Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezra 9:14

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?

14. should we again, &c.] R.V. shall we again.

break thy commandments ] The work rendered ‘break’ is found with ‘commandment’ in Num 15:31, and is especially frequently found with ‘covenant’, e.g. Gen 17:14; Deu 31:16; Jdg 2:1; Isa 24:5; Jer 31:32; Eze 17:16 in the sense of ‘annul’, ‘violate’. Compare its use in Ezr 4:5 ‘frustrate their purpose’.

join in affinity ] This word occurs once only in the Pentateuch, Deu 7:3.

with the people of these abominations ] R.V. with the peoples that do these abominations. See note on Ezr 9:11.

wouldest thou not be angry, &c.] The question expects the answer ‘yes’. Ezra recalls the declarations of God’s displeasure in such passages as Deu 7:4 ‘For he will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods; so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and he will destroy you utterly ’, Deu 11:17; Jos 23:16. The tense is missed in the LXX. and the Vulg. ‘numquid iratus es’.

till thou hadst consumed us] The precise form of this phrase only occurs elsewhere in 2Ki 13:17; 2Ki 13:19 ‘till thou have (hadst) consumed them’; but a very similar form of it appears in 2Ch 24:10 ‘until they had made an end’, 2Ch 31:1 ‘until they had destroyed them all’. It means ‘up to the point of extinction’. Cf. LXX. . Vulg. ‘usque ad consummationem’.

no remnant nor escaping ] R.V. no remnant nor any to escape. It is hard to render the two words in English. ‘Any to escape’ is the same word as ‘remnant’ in Ezr 9:8; Ezr 9:13. The two words occur together in 1Ch 4:43 ‘they smote the remnant of the Amalekites that escaped’. The former word denotes simply the ‘remainder’; the latter has the idea of ‘survival from flight’ (cf. Ezr 9:15). The LXX. distinguishes by . The Vulgate renders ‘reliquias ad salutem’.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Should we again break thy commandments? was this a fit and just requital of all thy kindnesses? or was this thy end and design in these actions? or wilt thou take this well from our hands?

There should be no remnant nor escaping: can we reasonably expect any thing from thee less than utter ruin?

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations?…. That are guilty of abominable idolatries, and of all uncleanness:

wouldest thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us; it might be justly expected:

so that there should be no remnant nor escaping? any left or suffered to escape the wrath of but all consumed by it.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

14. Wouldest not thou be angry The question is the strongest possible confession that they merited the Divine anger.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ezr 9:14 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?

Ver. 14. Should we again break thy commandments ] There is so much unthankfulness and disingenuity in such an entertainment of mercy, that holy Ezra here thinks that heaven and earth would be ashamed of it.

And join in affinity with the people of these abominations? ] Especially when we may hear God himself screeching out as it were those words of his, Oh, do not this abominable thing! Save yourselves from this untoward generation, &c.

Wouldest thou not be angry with us? ] i.e. Chide us, smite us, and so set it on, as no creature should be able to take it off? Sin may move God, when we ask bread and fish to feed us, to answer us with a stone to bruise us or a serpent to bite us. Shun it therefore as a serpent in your way, or as poison in your meats. “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way,” Psa 2:12 .

So that there should be no remnant ] So that our late preservation should prove but a reservation to further mischief; as was Sodom’s, Sennacberib’s, Pharaoh’s.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Should we . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

we again: Joh 5:14, Rom 6:1, 2Pe 2:20, 2Pe 2:21

join in: Ezr 9:2, Exo 23:32, Jdg 2:2, Neh 13:23-27

wouldest not thou: Exo 32:10, Num 16:21, Num 16:45, Deu 9:8, Deu 9:14

no remnant: Ezr 9:8, Deu 32:26, Deu 32:27, Isa 1:9, Jer 46:28, Eze 6:8

Reciprocal: Exo 17:14 – for I will Num 32:14 – to augment Jos 22:17 – from which Jos 22:18 – and it will Jdg 16:14 – went away 1Sa 12:24 – consider 1Ki 3:1 – affinity 1Ki 21:1 – after 2Ch 20:24 – none escaped 2Ch 33:2 – like unto Neh 1:2 – that had escaped Job 34:31 – General Psa 119:53 – horror Isa 10:20 – the remnant Luk 13:9 – if not Rom 9:27 – a remnant

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge