“Now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments,
Parallel translations
- KJV And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments,
- BSB And now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commandments
- NKJV And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments,
- NASB “And now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have abandoned Your commandments,
- NLT “And now, O our God, what can we say after all of this? For once again we have abandoned your commands!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Ezra confessed they had nothing to say in their defense, for they had forsaken God's commandments. He admitted there was no excuse for renewed sin after such grace.
Overview
Having recounted God's mercy, Ezra turned to fresh confession, acknowledging that the people had abandoned the very commands meant to keep them holy. The rhetorical 'what shall we say?' expresses the speechlessness of genuine guilt before God. This humility before God's law prepares the way for grace, for only those who stop excusing sin can receive forgiveness in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Josh 7:8Oh, Lord, what shall I say, after Israel has turned their backs before their enemies!
- Rom 3:19Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God.
- Gen 44:16Judah said, “What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? Or how will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found.”
- Dan 9:4–16I prayed to Yahweh my God, and made confession, and said, Oh, Lord, the great and dreadful God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments,
- Lam 3:22It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The return from exile and the rebuilt altar keep alive the hope of a greater restoration — the true return from our deeper exile of sin accomplished by Christ.
How Ezra 9:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.