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Ezra Chapter Seven

 

Ezra 7 Outlines

The Arrival of Ezra

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