Ezra 8:21

Ezra 8:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.
• New International Version (NIV)There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions.

Context of Ezra 8:21

19Hashabiah and Jeshaiah also came. They belonged to the clan of Levi's son, Merari. 20 men from their family came with them. 20220 temple servants also came. King David had first chosen this group to help the Levites with their work. We made a list of all their names. We were all waiting by the Ahava river. I told the people not to eat any food, so that we could pray to God for help. We asked him to keep us safe on the journey, with our children and all our things. 22I was ashamed to ask the king to send his soldiers with us to keep us safe. He could have sent soldiers who rode on horses with us, or other soldiers. But we had said to the king, ‘Our God helps people who trust him and he keeps them safe. But he is very angry with people who turn away from him and he punishes them.’ 23So we ate no food and we prayed to our God about this. He answered our prayers.

Ezra 8:21 word by word

וָאֶקְרָ֨א שָׁ֥ם צוֹם֙ עַל־הַנָּהָ֣ר אַהֲוָ֔א לְהִתְעַנּ֖וֹת לִפְנֵ֣י אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ לְבַקֵּ֤שׁ מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ יְשָׁרָ֔ה לָ֥נוּ וּלְטַפֵּ֖נוּ וּלְכָל־רְכוּשֵֽׁנוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then I proclaimedקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call outH7121
• a fastצוֹםtsôm tsôm · fastH6685
• there, at the riverנָהָרnâhâr · riverH5104
• of Ahavaאַהֲוָא'ahăvâ' · AhavaH163
• that we might afflictעָנָה‛ânâh · to afflictH6031
• ourselves beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• our Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• to seekבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• of him a rightיָשָׁרyâshâr · uprightH3477
• wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
• for us, and for our little onesטַףţaph · childH2945
• and for all our substanceרְכוּשׁrekûsh rekûsh · propertyH7399

Cross-references for Ezra 8:21

• Judges 20:26Then the whole Israelite army went back to Bethel to meet with the Lord. They sat there and they wept. They did not eat any food that day until evening. They offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord.
• 1 Samuel 7:6So they all met together at Mizpah. They got water from a well and they poured it out for the Lord. They did not eat food that day. They prayed and they said, ‘We have done bad things against the Lord.’ Samuel became leader of the Israelite people at Mizpah.
• 2 Chronicles 20:3Jehoshaphat was afraid. So he decided to ask the Lord what he should do. He commanded all the people in Judah that they must fast.
• Joel 1:14Tell everyone that they must not eat any food. Tell the people that they must all come to hear the Lord. Speak to the older leaders, and all the people who live in this country. Tell them that they must all come. They must come to the house of the Lord your God and they must shout out to the Lord.
• Joel 2:12‘Even now,’ the Lord says, ‘return to me and put me first. Eat no food. Cry and be very sad.
• Jonah 3:5The people who lived in Nineveh believed God's message. They told everyone that they must not eat any food for several days. Everyone had to wear sackcloth to show that they were sorry. The most important people and the ordinary people all did that.
• Leviticus 16:29On the tenth day of the seventh month, Israel's people must not eat any food. This is a rule that you must obey for all time. The people who are travelling with them must not eat any food. None of them must do any work.
• Leviticus 23:29You must punish any person who eats any food on that day. Send them away from my people.
• Isaiah 58:3They say to me, “We have fasted to please you, but you do not see it. We make ourselves humble and you do not even look.” Listen to me! Yes you fast, but you do it to please yourselves. At the same time as you are fasting, you are being cruel to the people who work for you.
• Jeremiah 31:8See what I will do! I will bring them back from the land in the north. Wherever they are, I will bring them back. A great crowd of my people will return. Blind people will be among them, and people who cannot walk well. There will be pregnant women and some who will very soon give birth.
• Jeremiah 50:4The Lord says, ‘When that happens, the people of Israel and Judah will return to their land. They will weep because of their sins. They will want to worship the Lord their God.
• Psalms 5:8Lord, help me to follow your right way. My enemies are waiting to attack me. Show the right way clearly to me, so that I do not go the wrong way.
• Psalms 107:2Everyone that the Lord has rescued should tell others. Tell them how he has rescued you from the enemy's power.
• Psalms 143:8Every morning, help me to remember your faithful love, because I am trusting in you. Show me how I should live to please you, because I know that I belong to you.
• Proverbs 3:6Whatever you are doing, remember that the Lord is with you. Then he will show you the right way to go.
• Isaiah 30:21You will hear his voice behind you. When you turn off the path, to the right or to the left, it will say, ‘This is the right way. Walk in it.’

Commentaries on Ezra 8:21

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 21-23Verses 21-23 Ezra procured Levites to go with him; but what will that avail, unless he have God with him? Those who seek God, are safe under the shadow of his wings, even in their greatest dangers; but those who forsake him, are always exposed. When entering upon any new state of life, our care should be, to bring none of the guilt of the sins of our former condition into it. When we are in any peril, let us be at peace with God, and then nothing can do…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21a fast, so that we might humble ourselves: Ezra saw the need to ask God for protection, safety, and health for 5,000 people walking 800 miles. Robbers might hide in the hills, crossing rivers was dangerous, and people could get sick.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 21-3621. Then I proclaimed a fast there--The dangers to travelling caravans from the Bedouin Arabs that prowl through the desert were in ancient times as great as they still are; and it seems that travellers usually sought the protection of a military escort. But Ezra had spoken so much to the king of the sufficiency of the divine care of His people that he would have blushed to apply for a guard of soldiers. Therefore he resolved that his followers should, by…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezra 8:21

• Ahava
• Blessing
• Children
• Ezra
• Fasting
• Humiliation and Self-Affliction
• Prayer

In the dictionaries

• God
• Euphrates River, the River
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Ahava
• Ezra
• Fast
• Require
• Scribe
• Esdras, the First Book of
• Fast; Fasting

Commentaries on Ezra 8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings