1 esdras 8:77 - And for our sins and our fathers’ we with our kindred and our kings and our priests were given up to the kings of the earth, to the sword, and to captivity, and for a prey with shame, to this day.

Generated Verse: 1 esdras 8:77

What does "1 esdras 8:77" mean?


This verse from 1 Esdras 8:77 is a lament, a recognition of sin and its consequences, spoken by the Jewish people. Let's break it down:

"And for our sins and our fathers’...": This acknowledges that the current suffering is not just due to the current generation's wrongdoings but also the accumulated sins of their ancestors. It's a confession of collective guilt and responsibility.

"...we with our kindred and our kings and our priests...": This emphasizes that all levels of society – the common people, their families, the rulers, and the religious leaders – were affected. No one was spared from the consequences. This highlights the pervasive nature of the sin and its impact on the entire nation.

"...were given up to the kings of the earth...": This indicates foreign domination. The Jewish people were handed over to the power of other nations. They lost their sovereignty and were at the mercy of foreign rulers.

"...to the sword, and to captivity, and for a prey with shame...": This lists the consequences of the foreign domination:

"to the sword": Violent death and war.
"to captivity": Exile and imprisonment, being uprooted from their homeland and forced to live in foreign lands as slaves or subjects.
"for a prey with shame": Being plundered, robbed of their possessions, and subjected to humiliation and disgrace. They were treated as spoils of war.

"...to this day.": This underscores that the suffering is ongoing. The consequences of their sins and their fathers' sins are still being felt in the present. It's a persistent state of hardship and subjugation.

In essence, the verse is a confession of sin, an acknowledgment of its intergenerational impact, and a description of the resulting punishment: foreign domination, violence, exile, and humiliation. It's a prayer of repentance and a plea for deliverance. It encapsulates the themes of exile, repentance, and restoration that are central to the books of Ezra and Nehemiah (which 1 Esdras parallels).