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.
Then we left the Ahava River on the twelfth day of the first month to travel to Jerusalem. God's hand was with us, and He protected us from enemies and from those who were planning to attack us along the road.
The writer is describing how God protected Ezra and his group of Jewish exiles as they traveled from Babylon to Jerusalem, keeping them safe from enemies who wanted to harm them.
📚 Historical Context
This verse describes Ezra leading a group of Jewish exiles from Babylon back to Jerusalem around 458 BC, during the Persian Empire under King Artaxerxes. The journey was dangerous, covering about 900 miles through territory where bandits and hostile groups often attacked travelers. Ezra had refused the king's offer of military protection, trusting instead that God would keep them safe on their four-month journey.
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