The Meaning of Ezra 9:5 Explained

Ezra 9:5

KJV: And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God,

YLT: And at the present of the evening I have risen from mine affliction, and at my rending my garment and my upper robe, then I bow down on my knees, and spread out my hands unto Jehovah my God,

Darby: And at the evening oblation I arose up from my humiliation; and with my mantle and my garment rent, I fell on my knees, and spread out my hands to Jehovah my God,

ASV: And at the evening oblation I arose up from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe rent; and I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto Jehovah my God;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And at the evening  sacrifice  I arose up  from my heaviness;  and having rent  my garment  and my mantle,  I fell  upon my knees,  and spread out  my hands  unto the LORD  my God, 

What does Ezra 9:5 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 9:5 mean?

And at sacrifice the evening I arose from my fasting and having torn my garment and my robe and I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to Yahweh my God
וּבְמִנְחַ֣ת הָעֶ֗רֶב קַ֚מְתִּי מִתַּֽעֲנִיתִ֔י וּבְקָרְעִ֥י בִגְדִ֖י וּמְעִילִ֑י וָֽאֶכְרְעָה֙ עַל־ בִּרְכַּ֔י וָאֶפְרְשָׂ֥ה כַפַּ֖י אֶל־ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָֽי

וּבְמִנְחַ֣ת  And  at  sacrifice 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מִנְחָה  
Sense: gift, tribute, offering, present, oblation, sacrifice, meat offering.
הָעֶ֗רֶב  the  evening 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶרֶב  
Sense: evening, night, sunset.
קַ֚מְתִּי  I  arose 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
מִתַּֽעֲנִיתִ֔י  from  my  fasting 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: תַּעֲנִית  
Sense: humiliation (by fasting), ascetic practice of fasting.
וּבְקָרְעִ֥י  and  having  torn 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, first person common singular
Root: קָרַע  
Sense: to tear, tear in pieces.
בִגְדִ֖י  my  garment 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בֶּגֶד 
Sense: treachery, deceit.
וּמְעִילִ֑י  and  my  robe 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: מְעִיל  
Sense: robe.
וָֽאֶכְרְעָה֙  and  I  fell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: כָּרַע  
Sense: to bend, kneel, bow, bow down, sink down to one’s knees, kneel down to rest (of animals), kneel in reverence.
בִּרְכַּ֔י  my  knees 
Parse: Noun, fdc, first person common singular
Root: בֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: knee.
וָאֶפְרְשָׂ֥ה  and  spread  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: פָּרַשׂ  
Sense: to spread, spread out, stretch, break in pieces.
כַפַּ֖י  my  hands 
Parse: Noun, fdc, first person common singular
Root: כַּף  
Sense: palm, hand, sole, palm of the hand, hollow or flat of the hand.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהָֽי  my  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).