John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 8:31
Then we departed from the river of Ahava, on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem ,.... The month Nisan, answering to part of March and part of April; this was two days before the passover began: and the hand of our God was upon us ; guiding, directing, and protecting them by his providence: and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way ; either by intimidating them, that they dared not attack them, or by directing them to... read more
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezra 8:31-36
We are now to attend Ezra to Jerusalem, a journey of about four months in all; but his multitude made his marches slow and his stages short. Now here we are told, I. That his God was good, and he acknowledged his goodness: The hand of our God was upon us, to animate us for our undertaking. To him they owed it, 1. That they were preserved in their journey, and not all cut off; for there were enemies that laid wait for them by the way to do them a mischief, or at least, like Amalek, to smite the... read more