Ezra 8:31

31 We broke camp at the Ahava Canal on April 19 and started off to Jerusalem. And the gracious hand of our God protected us and saved us from enemies and bandits along the way.

Ezra 8:31 Meaning and Commentary

Ezra 8:31

Then we departed from the river of Ahava, on the twelfth day
of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem
The month Nisan, answering to part of March and part of April; this was two days before the passover began:

and the hand of our God was upon us;
guiding, directing, and protecting them by his providence:

and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in
wait by the way;
either by intimidating them, that they dared not attack them, or by directing them to take a different road, whereby they escaped them, see ( Ezra 8:22 ) .

Ezra 8:31 In-Context

29 Guard these treasures well until you present them to the leading priests, the Levites, and the leaders of Israel, who will weigh them at the storerooms of the LORD ’s Temple in Jerusalem.”

30 So the priests and the Levites accepted the task of transporting these treasures of silver and gold to the Temple of our God in Jerusalem.

31 We broke camp at the Ahava Canal on April 19 and started off to Jerusalem. And the gracious hand of our God protected us and saved us from enemies and bandits along the way.

32 So we arrived safely in Jerusalem, where we rested for three days.

33 On the fourth day after our arrival, the silver, gold, and other valuables were weighed at the Temple of our God and entrusted to Meremoth son of Uriah the priest and to Eleazar son of Phinehas, along with Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui—both of whom were Levites.

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew on the twelfth day of the first month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This day was April 19, 458 ; also see note on 6:15 .