Ezra 9 · Verse 3

Ezra 9:3

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.
Ezra 9:3, King James Version

Ezra 9:3 in other translations

BSBWhen I heard this report, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled out some hair from my head and beard, and sat down in horror.
WEBWhen I heard this thing, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled the hair out of my head and of my beard, and sat down confounded.
ASVAnd when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my robe, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down confounded.
YLTAnd at my hearing this word, I have rent my garment and my upper robe, and pluck out of the hair of my head, and of my beard, and sit astonished,
DARBYAnd when I heard this thing, I rent my mantle and my garment, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down overwhelmed.
BBEAnd hearing this, with signs of grief and pulling out the hair of my head and my chin, I took my seat on the earth deeply troubled.
WebsterAnd 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 confounded.

What does Ezra 9:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, &c.--the outer and inner garment, which was a token not only of great grief, but of dread at the same time of the divine wrath; plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard--which was a still more significant sign of overpowering grief.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 I rent my garment and my mantle - The outer and inner garment, in sign of great grief. This significant act is frequently mentioned in the sacred writings, and was common among all ancient nations. Plucked off the hair - Shaving the head and beard were signs of excessive grief; much more so the plucking off the hair, which must produce exquisite pain. All this testified his abhorrence, not merely of the act of having taken strange wives, but their having also joined them in their idolatrous abominations.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ezra 9:1-4

Many corruptions lurk out of the view of the most careful rulers. Some of the people disobeyed the express command of God, which forbade all marriages with the heathen, De 7. Disbelief of God's all-sufficiency, is at the bottom of the sorry shifts we make to help ourselves. They exposed themselves and their children to the peril of idolatry, that had ruined their church and nation. Carnal professors may make light…

Read the full comment on Ezra 9:1-4 →

Ezra 9:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וּכְשָׁמְעִי֙u.khe.sha.me.'Iand just as heard IH8085
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַדָּבָ֣רha.da.Varthe matterH1697
הַזֶּ֔הha.Zeh<the> thisH2088
קָרַ֥עְתִּיka.Ra'.tiI toreH7167
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
בִּגְדִ֖יbig.Digarment myH899
וּמְעִילִ֑יu.me.'i.Liand robe myH4598
וָאֶמְרְטָ֞הva.'em.re.Tahand I pulled out !H4803
מִשְּׂעַ֤רmi.se.'Arsome of [the] hair ofH8181
רֹאשִׁי֙ro.Shihead myH7218
וּזְקָנִ֔יu.ze.ka.Niand beard myH2206
וָאֵשְׁבָ֖הva.'e.she.Vahand I sat down !H3427
מְשׁוֹמֵֽם\׃me.sho.MemappalledH8074

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ezra 9:3

  • Nehemiah 1:4

    And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

  • Joshua 7:6

    And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.

  • Daniel 4:19

    Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.

  • Job 1:20

    Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,

  • Daniel 8:27

    And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.

  • Psalms 143:4

    Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.

  • Jeremiah 48:37-38

    For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth. There shall be lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof: for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure, saith the Lord.

  • Job 2:12-13

    And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.

  • Leviticus 21:5

    They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.

  • Psalms 66:3

    Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.

  • Nehemiah 13:25

    And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.

  • Ezekiel 7:18

    They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
rent.
Jos 7:6; 2Ki 18:37; 19:1; Job 1:20; Jer 36:24
off.
Le 21:5; Ne 13:25; Isa 15:2; Jer 7:29; 48:37,38; Eze 7:18; Mic 1:16
sat.
Ne 1:4; Job 2:12,13; Ps 66:3; 143:4; Eze 3:15; Da 4:19; 8:27

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Ezra 9:2

    For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.

  • Ezra 9:3

    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.

  • Ezra 9:4

    Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice.

Read all of Ezra 9

Ezra 9:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Lo cual oyendo yo, rasgué mi vestido y mi manto, y arranqué de los cabellos de mi cabeza y de mi barba, y sentéme atónito.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et quand j’entendis cela, je déchirai mon manteau et ma robe, et j’arrachai les cheveux de ma tête et ma barbe, et je m’assis désolé;
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und als ich diese Sache hörte, zerriß ich mein Kleid und mein Obergewand, und raufte mir Haare meines Hauptes und meines Bartes aus, und saß betäubt da.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Cumque audissem sermonem istum, scidi pallium meum et tunicam, et evelli capillos capitis mei et barbæ, et sedi mœrens.