Ezra 8:21

I proclaimed a fast. Fasting was usually symbolic of repentance, and often accompanied a disaster that had occurred or was expected. In this case, however, it was held in connection with prayer for a safe journey. The great responsibility of bringing these thousands of people safely to Judea rested heavily on Ezra, as verses 21 and 22 indicate. The urgent need of the expedition for divine protection on the way was especially real to the members of the caravan, because Ezra, who desired to convince the king of the power of the true God, either had not asked for an armed escort or had declined to accept one (v. 22). Nehemiah, however, had no scruples about traveling with an escort (Neh. 2:9), which was no unnecessary luxury on so dangerous a journey through long stretches of sparsely populated territory. Ezra was fully aware of the existing dangers that confronted a group of unarmed exiles and their great quantity of treasure. Knowing that they needed divine protection more than anything else, but knowing also that God’s presence would be assured only if no sin stood between the people and their God, he ordered them to fast and “afflict” (humble) themselves, meaning that they should search their lives and remove every known sin before setting forward on their way to Judea.

Our little ones. This shows that in Ezra’s time all the men were accompanied by their families, while in Zerubbabel’s time most families had remained behind for a time (see on Ezra 2:64).