The Meaning of Ezra 9:6 Explained

Ezra 9:6

KJV: And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.

YLT: and say, 'O my God, I have been ashamed, and have blushed to lift up, O my God, my face unto Thee, for our iniquities have increased over the head, and our guilt hath become great unto the heavens.

Darby: and said: O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God; for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up to the heavens.

ASV: and I said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God; for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our guiltiness is grown up unto the heavens.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And said,  O my God,  I am ashamed  and blush  to lift up  my face  to thee, my God:  for our iniquities  are increased  over  [our] head,  and our trespass  is grown up  unto the heavens. 

What does Ezra 9:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Ezra 9:1-15 - A Leader's Sorrows For His People's Sins
The mingling of the holy seed with heathen peoples was always the curse of Israel, and it has been the temptation of God's children in every age. Do we sufficiently tremble at the words of the God of Israel because of our sins or those of others? The humiliation and anguish of soul experienced by Ezra and his associates are a great rebuke to us. We are indignant, but we do not view sin from God's standpoint. Notice the humility of his prayer, I blush to lift up my face; its vicarious confession of sin; its acknowledgment of God's grace in giving a little reviving; its recital of the aggravation which had dyed their sin of a deeper hue. Israel was intended to live in Canaan as a separated people. The land itself could not yield its good, or remain their permanent inheritance on condition of their fidelity to God. When confession of sin has been made, let us stand before God claiming forgiveness, acceptance, and cleansing, through the precious blood of Christ, 1 John 1:7. [source]

Chapter Summary: Ezra 9

1  Ezra mourns for the affinity of the people with strangers
5  He prays unto God, with confession of sins

What do the individual words in Ezra 9:6 mean?

and I said my God I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my God my face to You for our iniquities have risen higher than [our] heads and our guilt has grown up to the heavens
וָאֹמְרָ֗ה אֱלֹהַי֙ בֹּ֣שְׁתִּי וְנִכְלַ֔מְתִּי לְהָרִ֧ים אֱלֹהַ֛י פָּנַ֖י אֵלֶ֑יךָ כִּ֣י עֲוֺנֹתֵ֤ינוּ רָבוּ֙ לְמַ֣עְלָה רֹּ֔אשׁ וְאַשְׁמָתֵ֥נוּ גָדְלָ֖ה עַ֥ד לַשָּׁמָֽיִם

וָאֹמְרָ֗ה  and  I  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֱלֹהַי֙  my  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
בֹּ֣שְׁתִּי  I  am  too  ashamed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: בֹּושׁ 
Sense: to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed.
וְנִכְלַ֔מְתִּי  and  humiliated 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: כָּלַם  
Sense: to insult, shame, humiliate, blush, be ashamed, be put to shame, be reproached, be put to confusion, be humiliated.
לְהָרִ֧ים  to  lift  up 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: יָרוּם 
Sense: to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted.
אֱלֹהַ֛י  my  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
פָּנַ֖י  my  face 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
אֵלֶ֑יךָ  to  You 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
עֲוֺנֹתֵ֤ינוּ  our  iniquities 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, first person common plural
Root: עָוֹן  
Sense: perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity.
רָבוּ֙  have  risen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: הַרְבָּה 
Sense: be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous.
לְמַ֣עְלָה  higher  than 
Parse: Preposition-l, Adverb, third person feminine singular
Root: מַעַל 
Sense: higher part, upper part adv.
רֹּ֔אשׁ  [our]  heads 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
וְאַשְׁמָתֵ֥נוּ  and  our  guilt 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: אַשְׁמָה  
Sense: guiltiness, guilt, offense, sin, wrong-doing.
גָדְלָ֖ה  has  grown  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: גָּדַל  
Sense: to grow, become great or important, promote, make powerful, praise, magnify, do great things.
לַשָּׁמָֽיִם  the  heavens 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.