Ezra 9:14

shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who commit these abominations? Would You not become so angry with us as to wipe us out, leaving no remnant or survivor?

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Ezra addresses God on behalf of the returned exiles, posing a rhetorical question immediately after acknowledging their past guilt and God's merciful preservation of a remnant.

The words — The Hebrew phrase לְהָפֵר מִצְוֹתֶיךָ (lehafer mitzvotekha) literally means "to break Your commandments," directly linked with the verb הִתְחַתֵּן (hitchaten), "to intermarry," which names the specific covenant violation.

The thread — The threat of divine anger and total eradition mirrors the warnings in Deuteronomy 9:8 and 9:14, where God's wrath threatens to blot out Israel for provocation, while Ezra 9:2 records the actual occurrence of intermarriage that prompted this confrontation.

Why it lands — The text states that repeating intermarriage with idolatrous peoples would provoke God's anger and leave no survivor, demanding an immediate end to the practice rather than a presumption of continued mercy.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

הֲנָשׁוּב֙ha./na.Shuv¿/ will we return לְהָפֵ֣רle./ha.Ferto/ break מִצְוֹתֶ֔יךָmitz.vo.Tei./khacommandments/ your וּ֨לְהִתְחַתֵּ֔ןu./le./hit.cha.Tenand/ to/ intermarry בְּעַמֵּ֥יbe./'a.Meiwith/ [the] peoples of הַתֹּעֵב֖וֹתha./to.'e.Votthe/ abominations הָאֵ֑לֶּהha./'E.leh<the>/ these הֲל֤וֹאha./Lo'¿/ not תֶֽאֱנַף־te.'e.naf-will you be angryבָּ֙נוּ֙ba./nuwith/ usעַד־'ad-until כַּלֵּ֔הka.Lehmake an end לְאֵ֥יןle./'Einto/ there not שְׁאֵרִ֖יתshe.'e.Rit[will be] a remnant וּפְלֵיטָֽה׃ פu./fe.lei.Tahand/ an escaped remnant

King James Version

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?

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 9:8 At Horeb you provoked the LORD, and He was angry enough to destroy you.
Deuteronomy 9:14 Leave Me alone, so that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven. Then I will make you into a nation mightier and greater than they are.”
Ezra 9:2 Indeed, the Israelites have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed has been mixed with the people of the land. And the leaders and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness!”
Exodus 32:10 Now leave Me alone, so that My anger may burn against them and consume them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”
Numbers 16:21 “Separate yourselves from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.”
Numbers 16:45 “Get away from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.” And Moses and Aaron fell facedown.
Judges 2:2 and you are not to make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall tear down their altars.’ Yet you have not obeyed My voice. What is this you have done?
John 5:14 Afterward, Jesus found the man at the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you.”
Romans 6:1 What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase?
2 Peter 2:20 If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse than it was at first.