑לֶּה הֲל֤וֹא תֶֽאֱנַף־ בָּ֙נוּ֙ עַד־ כַּלֵּ֔ה לְאֵ֥ין שְׁאֵרִ֖ית ؟ וּפְלֵיטָֽה פ

הֲנָשׁוּב֙  should  we  again 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
לְהָפֵ֣ר  break 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: פָּרַר 
Sense: to break, frustrate.
מִצְוֺתֶ֔יךָ  Your  commandments 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מִצְוָה  
Sense: commandment.
וּ֨לְהִתְחַתֵּ֔ן  and  join  in  marriage 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Hitpael, Infinitive construct
Root: חָתַן 
Sense: to become a son-in-law, make oneself a daughter’s husband.
בְּעַמֵּ֥י  with  the  people  [committing] 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
؟ הַתֹּעֵב֖וֹת  abominations 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: תֹּועֵבָה  
Sense: a disgusting thing, abomination, abominable.
הָאֵ֑לֶּה  these 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
הֲל֤וֹא  would  not 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
תֶֽאֱנַף־  You  be  angry 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָנַף  
Sense: to be angry, to be displeased, to breathe hard.
בָּ֙נוּ֙  with  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
עַד־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
כַּלֵּ֔ה  You  had  consumed  [us] 
Parse: 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.
לְאֵ֥ין  so  that  [there  would  be]  no 
Parse: Preposition-l, Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
שְׁאֵרִ֖ית  remnant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׁאֵרִית  
Sense: rest, residue, remainder, remnant.
؟ וּפְלֵיטָֽה  or  survivor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: פְּלֵיטָה  
Sense: escape, deliverance.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation