Ezra 9:3
And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied. And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied.
Ezra had just been told that the people of Israel, including the priests, the Levites, and chiefly the princes and rulers, had intermarried with the surrounding heathen peoples and mingled the holy seed. The laws thus transgressed had commanded Israel to remain separate, given as a safeguard against apostasy in order to spare them sad and humiliating experiences. Ezra knew from his study of the causes of the Babylonish captivity that mingling with heathen nations had largely caused Israel's terrible apostasy, and that obedience would have prevented those sad and humiliating experiences.
His grief was sharpened by God's goodness in again giving His people a foothold in their native land notwithstanding the lessons of the past. That men of prominence dared to transgress despite the plain lessons of the past made his heart inexpressibly sad, with intense agony of soul over such grievous sin by those with great light and privileges. His rending of garment and mantle, plucking off the hair of his head and beard, and sitting astonished expressed righteous indignation and grief and sorrow over such ingratitude and sin. He remained stunned until the evening sacrifice, joined by everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel because of the transgression of those who had been carried away.
The verse also depicts the sorrow and mourning proper when it is understood that God's law has been disregarded and transgressed. It is like what was felt when the lost law was brought and read, weeping and mourning with tears because the law had not been kept. This involves confessing to children that God's law has been disregarded, bringing offerings and gifts and praise to God with tears and mourning, rejoicing that the law is now known, and resolving to lay hold of God's commandments and keep them and live.