What’s striking here is that Ezra isn't just confessing the current generation's sins, but a long lineage of guilt that stretches back to their fathers, highlighting how deeply ingrained this trespass had become. He explicitly names their kings and priests alongside the people, emphasizing that the failure was national, affecting every level of leadership and spiritual life.
From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezra is confessing the deep-seated sin of his people, acknowledging that this guilt stretches back through generations of their kings and priests. He's not just pointing fingers at the past, but admitting that the ongoing suffering of exile and shame is the direct consequence of their continuous unfaithfulness to God. This verse sets the stage for Ezra's desperate prayer that follows, as he grapples with the full weight of their inherited and repeated disobedience.
Ezra cries out about a guilt that stretches back for generations. What does it mean for sin to be a 'family affair'?
Ezra doesn't just confess his own sins, or even the sins of his immediate generation. He speaks of a guilt that began 'since the days of our fathers.' This isn't about inherited sin in a way that makes individuals not responsible, but about a persistent pattern of rebellion that has marked the people of God throughout their history.
A Deep-Rooted Problem
Ezra lists the brutal consequences of Israel's sin. What does this raw description tell us about God's justice?
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The consequences Ezra lists are stark and terrifying: 'to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame.' This isn't abstract theological language; it's the lived experience of a defeated people.
The Price of Disobedience
Ezra's confession highlights a deep-seated pattern of national sin, stretching from the earliest days of Israel through the kings and priests, culminating in the devastating exiles. His prayer occurs shortly after the return from Babylon, a moment when the people were meant to be rebuilding their lives and their relationship with God, only to discover they had already fallen back into the same sin of intermarriage that had contributed to their past downfalls.
c. 740 BC
Assyrian Captivity of Northern Kingdom
The Northern Kingdom of Israel is largely conquered by the Assyrian Empire, with many citizens deported. This marks the beginning of the exile for the northern tribes.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The capital city of the Northern Kingdom, Samaria, falls to the Assyrians. This effectively ends the northern kingdom as a distinct entity, and its people are widely dispersed.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
Assyrian king Sennacherib invades Judah, besieging Jerusalem. While Jerusalem is spared, Judah is subjected to heavy tribute, demonstrating the vulnerability of the kingdom.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and deports a group of elites, including Daniel, to Babylon. This begins the period of Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar deports more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and many priests and craftsmen, to Babylon following a rebellion.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Babylonian forces under Nebuchadnezzar destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, ending the Southern Kingdom of Judah and exiling the majority of its population.
c. 458 BC— this verse
Ezra Leads Return from Exile
Ezra the scribe leads a group of Jewish exiles from Babylon back to Jerusalem to re-establish religious life and enforce the Law. This is the context for Ezra's prayer and confession in chapter 9.
This passage echoes Ezra's confession, recounting God's faithfulness and Israel's long history of disobedience, leading to their repeated cycles of suffering and deliverance.
Psalm 106:6This Psalm directly addresses the same theme of ancestral sin and its consequences, acknowledging that 'we and our fathers have sinned,' highlighting the persistent guilt passed down through generations.
Daniel 9:7Daniel's prayer of confession mirrors Ezra's deeply penitent tone, explicitly mentioning 'shame of face' as a consequence of sin for both the people and their kings.
Jeremiah 14:20This prophetic lament expresses a profound sense of national guilt and shame, directly correlating their present distress with the iniquities of their ancestors and themselves.
pulpitEzra 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."
Verse 7. - Since the days of our fathers. The historical sketches in Nehemiah (Nehemiah 9:6-35) and the Acts (Acts 7:2-53) show that this phrase might be taken in a very wide sense, and be regarded as inc…
bensonEzra 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."
Ezra 9:7-8 . Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass — We are not purged from the guilt of our fathers’ sins, but we are still feeling the sad effects of them; yea, and are repeatin…
What’s striking here is that Ezra isn't just confessing the current generation's sins, but a long lineage of guilt that stretches back to their fathers, highlighting how deeply ingrained this trespass had become. He explicitly names their kings and priests alongside the people, emphasizing that the failure was national, affecting every level of leadership and spiritual life.
Ezra is confessing the deep-seated sin of his people, acknowledging that this guilt stretches back through generations of their kings and priests. He's not just pointing fingers at the past, but admitting that the ongoing suffering of exile and shame is the direct consequence of their continuous unfaithfulness to God. This verse sets the stage for Ezra's desperate prayer that follows, as he grapples with the full weight of their inherited and repeated disobedience.
Ezra is confessing the deep-seated sin of his people, acknowledging that this guilt stretches back through generations of their kings and priests. He's not just pointing fingers at the past, but admitting that the ongoing suffering of exile and shame is the direct consequence of their continuous unfaithfulness to God. This verse sets the stage for Ezra's desperate prayer that follows, as he grapples with the full weight of their inherited and repeated disobedience.
"From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter sh…" — What’s striking here is that Ezra isn't just confessing the current generation's sins, but a long lineage of guilt that stretches back to their fathers, highlighting how deeply ingrained this tre…
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Last reviewed October 2026
