Ezra 8:21

There alongside the Ahava Canal, I told them that we all would ◄fast/abstain from eating food► and pray. I also told them that we should humble ourselves in the presence of our God. We prayed that God would protect us while we traveled, and also protect our children and our possessions/belongings.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

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.

In Context

20They also sent 220 other men to work in the temple. Those men’s ancestors had been appointed by King David to assist the descendants of Levi who helped the priests in the temple. I listed/wrote the names of all those men.

22Previously we had told the king that our God takes care of all those who truly trust in him, but that he becomes very angry with those who refuse to obey him. So I would have been ashamed if I had asked the king to send soldiers and men riding on horses to protect us from our enemies while we were traveling along the road.

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Cross References

Leviticus 16:31That will be a day for you to rest and not do any work, like the Sabbath days, and you must ◄fast/abstain from eating food► all that day. That is a permanent command/law for you all to obey.

Numbers 14:3Why is Yahweh bringing us to this land, where we men will be killed with swords? And our wives and children will be taken away to be slaves. Instead of going to Canaan. It would be better for us to return to Egypt!”

Judges 20:26In the afternoon, all the people of Israel who had not been killed again went to Bethel. There they sat down and cried to Yahweh, and they ◄fasted/abstained from eating food► until it was evening. They brought some offerings which they burned completely on the altar, and they also brought some offerings to maintain fellowship with Yahweh.

2 Chronicles 20:3Jehoshaphat became very afraid, so he decided to ask Yahweh what he should do. He also proclaimed that all the people of Judah should fast.

Ezra 8:15I gathered all of them together at the canal that goes from Babylon to Ahava town. We set up our tents there and stayed there for three days. During that time I checked the lists of names and found out that there were priests going with us, but no other descendants of Levi who could help them in the temple.

Nehemiah 9:1On October 31, the people gathered together again. They ◄fasted/abstained from eating food►, they wore clothes made from rough cloth, and they put dirt on their heads to show that they were sorry for their sins.

Matthew Henry on Ezra 8:2-21

The Journey of Ezra and Others. ( b. c. 457.) 1 These are now the chief of their fathers, and this is the genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king. 2 Of the sons of Phinehas; Gershom: of the sons of Ithamar; Daniel: of the sons of David; Hattush. 3 Of the sons of Shechaniah, of the sons of Pharosh; Zechariah: and with him were reckoned by genealogy of the males a hundred and fifty. 4 Of the sons of Pahath-moab; Elihoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred… Read the whole commentary →

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