31 And we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth of the first month, to go to Jerusalem; and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way.
And I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way; for we had spoken to the king saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his anger is against all them that forsake him.
-- Fear not, for I [am] with thee; be not dismayed, for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Lo, all that are incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded; they that strive with thee shall be as nothing, and shall perish. Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them -- them that contend with thee; they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. For I, Jehovah, thy God, hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith Jehovah, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
He will deliver thee in six troubles, and in seven there shall no evil touch thee. In famine he will redeem thee from death, and in war from the power of the sword. Thou shalt be hidden from the scourge of the tongue; and thou shalt not be afraid of destruction when it cometh. At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh, and of the beasts of the earth thou shalt not be afraid. For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee. And thou shalt know that thy tent is in peace; and thou wilt survey thy fold, and miss nothing.
Because *thou* hast made Jehovah, my refuge, the Most High, thy dwelling-place, There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent. For he shall give his angels charge concerning thee, to keep thee in all thy ways: They shall bear thee up in [their] hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and the adder; the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under foot. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ezra 8
Commentary on Ezra 8 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 8
This chapter gives us a more particular narrative of Ezra's journey to Jerusalem, of which we had a general account in the foregoing chapter
Ezr 8:1-20
Ezra, having received his commission from the king, beats up for volunteers, as it were, sets up an ensign to assemble the outcasts of Israel and the dispersed of Judah, Isa. 11:12. "Whoever of the sons of Sion, that swell with the daughters of Babylon, is disposed to go to Jerusalem, now that the temple there is finished and the temple-service set a-going, now is their time.' Now one would think that under such a leader, with such encouragements, all the Jews should at length have shaken themselves from their dust, and loosed the bands of their neck, according to that call, Isa. 52:1, 2, etc. I wonder how any of them could read that chapter and yet stay behind. But multitudes did. They loved their ease better than their religion, thought themselves well off where they were, and either believed not that Jerusalem would better their condition or durst not go thither through any difficulties. But here we are told,
Ezr 8:21-23
Ezra has procured Levites to go along with him; but what will that avail, unless he have God with him? That is therefore his chief care. In all our ways we must acknowledge God, and in those particularly wherein we are endeavouring to serve the interest of his kingdom among men. Ezra does so here. Observe,
Ezr 8:24-30
We have here an account of the particular care which Ezra took of the treasure he had with him, that belonged to God's sanctuary, Observe,
Ezr 8:31-36
We are now to attend Ezra to Jerusalem, a journey of about four months in all; but his multitude made his marches slow and his stages short. Now here we are told,