The Meaning of Ezra 8:31 Explained

Ezra 8:31

KJV: Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto 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.

YLT: And we journey from the river Ahava, on the twelfth of the first month, to go to Jerusalem, and the hand of our God hath been upon us, and He delivereth us from the hand of the enemy and the lier in wait by the way;

Darby: 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.

ASV: Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the lier-in-wait by the way.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then we departed  from the river  of Ahava  on the twelfth  [day] of the first  month,  to go  unto 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. 

What does Ezra 8:31 Mean?

Study Notes

first month
i.e. April.

Context Summary

Ezra 8:24-36 - Thanksgiving For Safety And Success
Into our hands also is committed first the rich treasure and solemn trust of our own souls, and next the great deposit of the gospel; 1 Timothy 1:11; 1 Timothy 6:20. In order to fulfil this sacred charge there must be purity, "Ye are holy;" and sleepless vigilance, "Watch ye." There were ambushes and designs on their safety, but the foe was unable to break through the divine environment, Ezra 8:31. How safe are we who live in God! What joy as the little band weighed the vessels, and rendered up their charge, Luke 19:16. Is not this a picture of our entrance into heaven, when we also shall acknowledge the good hand of the Lord, and sacrifice our burnt offerings of thanksgiving? This incident is no exception. Similar care will be surely and blessedly experienced by all those who trust under the shadow of God's wing. It is credibly affirmed that, in the American Civil War, none of the Quakers, who of course were non-resisters, suffered any damage from the troops of either side. "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them." Let those who fast and pray for God's help be sure to return Him thanks when it has been given. [source]

Chapter Summary: Ezra 8

1  The companions of Ezra, who returned from Babylon
15  He sends to Iddo for ministers for the temple
21  He keeps a fast
24  He commits the treasures to the custody of the priests
31  From Ahava they come to Jerusalem
33  The treasure is weighed in the temple
36  The commission is delivered

What do the individual words in Ezra 8:31 mean?

And we departed from the river Ahava on two and ten [day] of the month first to go to Jerusalem and the hand of our God was upon us and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the road
וַֽנִּסְעָ֞ה מִנְּהַ֣ר אַֽהֲוָ֗א בִּשְׁנֵ֤ים עָשָׂר֙ לַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָרִאשׁ֔וֹן לָלֶ֖כֶת יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְיַד־ אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ הָיְתָ֣ה עָלֵ֔ינוּ וַיַּ֨צִּילֵ֔נוּ מִכַּ֥ף אוֹיֵ֛ב וְאוֹרֵ֖ב עַל־ הַדָּֽרֶךְ

וַֽנִּסְעָ֞ה  And  we  departed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common plural, third person feminine singular
Root: נָסַע  
Sense: to pull out, pull up, set out, journey, remove, set forward, depart.
מִנְּהַ֣ר  from  the  river 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נָהָר  
Sense: stream, river.
אַֽהֲוָ֗א  Ahava 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַהֲוָא  
Sense: town or area in Babylonia.
בִּשְׁנֵ֤ים  on  two 
Parse: Preposition-b, Number, md
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
עָשָׂר֙  and  ten  [day] 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂר 
Sense: ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers).
לַחֹ֣דֶשׁ  of  the  month 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: the new moon, month, monthly.
הָרִאשׁ֔וֹן  first 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רִאשֹׁון  
Sense: first, primary, former.
לָלֶ֖כֶת  to  go 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם  to  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
וְיַד־  and  the  hand 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙  of  our  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
עָלֵ֔ינוּ  upon  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
וַיַּ֨צִּילֵ֔נוּ  and  He  delivered  us 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common plural
Root: נָצַל  
Sense: to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder.
מִכַּ֥ף  from  the  hand 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: כַּף  
Sense: palm, hand, sole, palm of the hand, hollow or flat of the hand.
אוֹיֵ֛ב  of  the  enemy 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
וְאוֹרֵ֖ב  and  from  ambush 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אָרַב  
Sense: to lie in wait, ambush, lurk.
עַל־  along 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַדָּֽרֶךְ  the  road 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.