Ezra 9:15

The prayer ends in expression of complete surrender. There is no excuse to plead. The nation stands in its sin in the presence of the perfect God, and awaits the sentence of -righteousness".

O Lord God of Israel R.V. O LORD, the God of Israel. See on Ezra 1:3. The prayer had begun -O myGod" (Ezra 9:6). It ends, O Lord the God of Israel. The thought of his nation overmastered the supplicant.

thouart righteous This must not be softened down as if it were -thou art gracious". The words are an acknowledgement of the perfect justice of God's dealings with Israel in the past. The next sentence -for we are left a remnant" is not uttered in gratitude for the mercy which spared -a remnant", but is added to express the greatness of the catastrophe, which had carried off the whole nation except -a remnant". And yet the visitation had been just. The prayer of Ezra (?) in Nehemiah 9 has a very similar phrase, Nehemiah 9:33 -Howbeit thou art just (çaddîq) in all that is come upon us; for thou hast done truly, but we have done wickedly". Thou art righteous (çaddîq), and we who are left -a remnant" have failed to profit by the righteous judgement of the past. God is called -righteous" in reference to the -fixed and unalterable rule of truth and goodness". Cf. Nehemiah 9:8; 2 Chronicles 12:6; Psalms 119:137; Psalms 129:4; Psalms 145:7. (See Cheyne on Psalms 7:17.)

asit is this day Cf. Ezra 9:7.

weare before thee i.e. arraigned as it were before thy judgement seat. Ezra was praying -before the house of God" (Ezra 10:2).

in our trespasses R.V. in our guiltiness. See on Ezra 9:7. Fresh guilt has been added to the old. There is nothing to plead in extenuation. Nor had there been in the past. Righteous as Jehovah was, He had granted -a remnant": now the guiltiness of the remnant seemed to merit its extinction.

forwe cannot stand before thee because of this R.V. for none can stand before thee because of this. None, for all Israelites, innocent as well as guilty, are bound up together in that responsibility for the nation's guilt. Cf. Psalms 76:7 -And who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?" Psalms 130:3 -If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?" Nahum 1:6 -Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger?" The Spirit alone gives the power to -stand before" God and to hear His word. Ezekiel 2:1-2.

because of this See note on Ezra 8:23; Ezra 10:2: i.e. on account of this last sin, in which the people have once more offended their God.