Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.
Then Ezra got up from in front of God's house and went to the room of Johanan, the son of Eliashib. When he arrived there, he wouldn't eat any food or drink any water because he was grieving over the sins of those who had returned from exile.
Ezra was so heartbroken over his people's disobedience to God that he couldn't even eat or drink.
📚 Historical Context
This takes place after the Jewish exiles had returned from Babylon to Jerusalem and were rebuilding their community. Ezra had just discovered that many Jewish men, including leaders, had married foreign women, which violated God's law and threatened the spiritual purity of the restored nation. Johanan was likely a priest or temple official, and his chamber would have been in the temple complex.
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