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, along with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, with his brothers and their sons, 20 men, 20and some of the temple servants that David and his officials had established for the work of the Levites – 220 of them. They were all designated by name. I called for a fast there by the Ahava Canal, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and seek from him a safe journey for us, our children, and all our property. 22I was embarrassed to request soldiers and horsemen from the king to protect us from the enemy along the way, because we had said to the king, “The good hand of our God is on everyone who is seeking him, but his great anger is against everyone who forsakes him.” 23So we fasted and prayed to our God about this, and he answered us.

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 20:26So all the Israelites, the whole army, went up to Bethel. They wept and sat there before the Lord; they did not eat anything that day until evening. They offered up burnt sacrifices and tokens of peace to the Lord.
• 1 Samuel 7:6After they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. They fasted on that day, and they confessed there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” So Samuel led the people of Israel at Mizpah.
• 2 Chronicles 20:3Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he decided to seek the Lord’s advice. He decreed that all Judah should observe a fast.
• Joel 1:14Announce a holy fast; proclaim a sacred assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the temple of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.
• Joel 2:12“Yet even now,” the Lord says, “return to me with all your heart – with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Tear your hearts, not just your garments!”
• Jonah 3:5The people of Nineveh believed in God, and they declared a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.
• Leviticus 16:29“This is to be a perpetual statute for you. In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you must humble yourselves and do no work of any kind, both the native citizen and the foreigner who resides in your midst,
• Leviticus 23:29Indeed, any person who does not behave with humility on this particular day will be cut off from his people.
• Isaiah 58:3They lament, ‘Why don’t you notice when we fast? Why don’t you pay attention when we humble ourselves?’ Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires, you oppress your workers.
• Jeremiah 31:8Then I will reply, ‘I will bring them back from the land of the north. I will gather them in from the distant parts of the earth. Blind and lame people will come with them, so will pregnant women and women about to give birth. A vast throng of people will come back here.
• Jeremiah 50:4“When that time comes,” says the Lord, “the people of Israel and Judah will return to the land together. They will come back with tears of repentance as they seek the Lord their God.
• Psalms 5:8Lord, lead me in your righteousness because of those who wait to ambush me, remove the obstacles in the way in which you are guiding me!
• Psalms 107:2Let those delivered by the Lord speak out, those whom he delivered from the power of the enemy,
• Psalms 143:8May I hear about your loyal love in the morning, for I trust in you. Show me the way I should go, because I long for you.
• Proverbs 3:6Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight.
• Isaiah 30:21You will hear a word spoken behind you, saying, “This is the correct way, walk in it,” whether you are heading to the right or 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
• 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