Ezra 9:8

_AND NOW FOR A LITTLE SPACE GRACE HATH BEEN SHEWED FROM THE LORD OUR GOD, TO LEAVE US A REMNANT TO ESCAPE, AND TO GIVE US A NAIL IN HIS HOLY PLACE, THAT OUR GOD MAY LIGHTEN OUR EYES, AND GIVE US A LITTLE REVIVING IN OUR BONDAGE._ To give us a nail in his holy place. Edifices in ancient times, and in Eastern countries, were much more simple in construction than ours. Nor were they furnished with that variety of accommodation and furniture within of which ours can boast. Hence, one essential requisite was to fix spikes, or large pins, in the walls on which to hang moveables and utensils of common use. These immense nails were fastened in the walls of the apartment in the process of building, and placed in parts which were strong and durable (cf. Isaiah 22:23; Ezekiel 15:3;...

5-15 The sacrifice, especially the evening sacrifice, was a type of the blessed Lamb of God, who in the evening of the world, was to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Ezra's address is a penitent confession of sin, the sin of his people. But let this be the comfort of true penitents, that though their sins reach to the heavens, God's mercy is in the heavens. Ezra, speaking of sin, speaks as one much ashamed. Holy shame is as necessary in true repentance as holy sorrow. Ezra speaks as much amazed. The discoveries of guilt cause amazement; the more we think of sin, the worse it looks. Say, God be merciful to me sinner. Ezra speaks as one much afraid. There is not a surer or saddler presage of ruin, than turning to sin, after great judgments, and great deliverances. Every one in the church of God, has to wonder that he has not wearied out the Lord's patience, and brought destructi...

Verse Ezra 9:8. _AND NOW FOR A LITTLE SPACE_] This interval in which they were returning from servitude to their own land. _GRACE HATH BEEN_ SHOWED] God has disposed the hearts of the Persian kings to publish edicts in our _favour_. _TO LEAVE US A REMNANT TO ESCAPE_] The ten tribes are gone irrecoverably into captivity; a great part even of Judah and Benjamin had continued beyond the Euphrates: so that Ezra might well say, there was but a _remnant_ which had _escaped_. _A NAIL IN HIS HOLY PLACE_] Even so much ground as to fix our _tent-poles_ in. _MAY LIGHTEN OUR EYES_] To give us a thorough knowledge of ourselves and of our highest interest, and to enable us to re-establish his worship, is the reason why God has brought us back to this place....

The “little space” was above 60 years, counting from the second year of Darius Ezra 4:24, or about 80 years, counting from the first year of Cyrus Ezra 1:1. This does not seem to Ezra much in the “lifetime” of a nation. A REMNANT TO ESCAPE - Rather, “a remnant that has escaped.” The “remnant” is the new community that has returned from the captivity. A NAIL - Compare the marginal note and reference. The metaphor is probably drawn from a tent-pin, which is driven into the earth to make the tent firm and secure....

§ 2. REFORMATION OF RELIGION ACCOMPLISHED BY EZRA AT JERUSALEM. EXPOSITION IN the interval between Zerubbabel's rule and the coming of Ezra from Babylon with a special commission appointing him governor of Judaea, the Jews seem to have been left without any strong controlling authority. The civil administration devolved upon a certain number of chiefs or "princes," who maintained order in Jerusalem, collected and remitted the tribute due to the Persian crown, and held courts to decide all causes, criminal and civil, in which only Jews were concerned. Tranquillity and order were sufficiently maintained in this way; but the governing power was weak, and in matters outside the range of the civil and criminal law men did pretty nearly "as it seemed good in their own eyes." During this interval of governmenta

AND NOW, FOR A LITTLE SPACE, GRACE HATH BEEN SHOWED FROM THE LORD OUR GOD,.... It was but a small time since the Lord first began to show favour to them, so that they soon after began to revolt from him; which argued the strange propensity of their minds to that which is evil, and from which they could not be restrained by the recent goodness of God unto them: TO LEAVE US A REMNANT TO ESCAPE; out of captivity, from whence a small number were graciously and safely returned to their own land: AND TO GIVE US A NAIL IN HIS HOLY PLACE; a fixed settlement in the land of Judea, the holy land the Lord had chosen, and in the temple, the holy place sacred to his worship; or a prince of their own, Zerubbabel, to be the governor of them, under whom they might enjoy settled happiness and prosperity, see Isaiah 22:23, that our God may lighten our eye

CHAPTER 9 _ 1. Ezra's astonishment and grief (Ezra 9:1)_ 2. Ezra's confession and prayer (Ezra 9:5) Ezra 9:1. When all these things had been done (that are related in chapter 8:33-36) Ezra was confronted by a very sad condition of the people, and even the priests and the Levites. The princes (civil leaders) came to Ezra and told him that the demanded separation according to the law, between God's people and the Canaanitish inhabitants of the land, had not been obeyed. The people had taken of their daughters for themselves and of their sons “so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of the lands; yea the hand of the princes and rulers hath been first in this trespass.” Not alone had they intermarried, b

EZRA'S CONFESSION. Ezra 9:5. at the evening Oblation: therefore in the presence of the assembled worshippers. Ezra 9:7. from the days of our fathers: _i.e._ from the times of the patriarchs onwards. Ezra 9:8. a nail in his holy place: lit. - a tent-peg in, etc.; the rendering in the Greek Ezra is to be preferred, viz.: a root and a name in the place of thy sanctuary. IN OUR BONDAGE: the expression is a strong one; the Jews, though dependents of the Persian king, were not in servitude in the sense that their fathers had been in Egypt. Ezra 9:9. a wall: lit. a fence; _cf._...

A LITTLE SPACE. a little while. Hebrew. _kim'at._ See note on "almost" (Proverbs 5:14). Referring to the respite which had been begun by the kings of Assyria (Ezra 6:22.Nehemiah 9:32; Nehemiah 9:32) and continued by the kings of Persia. REMNANT TO ESCAPE. The same which Nehemiah had already inquired about (Nehemiah 1:2; Nehemiah 1:3). A NAIL. a peg surely driven in. Put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Adjunct), App-6, for the dwelling secu

Ezra's Confession 5. _And at the evening sacrifice_ R.V. AND AT THE EVENING OBLATION, i.e. at the time of its being offered. _I arose up from my heaviness_ R.V. I AROSE UP FROM MY HUMILIATION. Marg. _fasting_. The Hebrew word -Taanith" occurs only here in the O.T.: in later Hebrew it became the accepted for religious fasting. This passage favours the original application to general humiliation rather than to abstinence from food. So the LXX. ταπείωσις. _and having rent my garment and my mantle_ R.V. EVEN WITH MY GARMENT AND MY MANTLE RENT; AND. There is no need to render as the A.V. and most commentators, as if Ezra for a second time rent his clothes. He calls attention to the fact that in the presence of the assembled people he stood before them with these evident signs of his grief and dismay, and thus by a mute appeal united them with him in his act of prayer. fell upon my knees, a...