Ezra 8:31
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 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.
The departure from the river of Ahava for Jerusalem took place on the twelfth day of the first month. That setting out came after a few days spent at the river completing every provision for the journey. The hand of God was upon the travelers, delivering them from the hand of the enemy and from those lying in wait by the way. They made that journey unprotected by any human power.
Their enemies were restrained from harming them, so the journey was prosperous. The journey took about four months. Progress was slow because the company numbered several thousand, including women and children. They reached Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month in the seventh year of Artaxerxes. All were preserved in safety on the return.
The journey from Babylon to Jerusalem took place in the providence of God, and those who returned had special seasons of seeking the Lord. Being delivered by the way taught them rich spiritual lessons, and many grew strong in faith. When they mingled in Jerusalem with the discouraged and the indifferent, their influence was a powerful factor in the reform soon afterward instituted. The same protective care still delivers God's people from danger, as when Mary and the others in a carriage were preserved by an angel from sorrow and lifelong affliction, giving cause to praise God.