Ezra 8 · Verse 22

Ezra 8:22

For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.
Ezra 8:22, King James Version

Ezra 8:22 in other translations

BSBFor I was ashamed to ask the king for an escort of soldiers and horsemen to protect us from our enemies on the road, since we had told him, “The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek Him, but His great anger is against all who forsake Him.”
WEBFor I was ashamed to ask of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the way, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is on all those who seek him, for good; but his power and his wrath is against all those who forsake him.”
ASVFor I was ashamed to ask of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way, because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them that seek him, for good; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.
YLTfor I was ashamed to ask from the king a force and horsemen to help us because of the enemy in the way, for we spake to the king, saying, ‘The hand of our God is upon all seeking Him for good, and His strength and His wrath is upon all forsaking Him.'
DARBYFor I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way; for we had spoken to the king saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his anger is against all them that forsake him.
BBEFor I would not, for shame, make request to the king for a band of armed men and horsemen to give us help against those who might make attacks on us on the way: for we had said to the king, The hand of our God is on his servants for good, but his power and his wrath are against all those who are turned away from him.
WebsterFor I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken to the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.

What does Ezra 8:22 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 22 I was ashamed to require - a band - He had represented God, the object of his worship, as supremely powerful, and as having the strongest affection for his true followers: he could not, therefore, consistently with his declarations, ask a band of soldiers from the king to protect them on the way, when they were going expressly to rebuild the temple of Jehovah, and restore his worship. He therefore found it necessary to seek the Lord by fasting and prayer, that they might have from Him those succours without which they might become a prey to their enemies; and then the religion which they professed would be considered by the heathen as false and vain. Thus we see that this good man had more anxiety for the glory of God than for his own personal safety.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ezra 8:21-23

Ezra procured Levites to go with him; but what will that avail, unless he have God with him? Those who seek God, are safe under the shadow of his wings, even in their greatest dangers; but those who forsake him, are always exposed. When entering upon any new state of life, our care should be, to bring none of the guilt of the sins of our former condition into it. When we are in any peril, let us be at peace with…

Read the full comment on Ezra 8:21-23 →

Ezra 8:22 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

כִּ֣יkiforH3588
בֹ֗שְׁתִּיVo.she.tiI was ashamedH954
לִשְׁא֤וֹלlish.'olto askH7592
מִן\־min-fromH4480
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
חַ֣יִלCha.yilan escortH2428
וּפָרָשִׁ֔יםu.fa.ra.Shimand horsemenH6571
לְעָזְרֵ֥נוּle.'a.ze.Re.nuto help usH5826
מֵאוֹיֵ֖בme.'o.Yevfrom an enemyH341
בַּדָּ֑רֶךְba.Da.rekhon the journeyH1870
כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
אָמַ֨רְנוּ'a.Mar.nuwe had saidH559
לַמֶּ֜לֶךְla.Me.lekhto the kingH4428
לֵאמֹ֗רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
יַד\־yad-[the] hand ofH3027
אֱלֹהֵ֤ינוּ'e.lo.Hei.nuGod ourH430
עַל\־'al-[is] onH5921
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
מְבַקְשָׁיו֙me.vak.Shav[those who] seek himH1245
לְטוֹבָ֔הle.to.Vahfor goodH2896
וְעֻזּ֣וֹve.'u.Zoand strength hisH5797
וְאַפּ֔וֹve.'a.Poand anger hisH639
עַ֖ל'al[are] towardsH5921
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
עֹזְבָֽיו\׃'o.ze.Vav[those who] forsake himH5800

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ezra 8:22

  • 1 Peter 3:12

    For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

  • Psalms 33:18-19

    Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

  • 2 Chronicles 16:9

    For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

  • Psalms 34:15-16

    The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

  • Lamentations 3:25

    The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

  • 2 Chronicles 15:2

    And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.

  • Psalms 34:22

    The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

  • Romans 8:28

    And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

  • 1 Chronicles 28:9

    And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

  • Hebrews 10:38

    Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

  • Ezra 7:6

    This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him.

  • Ezra 7:28

    And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I was ashamed.
1Co 9:15; 2Co 7:14
The hand.
7:6,9,28; 1Ch 28:9; 2Ch 16:9; Ps 33:18,19; 34:15,22; Isa 3:10,11
La 3:25; Ro 8:28; 1Pe 3:12
his power and his wrath.
Jos 23:16; 2Ch 15:2; Ps 21:8,9; 34:16; 90:11; Zep 1:2-6; Heb 10:38
1Pe 3:12

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Ezra 8:21

    Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

  • Ezra 8:22

    For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.

  • Ezra 8:23

    So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.

Read all of Ezra 8

Ezra 8:22 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque tuve vergüenza de pedir al rey tropa y gente de á caballo que nos defendiesen del enemigo en el camino: porque habíamos hablado al rey, diciendo: La mano de nuestro Dios es para bien sobre todos los que le buscan; mas su fortaleza y su furor sobre todos los que le dejan.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Car j’avais honte de demander au roi des forces et de la cavalerie pour nous aider en chemin contre l’ennemi; car nous avions parlé au roi, en disant: La main de notre Dieu est en bien sur tous ceux qui le cherchent; et sa force et sa colère sont contre tous ceux qui l’abandonnent.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Denn ich schämte mich, von dem König eine Heeresmacht und Reiter zu fordern, um uns gegen den Feind auf dem Wege beizustehen; denn wir hatten zu dem König gesprochen und gesagt: Die Hand unseres Gottes ist über allen, die ihn suchen, zum Guten; aber seine Macht und sein Zorn sind gegen alle, die ihn verlassen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Erubui enim petere a rege auxilium et equites, qui defenderent nos ab inimico in via: quia dixeramus regi: Manus Dei nostri est super omnes qui quærunt eum in bonitate: et imperium ejus, et fortitudo ejus, et furor, super omnes qui derelinquunt eum.