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

19and Hashabiah and Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his brothers and their sons, 20 men; 20and 220 of the temple servants, whom David and the princes had given for the service of the Levites, all of them designated by name. Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions. 22For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to protect us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, “The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsake Him.” 23So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our entreaty.

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

• Then I proclaimedקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call outH7121
• a fastצוֹםtsôm tsôm · fastH6685
• thereשָׁםshâm · thereH8033
• the riverנָהָרnâhâr · riverH5104
• of Ahavaאַהֲוָא'ahăvâ' · AhavaH163
• humbleעָנָה‛ânâh · to afflictH6031
• ourselves beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• our Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• to seekבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• safeיָשָׁרyâshâr · uprightH3477
• journeyדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
• for us, our littleטַףţaph · childH2945
• and allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• our possessionsרְכוּשׁrekûsh rekûsh · propertyH7399

Cross-references for Ezra 8:21

• Judges 20:26Then all the sons of Israel and all the people went up and came to Bethel and wept; thus they remained there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening. And they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.
• 1 Samuel 7:6They gathered to Mizpah, and drew water and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the sons of Israel at Mizpah.
• 2 Chronicles 20:3Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
• Joel 1:14Consecrate a fast, Proclaim a solemn assembly; Gather the elders And all the inhabitants of the land To the house of the Lord your God, And cry out to the Lord.
• Joel 2:12“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping and mourning;
• Jonah 3:5Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them.
• Leviticus 16:29“This shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls and not do any work, whether the native, or the alien who sojourns among you;
• Leviticus 23:29If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people.
• Isaiah 58:3‘Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’ Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, And drive hard all your workers.
• Jeremiah 31:8Behold, I am bringing them from the north country, And I will gather them from the remote parts of the earth, Among them the blind and the lame, The woman with child and she who is in labor with child, together; A great company, they will return here.
• Jeremiah 50:4“In those days and at that time,” declares the Lord, “the sons of Israel will come, both they and the sons of Judah as well; they will go along weeping as they go, and it will be the Lord their God they will seek.
• Psalms 5:8O Lord, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes; Make Your way straight before me.
• Psalms 107:2Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary
• Psalms 143:8Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; For I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk; For to You I lift up my soul.
• Proverbs 3:6In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.
• Isaiah 30:21Your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.

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
• Ahava
• Ezra
• Fast
• Require
• Scribe
• Esdras, the First Book of
• Right
• Substance

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