Ezra 7:11
in Ezra 7This 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:
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even the scribe of the words of the commandments of Jehovah, and of his statutes to Israel:
KJV
Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of his statutes to Israel.
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This verse in Ezra 7
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
This is the text of the letter
on Ezra 7:11-14
The king's own letter follows, and verses 12 to 26 run in Aramaic. Artaxerxes styles himself king of kings, a title Adam Clarke notes was partly true of the Persian throne. Ezra is sent by the king to evaluate Judah and Jerusalem by the Law in his hand.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
This is a copy of the letter of the edict, etc. Artaxerxes, who with the most devoted mind venerates the temple and the priests of God according to his ability, and offers prompt service to him, indicates the Christian princes, just as his predecessor Darius …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
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 דברי "dibre", signfiies "things" as well as words.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave--The measure which this document authorized, and the remarkable interest in the Jews displayed in it, were most probably owing to the influence of Esther, who is thought to have been raised to the high position of queen a few months previous to the departure of Ezra [HALES].
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
For Ezra.. Therefore, he went and prospered in his way, because Ezra prepared his heart, etc. He gives a reason for his words.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְזֶ֣ה׀ | vezeh | and this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| פַּרְשֶׁ֣גֶן | parshegen | [is] [the] copy of | H6572 → | |
| הַֽנִּשְׁתְּוָ֗ן | hanishtevan | the letter | H5406 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נָתַן֙ | natan | he gave | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אַרְתַּחְשַׁ֔סְתְּא | ʾartachshast' | Artaxerxes | H783 → | 15 times |
| לְעֶזְרָ֥א | leezra' | to Ezra | H5830 → | 22 times |
| הַכֹּהֵ֖ן | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| הַסֹּפֵ֑ר | hasofer | the scribe | H5608 → | 159 times |
| סֹפֵ֞ר | sofer | [the] scribe of | H5608 → | 159 times |
| דִּבְרֵ֧י | divrei | [the] matters of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| מִצְוֹת־ | mitzvot- | [the] commandments of | H4687 → | 181 times |
| יְהוָ֛ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וְחֻקָּ֖יו | vechukav | and statutes his | H2706 → | |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ פ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
וְזֶ֣ה׀and this
vezehH2088 →1180 times
פַּרְשֶׁ֣גֶן[is] [the] copy of
parshegenH6572 →
הַֽנִּשְׁתְּוָ֗ןthe letter
hanishtevanH5406 →
אֲשֶׁ֤רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
נָתַן֙he gave
natanH5414 →2011 times
הַמֶּ֣לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אַרְתַּחְשַׁ֔סְתְּאArtaxerxes
ʾartachshast'H783 →15 times
לְעֶזְרָ֥אto Ezra
leezra'H5830 →22 times
הַכֹּהֵ֖ןthe priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
הַסֹּפֵ֑רthe scribe
hasoferH5608 →159 times
סֹפֵ֞ר[the] scribe of
soferH5608 →159 times
דִּבְרֵ֧י[the] matters of
divreiH1697 →1440 times
מִצְוֹת־[the] commandments of
mitzvot-H4687 →181 times
יְהוָ֛הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וְחֻקָּ֖יוand statutes his
vechukavH2706 →
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ פIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
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…
it leads to
- Ezra 8:22
For 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…
- Ezra 7:28
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…
- Ezra 8:31
On 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…
- Nehemiah 2:18
I 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…
- Ezra 7:21
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…
- Ezra 8:22
Through
Matthew 23:2“The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.
it leads to
- Luke 20:46
“Beware of the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, and they love the greetings in the marketplaces, the chief seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets.
- Mark 12:38
In His teaching Jesus also said, “Watch out for the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, to receive greetings in the marketplaces,
- Luke 20:46
Through
Ezra 5:6This is the text of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates, the officials in the region, sent to King Darius.
it leads to
- Ezra 4:9
From Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates—the judges and officials over Tripolis, Persia, Erech and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa,
- Ezra 4:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
On this chapter
About Ezra
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah; Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).