The Meaning of Ezra 9:8 Explained

Ezra 9:8

KJV: And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.

YLT: 'And now, as a small moment hath grace been from Jehovah our God, to leave to us an escape, and to give to us a nail in His holy place, by our God's enlightening our eyes, and by giving us a little quickening in our servitude;

Darby: And now for a little space there hath been favour from Jehovah our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.

ASV: And now for a little moment grace hath been showed from Jehovah our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And now for a little  space  grace  hath been [shewed] from the LORD  our God,  to leave  us a remnant to escape,  and to give  us a nail  in his holy  place,  that our God  may lighten  our eyes,  and give  us a little  reviving  in our bondage. 

What does Ezra 9:8 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 9:8 mean?

Now for little a while has been [shown] grace from Yahweh our God to leave a remnant us to escape and to give us a peg in place His holy that may enlighten our eyes our God and give us revival a measure of in our bondage
וְעַתָּ֡ה כִּמְעַט־ רֶגַע֩ הָיְתָ֨ה תְחִנָּ֜ה מֵאֵ֣ת ׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ לְהַשְׁאִ֥יר לָ֙נוּ֙ פְּלֵיטָ֔ה וְלָתֶת־ לָ֥נוּ יָתֵ֖ד בִּמְק֣וֹם קָדְשׁ֑וֹ לְהָאִ֤יר עֵינֵ֙ינוּ֙ אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ וּלְתִתֵּ֛נוּ מִֽחְיָ֥ה מְעַ֖ט בְּעַבְדֻתֵֽנוּ

וְעַתָּ֡ה  Now 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
כִּמְעַט־  for  little 
Parse: Preposition-k, Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: מְעַט  
Sense: littleness, few, a little, fewness.
רֶגַע֩  a  while 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֶגַע  
Sense: a moment adv.
הָיְתָ֨ה  has  been  [shown] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
תְחִנָּ֜ה  grace 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: תְּחִנָּה  
Sense: favour, supplication, supplication for favour.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ  our  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
לְהַשְׁאִ֥יר  to  leave  a  remnant 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁאַר  
Sense: to remain, be left over, be left behind.
לָ֙נוּ֙  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
פְּלֵיטָ֔ה  to  escape 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: פְּלֵיטָה  
Sense: escape, deliverance.
וְלָתֶת־  and  to  give 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לָ֥נוּ  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
יָתֵ֖ד  a  peg 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: יָתֵד  
Sense: pin, stake, peg, nail.
בִּמְק֣וֹם  in  place 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מָקֹום  
Sense: standing place, place.
קָדְשׁ֑וֹ  His  holy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
לְהָאִ֤יר  that  may  enlighten 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: אֹור  
Sense: to be or become light, shine.
עֵינֵ֙ינוּ֙  our  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cdc, first person common plural
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ  our  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וּלְתִתֵּ֛נוּ  and  give  us 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, first person common plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
מִֽחְיָ֥ה  revival 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִחְיָה  
Sense: preservation of life, sustenance.
מְעַ֖ט  a  measure 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: מְעַט  
Sense: littleness, few, a little, fewness.
בְּעַבְדֻתֵֽנוּ  of  in  our  bondage 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: עַבְדֻת  
Sense: servitude, bondage.