Bible Verses

Ezra · Chapter 8 · Faith

Ezra 8:22 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context

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Read in chapter context · Ezra 8

Both translations, side by side

WEB · World English Bible

"For 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.”"

KJV · King James Version

"For I was ashamed954 to require7592 of the king4428 a band of soldiers2428 and horsemen6571 to help5826 us against the enemy341 in the way1870: because we had spoken559 unto the king4428, saying559, The hand3027 of our God430 is upon all them for good2896 that seek1245 him; but his power5797 and his wrath639 is against all them that forsake5800 him."

How the translations differ: The WEB is a modern public-domain revision of the 1901 ASV; the KJV dates to 1611. The KJV uses require, unto, upon, them, while the WEB renders these as ask, those, who. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.

In context

Ezra 8:22 in Ezra 8

A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is Ezra 8:22 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of Ezra 8. Read the full chapter →

  1. v.20 and of the temple servants, whom David and the princes had given for the service of the Levites, two hundred twenty temple servants. All of them were mentioned by name.
  2. v.21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a straight way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our possessions.
  3. v.22 For 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.”
  4. v.23 So we fasted and begged our God for this: and he granted our request.
  5. v.24 Then I set apart twelve of the chiefs of the priests, even Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers with them,

Book background

About the Book of Ezra

Testament
Old Testament
Genre
Historical narrative
Author
Ezra (traditional)
Date written
c. 440 BC
Audience
Post-exile Jews in Judah
Chapters
10

Ezra records the return of Jewish exiles from Babylon under Zerubbabel and the rebuilding of the temple, followed by Ezra's own arrival as a scribe to teach the Law. The book stresses faithfulness to Scripture and the painful work of reform — including the separation from foreign marriages that compromised covenant identity.

Setting: The first two waves of return from Babylon, 538 BC and 458 BC.

Key themes: return · rebuilding · scripture · reform · separation

Read Ezra from the beginning →

Memorisation aid

How to memorise Ezra 8:22

Ezra 8:22 contains 59 words in 6 clauses. Learn one clause at a time, then chain them. The first-letter mnemonic (FLM) under each clause is a memory hook — once you can speak the FLM from memory, the full clause follows.

  1. 1

    For I was ashamed to ask of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the way

    FIWATA

  2. 2

    because we had spoken to the king

    BWHSTT

  3. 3

    saying

    S

  4. 4

    “The hand of our God is on all those who seek him

    THOOGI

  5. 5

    for good

    FG

  6. 6

    but his power and his wrath is against all those who forsake him.”

    BHPAHW

Frequently asked

FAQ about Ezra 8:22

What does Ezra 8:22 say?

Ezra 8:22 reads: "For 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.”" — from the Old Testament, Ezra (Historical narrative). The full verse is shown above with both the World English Bible (WEB) and King James Version (KJV) translations side by side.

What book of the Bible is Ezra 8:22 in?

Ezra 8:22 is in the book of Ezra, traditionally attributed to Ezra (traditional) and written around c. 440 BC. Ezra is historical narrative in the Old Testament, originally addressed to Post-exile Jews in Judah. Best known for rebuilding the temple after the exile.

What is Ezra 8:22 about?

Ezra 8:22 is primarily a Bible verse about Faith. Within Ezra, Ezra records the return of Jewish exiles from Babylon under Zerubbabel and the rebuilding of the temple, followed by Ezra's own arrival as a scribe to teach the Law. Read the full passage above with surrounding context.

What is the difference between Ezra 8:22 in WEB and KJV?

Ezra 8:22 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "For 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.”". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "For I was ashamed954 to require7592 of the king4428 a band of soldiers2428 and horsemen6571 to help5826 us against the enemy341 in the way1870: because we had spoken559 unto the king4428, saying559, The hand3027 of our God430 is upon all them for good2896 that seek1245 him; but his power5797 and his wrath639 is against all them that forsake5800 him.". The WEB is a modern public-domain translation that updates the KJV's 1611 English while keeping a similar formal-equivalence style. Both render the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text.

How long is Ezra 8:22?

Ezra 8:22 is 59 words in the WEB translation (280 characters), broken into 6 clauses. It is a longer verse, often broken into smaller phrases for memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 18 seconds.

How can I memorise Ezra 8:22?

To memorise Ezra 8:22, split it into its 6 natural clauses and learn one at a time. Repeat the full verse out loud five times, then write it from memory. Saving the verse as a photo wallpaper using our verse image studio helps daily review — the visual association with a memorable background dramatically improves recall.

Why does Ezra 8:22 matter in Ezra?

Ezra records the return of Jewish exiles from Babylon under Zerubbabel and the rebuilding of the temple, followed by Ezra's own arrival as a scribe to teach the Law. The book stresses faithfulness to Scripture and the painful work of reform — including the separation from foreign marriages that compromised covenant identity. Ezra 8:22 sits within this larger story — Ezra as a whole emphasises return, rebuilding, scripture.

How can I apply Ezra 8:22 today?

Many readers use Ezra 8:22 as a daily reminder verse — saving it as a phone wallpaper, sharing it on Pinterest, or memorising it for prayer. The verse studio on this page lets you download Ezra 8:22 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.