Ezra 9:3

When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled out some hair from my head and beard, and sat down in horror.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Ezra speaks as a leader to the exiled community immediately after learning that Israelites and officials have intermarried with foreign peoples, violating covenant boundaries. He reacts publicly to this report of widespread unfaithfulness.

The words — The text highlights קָרַעְתִּי (qaraʿti, "I tore") regarding his בִּגְדִי (bigdi, "garment") and מְעִילִי (meʿili, "robe"), denoting the physical act of tearing clothing as a direct response to hearing the report.

The thread — This gesture of tearing clothes appears elsewhere as a public sign of grief or alarm, such as when Joshua tore his garments before the ark (Joshua 7:6) and when Nehemiah responded to similar reports with weeping and mourning (Nehemiah 1:4).

Why it lands — The verse demands that readers treat covenant compromise with immediate, visible acknowledgment rather than quiet acceptance. It asks for a posture of sober confrontation that recognizes spiritual rupture requires tangible response.

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

וּכְשָׁמְעִי֙u./khe./sha.me.'/Iand/ just as/ heard/ I אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַדָּבָ֣רha./da.Varthe/ matter הַזֶּ֔הha./Zeh<the>/ this קָרַ֥עְתִּיka.Ra'.tiI tore אֶת־'et-<obj.>בִּגְדִ֖יbig.D/igarment/ my וּמְעִילִ֑יu./me.'i.L/iand/ robe/ my וָאֶמְרְטָ֞הva./'em.re.Ta/hand/ I pulled out/ !מִשְּׂעַ֤רmi./se.'Arsome of/ [the] hair of רֹאשִׁי֙ro.Sh/ihead/ my וּזְקָנִ֔יu./ze.ka.N/iand/ beard/ my וָאֵשְׁבָ֖הva./'e.she.Va/hand/ I sat down/ !מְשׁוֹמֵֽם׃me.sho.Memappalled

King James Version

And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied.

Cross-references

Nehemiah 1:4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
Joshua 7:6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the LORD until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they all sprinkled dust on their heads.
Leviticus 21:5 Priests must not make bald spots on their heads, shave off the edges of their beards, or make cuts in their bodies.
2 Kings 18:37 Then Hilkiah’s son Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and Asaph’s son Joah the recorder came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and they relayed to him the words of the Rabshakeh.
Nehemiah 13:25 I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves!
Job 1:20 Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped,
Job 2:12 When they lifted up their eyes from afar, they could barely recognize Job. They began to weep aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust in the air over his head.
Psalms 66:3 Say to God, “How awesome are Your deeds! So great is Your power that Your enemies cower before You.
Psalms 143:4 My spirit grows faint within me; my heart is dismayed inside me.
Isaiah 15:2 Dibon goes up to its temple to weep at its high places. Moab wails over Nebo, as well as over Medeba. Every head is shaved, every beard is cut off.