Ezra 9:3 (GNV)

Passage

But when I heard this saying, I rent my clothes and my garment, and pluckt off the heare of mine head, and of my beard, and sate downe astonied.

Nearby Context

Ezra 9:1 When as these things were done, the rulers came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the Priestes, and the Leuites are not separated from the people of the lands (as touching their abominations) to wit, of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Iebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

Ezra 9:2 For they haue taken their daughters to theselues, and to their sonnes, and they haue mixed the holy seede with the people of the landes, and the hande of the princes and rulers hath bene chiefe in this trespasse.

Ezra 9:3 But when I heard this saying, I rent my clothes and my garment, and pluckt off the heare of mine head, and of my beard, and sate downe astonied.

Ezra 9:4 And there assembled vnto me all that feared the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of them of the captiuitie. And I sate downe astonied vntil the euening sacrifice.

Ezra 9:5 And at the euening sacrifice I arose vp from mine heauinesse, and when I had rent my clothes and my garment, I fell vpon my knees, and spred out mine hands vnto the Lord my God,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "heard", "saying", "rent", "clothes", "garment", "pluckt", "heare", and "mine". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "heard" and "saying", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "For they haue taken their daughters to..." into verse 4's "And there assembled vnto me all that...", so "heard" and "saying" belong inside that flow. In Ezra context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "heard" and "saying" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.