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.
Then everyone who feared and respected God's words gathered around me because of the sins of those who had returned from exile. I sat there stunned and overwhelmed until the time of the evening sacrifice.
Ezra is describing how godly people came together in shared grief over the community's disobedience, and he was so deeply troubled that he remained in shocked silence for hours.
📚 Historical Context
This occurred after the Jewish exiles returned from Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem. Ezra had just discovered that many of the returned exiles, including priests and leaders, had married foreign women from pagan nations, violating God's commands. The 'evening sacrifice' refers to the daily temple offering that took place around 3 PM.
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