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Ezra Chapter
Seven
New King James Version (NKJV)
Ezra 7:1 Now after these
things
in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia
Ezra the son of Seraiah
the
son of Azariah
the son of Hilkiah
YLT And after these things
in the reign of
Artaxerxes king of Persia
Ezra son of Seraiah
son of Azariah
son of Hilkiah
Now after these things
The finishing of the temple
Ezra 7:2 the
son of Shallum
the son of Zadok
the son of Ahitub
YLT son of Shallum
son of Zadok
son of Ahitub
Ezra 7:3 the
son of Amariah
the son of Azariah
the son of Meraioth
YLT son of Amariah
son of Azariah
son of
Meraioth
Ezra 7:4 the
son of Zerahiah
the son of Uzzi
the son of Bukki
YLT son of Zerahiah
son of Uzzi
son of Bukki
Ezra 7:5 the
son of Abishua
the son of Phinehas
the son of Eleazar
the son of Aaron the
chief priest—
YLT son of Abishua
son of Phinehas
son of
Eleazar
son of Aaron the head priest;
Ezra 7:6 this
Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of
Moses
which the Lord
God of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request
according to the
hand of the Lord
his God upon him.
YLT Ezra himself hath come
up from Babylon
and he [is] a scribe ready in the law of Moses
that Jehovah
God of Israel gave
and the king giveth to him -- according to the hand of
Jehovah his God upon him -- all his request.
This Ezra went up from Babylon
A second time; for that he went up with Zerubbabel is clear from ( Nehemiah 12:1 )
and is plainly intimated
( Ezra
5:4 )
and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses
which the Lord God
of Israel had given;
the meaning is
not that he had a quick hand in writing out copies of it
but
was well versed in the knowledge of it; had studied it thoroughly
well
instructed in it
and was abundantly qualified to teach it others; he was an
eminent doctor of the law; so scribes
in the New Testament
who are the same
with the lawyers
were such as were teachers of the law; the word here used in
the Arabic language signifies to be expert
as Jarchi F15 learned from one of their doctors:
and the king granted him all his request
according to the hand of
the Lord his God upon him;
either upon Ezra
giving him favour with the king
and so success and
prosperity; or it may denote the divine influence of the God of Ezra upon the
heart of the king
moving him to grant what he asked of him
even everything he
desired: he seems to have been sent upon an embassy to the king from the chief
men at Jerusalem; perhaps the governors of Syria had not so fully made the
disbursements the king in his decree had required them to make
since the
following commission chiefly respects such things; and he was sent on that
errand to acquaint the king with it
as well as to persuade those that remained
to return
and to obtain leave for it.
FOOTNOTES:
F15 Comment. in Psal. xlv. 1. "acutus ingenio et solers fuit"
Golius
col. 2272. "in re exercitatus fuit et excultus"
Castel. col.
2008. Ethiop. "docuit
erudivit"
ib. col. 2007.
Ezra 7:7 Some of the children of
Israel
the priests
the Levites
the singers
the gatekeepers
and the
Nethinim came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
YLT And there go up of the
sons of Israel
and of the priests
and the Levites
and the singers
and the
gatekeepers
and the Nethinim
unto Jerusalem
in the seventh year of
Artaxerxes the king.
And there went up some of the children of Israel
Perhaps some of the ten tribes
as well as others of the tribes of Judah and
Benjamin; who
notwithstanding the edict of Cyrus
chose to remain in Babylon
and in the countries of it
until they saw how things would go in Judea; and
hearing that the temple was finished
and that those that had returned had
built them houses in their several cities
and prospered
thought fit to return
also:
and of the priests
and the Levites
and the singers
and the
porters
and the Nethinims
unto Jerusalem;
to take their places
and execute their offices in the temple now built; for of
the Levites especially
some of which were singers
and others porters
and of
the Nethinims
there were but few that went up with Zerubbabel: now this
journey of theirs was taken
in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king;
that is
of Darius Artaxerxes
and this was the year after the temple was
finished: though it is thought by many learned men
and not without some show
of reason
that Artaxerxes Longimanus is meant.
Ezra 7:8 And
Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month
which was in the seventh year
of the king.
YLT And he cometh in to
Jerusalem in the fifth month
that [is in] the seventh year of the king
And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month
With the above company; this was the month Abib
answering to part of July and
part of August: which was in the seventh year of the king; as in the preceding
verse.
Ezra 7:9 On
the first day of the first month he began his journey from
Babylon
and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem
according to the good hand of his God upon him.
YLT for on the first of the month he hath founded
the ascent from Babylon
and on the first of the fifth month he hath come in
unto Jerusalem
according to the good hand of his God upon him
For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from
Babylon
The month Nisan
answering to part of March and part of April; this was New
Year's day:
and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem;
the first of the month Ab
as in the preceding verse; so that he was just four
months on his journey:
according to the good hand of his God upon him;
his power and providence
which gave him and his company health and strength
supplied them with everything necessary
directed
protected
and defended
them
and brought them in safety to their journey's end.
Ezra 7:10 For
Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord
and to do it
and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.
YLT for Ezra hath prepared his heart to seek the
law of Jehovah
and to do
and to teach in Israel statute and judgment.
For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord
To attain to the knowledge of it
that he might be master of it
and expert in
it
and know what was not to be done
and what to be done; he had set his heart
upon this
bent his studies this way
and taken a great deal of pains in
searching into it
in reading of it
and meditating on it;
and to do it;
he was not only concerned to get the theory of it
but to put it in practice
to exercise himself in it
that it might be habitual to him; and the rather
as
his view and intentions were not merely for the sake of himself
but
to teach in Israel statutes and judgments:
and therefore it was not only necessary that he should have a large and
competent knowledge of the laws
moral
ceremonial
and civil
but that he
should act according to them himself
that so by his example
as well as by his
instructions
he might teach the people.
Ezra 7:11 This is
a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra the priest
the scribe
expert in the words of the commandments of the Lord
and of His
statutes to Israel:
YLT And this [is] a copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave
to Ezra the priest
the scribe
a scribe of the words of the commands of
Jehovah
and of His statutes on Israel:
Now this is the copy of the letter that the King Artaxerxes gave
unto Ezra the priest
This title relating to his office is justly given him
since he was the son of
an high priest
and lineally descended from Aaron
as the above account of his
pedigree shows:
the scribe
even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the
Lord
and of his statutes to Israel;
the doubling of the word "scribe" shows that he was very wise and
learned in the law
in the commandments and statutes of it the Lord gave to
Israel; not only in the language of it in which it was written
but in the
matter and substance of it
in the things contained in it; for (yrbd) "dibre"
signfiies "things" as well as words.
Ezra
7:12 Artaxerxes
[a] king of
kings
To Ezra the
priest
a scribe of the Law of the God of heaven: Perfect peace
and
so forth.[b]
YLT `Artaxerxes
king of kings
to Ezra the priest
a perfect scribe
of the law of the God of heaven
and at such a time:
Artaxerxes
king of kings
Having many kings and kingdoms subject and tributary to him; for this was not
merely a proud haughty title which the eastern kings F16 assumed
particularly the Persians;
for after Cyrus they were so in fact
who took this title also
and had it put
on his sepulchral monument
``Here I lie
Cyrus
king of kings F17;''
this title was
given to Grecian kings
particularly Agamemnon is called king of kings F18
he being general at the siege of
Troy
under whom the rest of the kings fought; if this was Darius Hystaspis
of
him Cyrus dreamed that he had wings on his shoulders
with one he covered Asia
and with the other Europe F19:
unto Ezra the priest
a scribe of the law of the God of heaven;
of which titles see ( Ezra 7:11 ) :
perfect [peace]
and at such a time;
the word "perfect" belongs to Ezra's title as a scribe
signifying
that he was a most learned and complete scribe or teacher of the law of God;
"peace" is not in the text
and the phrase "at such a time"
respects the date of the letter
though not expressed
or is only an "et
cetera"
(See Gill on Ezra 4:10).
FOOTNOTES:
F16 See the Universal History
vol. 5. p. 16
137. & vol. 11. p. 7
8. margin
& p. 66.
F17 Strabo
Geograph. l. 15. p. 502.
F18 Vell. Patercul. Hist. Roman. l. 1. in initio.
F19 Herodot. Clio
sive
l. 1. c. 209.
Ezra
7:13 I
issue a decree that all those of the people of Israel and the priests and
Levites in my realm
who volunteer to go up to Jerusalem
may go with you.
YLT By me hath been made a decree that every one who is willing
in my
kingdom
of the people of Israel and of its priests and Levites
to go to
Jerusalem with thee
doth go;
I make a decree
Which
according to the laws of the Medes and Persians
when signed
might not
be changed
( Daniel 6:8 )
that all they of the people of Israel
and of his priests and
Levites
in my realm;
who remained there
and took not the benefit of the edict of Cyrus
which gave
them leave to go; but neglecting the opportunity
it seems as if they could not
now go out of the realm without a fresh grant
which is hereby given:
which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem
go
with thee;
this decree did not oblige them to go whether they would or not; for they
might
notwithstanding this
continue if they pleased; it only gave them leave
to make use of the present opportunity of going along with Ezra
if they chose
it.
Ezra
7:14 And
whereas you are being sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire
concerning Judah and Jerusalem
with regard to the Law of your God which is
in your hand;
YLT because that from the king and his seven counsellors thou art
sent
to inquire concerning Judah and concerning Jerusalem
with the law of God
that [is] in thy hand
Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king
and of his seven
counsellors
Such a number the kings of Persia used to have from the times of Darius Hystaspis
who was chosen out of seven nobles to be king
and ever after the Persian kings
had seven counsellors privileged
as those nobles were
( Esther
1:14 )
and Ezra had the honour to be sent with a commission from
this king and his seven counsellors
to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem;
the inhabitants thereof
whether they had knowledge of and behaved
according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand;
a copy of which he had with him
and was very expert in and conversant with
and could readily and at once pass judgment whether they acted according to it
or not.
Ezra
7:15 and
whereas you are to carry the silver and gold which the king and his
counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel
whose dwelling is
in Jerusalem;
YLT and to carry silver and gold that the king and his counsellors
willingly offered to the God of Israel
whose tabernacle [is] in Jerusalem
And to carry the silver and gold
which the king and his counsellors
have freely offered unto the God of Israel
whose habitation is in Jerusalem.
] In the temple built there; for the service of which
either for purchasing
and procuring vessels that were wanting in it
or for sacrifices to be offered
in it
the king and his nobles had made a voluntary contribution
and intrusted
and sent Ezra with it.
Ezra
7:16 and
whereas all the silver and gold that you may find in all the province of
Babylon
along with the freewill offering of the people and the priests
are
to be freely offered for the house of their God in Jerusalem—
YLT and all the silver and gold that thou findest in all the province
of Babylon
with the free-will offerings of the people
and of the priests
offering willingly
for the house of their God that [is] in Jerusalem
And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the
province of Babylon
Not that he might take it wherever he found it
whether the owners of it were
willing he should have it or not; but whatever was freely offered by them
as
Jarchi
that he was allowed to take
whatever he could get in that way:
with the freewill offering of the people;
of the people of the Jews
who thought fit to continue in the province:
and of the priests
offering willingly for the house of their God
which is in Jerusalem;
those freewill offerings
whether of the natives of Babylon
or of any of the
Jewish nation
for the service of the temple at Jerusalem
he had leave and a
commission to carry with him.
Ezra
7:17 now
therefore
be careful to buy with this money bulls
rams
and lambs
with their
grain offerings and their drink offerings
and offer them on the altar of the
house of your God in Jerusalem.
YLT therefore thou dost speedily buy with this money
bullocks
rams
lambs
and their presents
and their libations
and dost bring them near to the
altar of the house of your God that [is] in Jerusalem
That thou mayest buy speedily with this money
Thus freely contributed by one and another:
bullocks
rams
lambs;
which were for burnt offerings:
with their meat offerings
and their drink offerings;
which always went along with the burnt offerings
according to the law of
Moses; and which the king seemed to have a right knowledge of
being
no doubt
instructed by Ezra
or some other Jew in his court:
and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in
Jerusalem;
the altar of burnt offering in the temple there.
Ezra
7:18 And
whatever seems good to you and your brethren to do with the rest of the silver
and the gold
do it according to the will of your God.
YLT and that which to thee and to thy brethren is good to do with the
rest of the silver and gold
according to the will of your God ye do.'
And whatsoever shall seem good to thee
and to thy brethren
The priests
that he should think fit to take in to his assistance in this
work:
to do with the rest of the silver and gold;
which should be left after the sacrifices were offered up:
that do after the will of your God;
as they should be directed by him
or was prescribed by him in the law.
Ezra
7:19 Also
the articles that are given to you for the service of the house of your God
deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem.
YLT `And the vessels that are given to thee
for the service of the
house of thy God
make perfect before the God of Jerusalem;
The vessels also that were given thee for the service of the house
of thy God
These were vessels of silver
basins of gold
and vessels of fine copper; not
what formerly belonged to the temple
they were delivered by Cyrus to Sheshbazzar;
but what the present king and his counsellors freely offered at this time
see
( Ezra 8:25 Ezra
8:26 )
those
deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem;
perfect and complete
the full number of them
as the word signifies F20; meaning not to be delivered before
him
or in his presence
as a witness thereof
but that they should be
dedicated and devoted to his service
who was worshipped in the temple at
Jerusalem
and by the inhabitants of it; he seems as if he thought him a
topical deity
the God of that particular place
which was the notion of the
Heathens
see ( 1 Kings 20:23 )
though he also speaks of him
as the God of heaven.
FOOTNOTES:
F20 (Mlvh) "integra et
pleno numero redde"
Michaelis.
Ezra
7:20 And
whatever more may be needed for the house of your God
which you may have
occasion to provide
pay for it from the king’s treasury.
YLT and the rest of the needful things of the house of thy God
that
it falleth to thee to give
thou dost give from the treasure-house of the king.
And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God
which thou shall have occasion to bestow
For the beautifying and ornamenting the temple
( Ezra
7:27 )
bestow it out of the king's treasure house;
where the money collected by tribute
tax
and custom
was deposited; his
exchequer
as it may be called
see ( Ezra
6:8 ) .
Ezra
7:21 And
I
even I
Artaxerxes the king
issue a decree to all the treasurers who
are in the region beyond the River
that whatever Ezra the priest
the
scribe of the Law of the God of heaven
may require of you
let it be done
diligently
YLT And by me -- I Artaxerxes the king -- is made a decree to all
treasurers who [are] beyond the river
that all that Ezra the priest
scribe of
the law of the God of heaven
doth ask of you
be done speedily:
And I
even I Artaxerxes the king
do make a decree to all the treasurers
which are beyond the river
The receivers of his tribute
tax
and custom
beyond the river Euphrates
on
the side towards the land of Israel:
that whatsoever Ezra the priest
the scribe of the law of the God
of heaven;
see ( Ezra 7:12 )
shall require of you
it be done speedily;
which seems at first a grant at large for whatsoever he should want or demand
but is limited and restrained by what follows.
Ezra
7:22 up to one
hundred talents of silver
one hundred kors of wheat
one hundred baths of
wine
one hundred baths of oil
and salt without prescribed limit.
YLT Unto silver a hundred talents
and unto wheat a hundred cors
and
unto wine a hundred baths
and unto oil a hundred baths
and salt without
reckoning;
Unto one hundred talents of silver
Which amounted to 35
300 pounds sterling; these
according to Jarchi
were to
buy the offerings or sacrifices with:
and an hundred measures of wheat;
or corn
the same measure with the homer
each of which held ten ephahs
or
seventy five wine gallons
five pints
and upwards; these
according to the
same writer
were for meat offerings
made of fine flour
or rather bread
offerings
as they may be called:
and to an hundred baths of wine;
which was the same measure in liquids as the ephah in things dry
a tenth part
of the cor or homer
and held seven wine gallons
five pints
and upwards F21; these were for the drink offerings:
and to an hundred baths of oil;
the same measure as before; these were to mix in the meat offerings:
and salt without prescribing how much;
because it was used in all offerings
and was cheap
and therefore no measure
is fixed
but as much as was wanting was to be given
see ( Leviticus 2:1-13 ) .
FOOTNOTES:
F21 See Cumberland's Scripture Weights and Measures
ch. 4. p. 137.
Ezra
7:23 Whatever is
commanded by the God of heaven
let it diligently be done for the house of the
God of heaven. For why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and
his sons?
YLT all that [is] by the decree of the God of heaven
let be done
diligently for the house of the God of heaven; for why is there wrath against
the kingdom of the king and his sons?
Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven
In the law given by Moses to the people of Israel:
let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven;
for the service of it
particularly sacrifices:
for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and
his sons?
through the neglect of the service of God in the temple
and by reason of the
default of the king's treasurers.
Ezra
7:24 Also we inform
you that it shall not be lawful to impose tax
tribute
or custom on any of the
priests
Levites
singers
gatekeepers
Nethinim
or servants of this house of
God.
YLT `And to you we are making known
that upon any of the priests and
Levites
singers
gatekeepers
Nethinim
and servants of the house of God
tribute and custom there is no authority to lift up.
Also we certify you
that touching any of the priests and Levites
singers
porters
Nethinims
or ministers of this house of God
The king had a right and perfect knowledge of the distinct offices and services
of those persons
see ( Ezra 7:7 )
it shall not be lawful to impose toll
tribute
or custom
upon them;
that they might be the less encumbered with the affairs of life
and be more at
leisure to attend divine service
and do it the more readily and freely; it was
usual with the Heathens to except ecclesiastics from taxes
tributes
and
imposts; so the priests in Egypt F23
and the Druids here in Britain F24.
FOOTNOTES:
F23 Diodor. Sicul. l. 1. p. 66.
F24 Caesar. Comment. de Bello Gall. l. 6. c. 13.
Ezra
7:25 And you
Ezra
according to your God-given wisdom
set magistrates and judges who may judge
all the people who are in the region beyond the River
all such as know
the laws of your God; and teach those who do not know them.
YLT `And thou
Ezra
according to the wisdom of thy God
that [is] in
thy hand
appoint magistrates and judges who may be judges to all the people
who are beyond the river
to all knowing the law of thy God
and he who hath
not known ye cause to know;
And thou
Ezra
after the wisdom of thy God
that is in thine hand
Which he had a large share of from the Lord
and could readily make use of to
good purpose; and this may be meant of the law of God made with the highest
wisdom
and to know and observe which is an instance of wisdom in men
( Deuteronomy 4:6 )
set magistrates and judges
which may judge all the people that
are beyond the river
all such as know the laws of thy God;
such as God
in his great wisdom
directed to in his wise law to be appointed
over the people
to judge righteous judgment; to inform them in all matters of
controversy that might arise among them
and decide them according to it; and
lead them into a greater and better knowledge of it
( Deuteronomy 16:18 ) ( 17:9 ) . Jarchi takes the word for
"set" to be a comparative
and the sense to be
that the wisdom of
Ezra was greater than the judges that judged the people
than them that knew
the law:
and teach ye them that know them not;
such people that were ignorant thereof; though the above writer interprets this
of ignorant judges
``the judge
that knows not to judge
make him know judgment to do it.''
Ezra
7:26 Whoever will
not observe the law of your God and the law of the king
let judgment be
executed speedily on him
whether it be death
or banishment
or
confiscation of goods
or imprisonment.
YLT and any who doth not do the law of thy God
and the law of the
king
speedily is judgment done upon him
whether to death
or to banishment
or to confiscation of riches
and to bonds.'
And whosoever will not do the law of thy God
and the law of the
king
Either the judge who delays judgment
or does not execute it according to the
law of God
and of the king; or the people
that do not obey the law of God in
matters of religion
and the law of the king in civil things
Judea being now a
province of the Persian empire; though some think the law of the king only
refers to this law or decree of the king
which gave the Jews power to execute
their own laws:
let judgment be executed speedily upon him;
immediately
without delay
according to the nature of his crime:
whether it be unto death;
if guilty of a capital crime
deserving death
let him be put to death:
or to banishment;
from his native country to a foreign distant land;
or to rooting out
F25
as the word signifies; an utter extirpation of him and his family
a destroying
him root and branch; or
as Jarchi expresses it
a rooting him out of the
world
his seed and family:
or to confiscation of goods;
to payment of mulcts and fines:
or to imprisonment;
for such a term of time; all according to the breach of what law he may be
guilty of; thus far the king's decree.
FOOTNOTES:
F25 (wvrvl) "ad
eradicationem ejus"
Pagninus
Montanus; "ad eradicationem"
Tigurine version
Vatablus
De Dieu
Michaelis.
Ezra
7:27 Blessed
be the Lord
God of our fathers
who has put such a thing as this in the king’s
heart
to beautify the house of the Lord which is in
Jerusalem
YLT
Blessed [is] Jehovah
God of our fathers
who hath given such a
thing as this in the heart of the king
to beautify the house of Jehovah that
[is] in Jerusalem
Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers
This is Ezra's thanksgiving to God for the above decree:
which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart;
which he rightly took to be of God
who wrought in him to will and to do:
to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem;
to provide for the ornamenting of it
for vessels in it
as well as for
sacrifices; for as for the building of it
that was finished.
Ezra
7:28 and has
extended mercy to me before the king and his counselors
and before all the king’s
mighty princes. So I was encouraged
as the hand of the Lord my God was
upon me; and I gathered leading men of Israel to go up with me.
YLT and unto me hath stretched out kindness before the king and his
counsellors
and before all the mighty heads of the king: and I have
strengthened myself as the hand of Jehovah my God [is] upon me
and I gather
out of Israel heads to go up with me.
And hath extended mercy unto me
before the king and his
counsellors
and before all the king's mighty princes
Before Artaxerxes
his seven counsellors
( Ezra
7:14 ) and the nobles of his realm
in being appointed by them to
carry their freewill offerings to Jerusalem
and the king's commands to his
treasurers
with leave to take as many of the Jews with him as were willing to
go:
and I was strengthened as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me;
animated to undertake this work
and execute this commission
being under the
influence of divine favour and protection:
and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me;
he went about in the several parts where Israelites dwelt
and persuaded some
of the principal men among them to go along with him to Jerusalem
showing them
the king's decree
which gave them leave; and their names and numbers are
described in the next chapter.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
NJKV Footnotes:
a.
Ezra 7:12 The
original language of Ezra 7:12–26 is Aramaic.
b.
Ezra 7:12
Literally and now