Yǐsīlājì 8:21

21 Nàshí , wǒ zaì Yàhāwǎ hé bian xuāngào jìnshí , wéi yào zaì wǒmen shén miànqián kè kǔ jǐ xīn , qiú tā shǐ wǒmen hé fùrén háizi , bīng yīqiè suǒyǒude , dōu dé píngtǎn de dàolù .

Yǐsīlājì 8:21 Meaning and Commentary

Ezra 8:21

Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava
After the messengers to Iddo were returned with those they brought with them:

that we might afflict ourselves before our God;
humble themselves before him for their sins, confess them, and declare their repentance of them, and ask forgiveness for them:

to seek of him a right way for us;
to take from thence towards Jerusalem, to be directed by him in it: either by a prophet, or by a vision in a dream, as Eben Ezra; or rather by the guidance of his providence; this they sought in prayer by the river side, where it had been usual with them, and since has been, to perform religious exercises, see ( Ezekiel 1:1 ) ( 3:15 ) ( Acts 16:13 ) , hence Tertullian ^F26 calls the prayers of the Jews "orationes littorales"; they sought not so much which was the shortest and easiest way for them to travel in, as which was the safest:

and for our little ones and for all our substance;
for the safe conveyance of them; this shows, that though males only are numbered, as before, yet they had their wives and children with them; for little ones cannot be supposed without women to take care of them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 Ad nationes, l. 1. c. 13. Vid. lib. de jejuniis, c. 16.

Yǐsīlājì 8:21 In-Context

19 Yòu yǒu Hāshābǐyǎ , tóng zhe tā yǒu Mǐlālì de zǐsūn Yéshāiyà , bìng tāde zhòng zǐ hé dìxiōng gōng èr shí rén .

20 Cóng qián Dàwèi hé zhòng shǒulǐng paì ní tí níng fúshì Lìwèi rén , xiànzaì cóng zhè ní tí níng zhōng yĕ daì le èr bǎi èr shí rén lái , dōu shì àn míng zhǐ déng de .

21 Nàshí , wǒ zaì Yàhāwǎ hé bian xuāngào jìnshí , wéi yào zaì wǒmen shén miànqián kè kǔ jǐ xīn , qiú tā shǐ wǒmen hé fùrén háizi , bīng yīqiè suǒyǒude , dōu dé píngtǎn de dàolù .

22 Wǒ qiú wáng bō bù bīng mǎ bīng bāngzhu wǒmen dǐdǎng lù shang de chóudí , bĕn yǐwéi xiūchǐ . yīn wǒ céng duì wáng shuō , wǒmen shén shī ēn de shǒu bì bāngzhu yīqiè xúnqiú tāde . dàn tāde nénglì hé fèn nù , bì gōngjī yīqiè lí qì tāde .

23 Suǒyǐ wǒmen jìnshí qíqiú wǒmen de shén , tā jiù yīngyún le wǒmen .