Ezrachapter 7

Artaxerxes Grants Freedom to the Jews — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

A.Ezra prepared his heart to seek, to do, and to teachvv. 1-10

1 Many years later, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, 2 the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, 3 the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, 4 the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, 5 the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest— 6 this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him. 7 So in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, he went up to Jerusalem with some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants. 8 Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. 9 He had begun the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was upon him. 10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, to practice it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.

B.Artaxerxes writes: whatever is commanded by the God of heavenvv. 11-26

11 This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest and scribe, an expert in the commandments and statutes of the LORD to Israel: 12 Artaxerxes, king of kings. To Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings. 13 I hereby decree that any volunteers among the Israelites in my kingdom, including the priests and Levites, may go up with you to Jerusalem. 14 You are sent by the king and his seven counselors to evaluate Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God, which is in your hand. 15 Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16 together with all the silver and gold you may find in all the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests to the house of their God in Jerusalem. 17 With this money, therefore, you are to buy as many bulls, rams, and lambs as needed, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and offer them on the altar at the house of your God in Jerusalem. 18 You and your brothers may do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God. 19 You must deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles given to you for the service of the house of your God. 20 And if anything else is needed for the house of your God that you may have occasion to supply, you may pay for it from the royal treasury. 21 I, King Artaxerxes, decree to all the treasurers west of the Euphrates: Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it must be provided promptly, 22 up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred cors of wheat, a hundred baths of wine, a hundred baths of olive oil, and salt without limit. 23 Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven must be done diligently for His house. For why should wrath fall on the realm of the king and his sons? 24 And be advised that you have no authority to impose tribute, duty, or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God. 25 And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which you possess, are to appoint magistrates and judges to judge all the people west of the Euphrates—all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach these laws to anyone who does not know them. 26 If anyone does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, let a strict judgment be executed against him, whether death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.

C.Blessed be the LORD who put this in the king's heartvv. 27-28

27 Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put into the heart of the king to so honor the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, 28 and who has shown me favor before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful officials. And because the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, I took courage and gathered the leaders of Israel to return with me.

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

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Chapter summary

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Ezra enters the book: priest in the line traced up to Aaron, 'a ready scribe in the law of Moses,' come up from Babylon in the reign of Artaxerxes; the king granted him all his request, 'according to the hand of Jehovah his God upon him.' The verse that defines the man: 'Ezra had set his heart to seek the law of Jehovah, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and ordinances' (7:10). The royal letter follows: freewill silver and gold, vessels, supplies from the treasurers beyond the River, no tribute on the temple servants, and authority to appoint judges and teach the law. Ezra blesses Jehovah, who put such a thing in the king's heart.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament.

Context

History · Ezra — Ezra overview

A. 1–10 Ezra prepared his heart to seek, to do, and to teach
B. 11–26 Artaxerxes writes: whatever is commanded by the God of heaven
C. 27–28 Blessed be the LORD who put this in the king's heart

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Ezra 68 verses
- Ezra 6:1Thus King Darius ordered a search of the archives stored in the treasury of Babylon.
- Ezra 6:4with three layers of cut stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid from the royal treasury.
- Ezra 6:8I hereby decree what you must do for these elders of the Jews who are rebuilding this house of God: The cost is to be paid in full to these men from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces west of the Euphrates, so that the work will not be hindered.
- Ezra 6:9Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, as well as wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given to them daily without fail.
- Ezra 6:10Then they will be able to offer sacrifices of a sweet aroma to the God of heaven and to pray for the lives of the king and his sons.
- Ezra 6:11I also decree that if any man interferes with this directive, a beam is to be torn from his house and raised up, and he is to be impaled on it. And his own house shall be made a pile of rubble for this offense.
- Read Ezra 6: 2 more there →
Ezra 76 verses
- Ezra 7:6this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.
- Ezra 7:7So in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, he went up to Jerusalem with some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants.
- Ezra 7:10For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, to practice it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.
- Ezra 7:21I, King Artaxerxes, decree to all the treasurers west of the Euphrates: Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it must be provided promptly,
- Ezra 7:26If anyone does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, let a strict judgment be executed against him, whether death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.
- Ezra 7:28and who has shown me favor before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful officials. And because the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, I took courage and gathered the leaders of Israel to return with me.
- Read Ezra 7 →
Ezra 45 verses
- Ezra 4:11(This is the text of the letter they sent to him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants, the men west of the Euphrates:
- Ezra 4:13Let it now be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, they will not pay tribute, duty, or toll, and the royal treasury will suffer.
- Ezra 4:16We advise the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, you will have no dominion west of the Euphrates.
- Ezra 4:17Then the king sent this reply: To Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of your associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in the region west of the Euphrates: Greetings.
- Ezra 4:20And mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem and exercised authority over the whole region west of the Euphrates; and tribute, duty, and toll were paid to them.
- Read Ezra 4 →
Ezra 85 verses
- Ezra 8:1These are the family heads and genealogical records of those who returned with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:
- Ezra 8:18And since the gracious hand of our God was upon us, they brought us Sherebiah—a man of insight from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel—along with his sons and brothers, 18 men;
- Ezra 8:22For I was ashamed to ask the king for an escort of soldiers and horsemen to protect us from our enemies on the road, since we had told him, “The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek Him, but His great anger is against all who forsake Him.”
- Ezra 8:31On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem, and the hand of our God was upon us to protect us from the hands of the enemies and bandits along the way.
- Ezra 8:33On the fourth day, in the house of our God, we weighed out the silver and gold and sacred articles into the hand of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him, along with the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui.
- Read Ezra 8 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Nehemiah 23 verses
- Nehemiah 2:1Now in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence,
- Nehemiah 2:8And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I will occupy.” And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.
- Nehemiah 2:18I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me, and what the king had said to me. “Let us start rebuilding,” they replied, and they set their hands to this good work.
- Read Nehemiah 2 →
Ezra 13 verses
- Ezra 1:3Whoever among you belongs to His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem.
- Ezra 1:4And let every survivor, wherever he lives, be assisted by the men of that region with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, along with a freewill offering for the house of God in Jerusalem.’”
- Ezra 1:6And all their neighbors supported them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuables, in addition to all their freewill offerings.
- Read Ezra 1 →
2 Timothy 42 verses
- 2 Timothy 4:2Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction.
- 2 Timothy 4:17But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion.
- Read 2 Timothy 4 →
1 Chronicles 61 verse
- 1 Chronicles 6:4Eleazar was the father of Phinehas, Phinehas was the father of Abishua,
- Read 1 Chronicles 6 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.