The Meaning of Ezra 9:7 Explained

Ezra 9:7

KJV: Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.

YLT: From the days of our fathers we are in great guilt unto this day, and in our iniquities we have been given -- we, our kings, our priests -- into the hand of the kings of the lands, with sword, with captivity, and with spoiling, and with shame of face, as at this day.

Darby: Since the days of our fathers, we have been in great trespass to this day; and for our iniquities we, our kings, our priests, have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, and to captivity, and to spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.

ASV: Since the days of our fathers we have been exceeding guilty unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to plunder, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Since the days  of our fathers  [have] we [been] in a great  trespass  unto this day;  and for our iniquities  have we, our kings,  [and] our priests,  been delivered  into the hand  of the kings  of the lands,  to the sword,  to captivity,  and to a spoil,  and to confusion  of face,  as [it is] this day. 

What does Ezra 9:7 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 9:7 mean?

Since the days of our fathers we [have been] guilty very to day This for our iniquities have been delivered we our kings [and] our priests into the hand of the kings of the lands to the sword to captivity and to plunder and to humiliation of face as [it is] day this
מִימֵ֣י אֲבֹתֵ֗ינוּ אֲנַ֙חְנוּ֙ בְּאַשְׁמָ֣ה גְדֹלָ֔ה עַ֖ד הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וּבַעֲוֺנֹתֵ֡ינוּ נִתַּ֡נּוּ אֲנַחְנוּ֩ מְלָכֵ֨ינוּ כֹהֲנֵ֜ינוּ בְּיַ֣ד ׀ מַלְכֵ֣י הָאֲרָצ֗וֹת בַּחֶ֜רֶב בַּשְּׁבִ֧י וּבַבִּזָּ֛ה וּבְבֹ֥שֶׁת פָּנִ֖ים כְּהַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה

מִימֵ֣י  Since  the  days 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
אֲבֹתֵ֗ינוּ  of  our  fathers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
אֲנַ֙חְנוּ֙  we  [have  been] 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common plural
Root: אֲנַחְנוּ  
Sense: we (first pers.
בְּאַשְׁמָ֣ה  guilty 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַשְׁמָה  
Sense: guiltiness, guilt, offense, sin, wrong-doing.
גְדֹלָ֔ה  very 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
הַיּ֣וֹם  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַזֶּ֑ה  This 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
וּבַעֲוֺנֹתֵ֡ינוּ  for  our  iniquities 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, common plural construct, first person common plural
Root: עָוֹן  
Sense: perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity.
נִתַּ֡נּוּ  have  been  delivered 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
מְלָכֵ֨ינוּ  our  kings 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
כֹהֲנֵ֜ינוּ  [and]  our  priests 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
בְּיַ֣ד ׀  into  the  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
מַלְכֵ֣י  of  the  kings 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
הָאֲרָצ֗וֹת  of  the  lands 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
בַּחֶ֜רֶב  to  the  sword 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
בַּשְּׁבִ֧י  to  captivity 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁבִי 
Sense: captivity, captives.
וּבַבִּזָּ֛ה  and  to  plunder 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בִּזָּה  
Sense: spoil, booty.
וּבְבֹ֥שֶׁת  and  to  humiliation 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בֹּשֶׁת  
Sense: shame.
פָּנִ֖ים  of  face 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
כְּהַיּ֥וֹם  as  [it  is]  day 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַזֶּֽה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.