O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.

EZRA 9:15KJV
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Ezra 9:15 (KJV)

What does Ezra 9:15 mean?

Ezra 9:15 describes Ezra’s prayer to God, acknowledging God’s righteousness and admitting that the people of Israel stand before Him guilty of their sins, unable to justify themselves. Ezra recognizes that the people have only survived by God’s mercy, and they cannot claim innocence or stand confidently before God because of their wrongdoing.

Ezra is speaking to God after discovering that many Israelites, including leaders, have broken God’s commandments by marrying foreigners. This verse comes at the end of Ezra’s prayer of confession, where he expresses deep sorrow over the nation’s unfaithfulness. Ezra’s words show humility and a sense of helplessness, emphasizing that their survival is due to God’s grace, not their own merit.

The Hebrew behind Ezra 9:15

  • LORD (יְהוָה, Yahweh): This is the personal name of God, used here to address God directly and personally, highlighting the seriousness and intimacy of Ezra’s prayer.
  • righteous (צַדִּיק, tsaddiq): This word means just or morally right. Ezra is declaring that God’s actions and judgments are always fair, even when punishing Israel for their sins.
  • remain (שָׁאַר, sha’ar) and escaped (פְּלֵיטָה, pĕleytah): These words together stress that the people are a remnant who have survived disaster, not because of their own strength, but because God allowed them to escape.
  • trespasses (אַשְׁמוֹתֵינוּ, ashmotenu): This word refers to guilt or acts of unfaithfulness. Ezra admits openly that the people are guilty and cannot deny their wrongdoing.
  • stand (עָמַד, amad) before (פָּנִים, panim): The phrase “cannot stand before thee” means the people have no grounds to defend themselves or claim righteousness in God’s presence.

Why Ezra 9:15 matters

  • Ezra 9:15 clarifies that survival after exile is not a sign of Israel’s innocence, but a result of God’s mercy, correcting any idea that God owes them favor.
  • The verse highlights the seriousness with which Ezra views sin, showing that even after returning from exile, the people are still vulnerable to judgment if they turn away from God.
  • This prayer sets the tone for the community’s response in the following chapters, where confession and repentance become central to restoring their relationship with God.

Where else these words appear

“trespasses” Hebrew H819 · used in 17 verses

  • Leviticus 4:3 If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering.
  • 2 Chronicles 24:18 And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.
  • Ezra 9:7 Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.

“escaped” Hebrew H6413 · used in 28 verses

  • Genesis 32:8 And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.
  • 2 Chronicles 20:24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.
  • Isaiah 37:31 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward:

“remain” Hebrew H7604 · used in 123 verses

  • Genesis 7:23 And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.
  • Joshua 13:1 Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.
  • Nehemiah 1:2 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.