Ezra Chapter 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,
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 went up from Babylon. He was a skilled scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given; and the king granted him all his request, according to the LORD his God's hand on him.
7 Some of the children of Israel, including some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
8 He came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
9 For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God on him.
10 For Ezra had set his heart to seek the LORD's law, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.
11 Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, even the scribe of the words of the LORD's commandments, and of his statutes to Israel:
12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the perfect God of heaven. Now
13 I make a decree, that all those of the people of Israel, and their priests and the Levites, in my realm, who intend of their own free will to go to Jerusalem, go with you.
14 Because you are sent by the king and his seven counsellors, to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of your God which is in your hand,
15 and to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem,
16 and all the silver and gold that you will find in all the province of Babylon, with the free will offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem;
17 therefore you shall with all diligence buy with this money bulls, rams, lambs, with their meal offerings and their drink offerings, and shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.
18 Whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do that according to the will of your God.
19 The vessels that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver before the God of Jerusalem.
20 Whatever more will be needed for the house of your God, which you may have occasion to give, give it out of the king's treasure house.
21 I, even I Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers who are beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, requires of you, it shall be done with all diligence,
22 up to one hundred talents of silver, and to one hundred cors of wheat, and to one hundred baths of wine, and to one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.
23 Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done exactly for the house of the God of heaven; for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?
24 Also we inform you that it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll, on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, or labourers of this house of God.
25 You, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges, who may judge all the people who are beyond the River, who all know the laws of your God; and teach him who doesn't know them.
26 Whoever will not do the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgement be executed on him with all diligence, whether it is to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
27 Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the LORD's house which is in Jerusalem;
28 and has extended loving kindness to me before the king and his counsellors, and before all the king's mighty princes. I was strengthened according to the LORD my God's hand on me, and I gathered together chief men out of Israel to go up with me.
Footnotes
- Verse 22 (Talent)
- A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces
- Verse 22 (Cor)
- 1 cor is the same as a homer, or about 55.9 U.S. gallons (liquid) or 211 litres or 6 bushels.
- Verse 22 (Bath)
- 1 bath is one tenth of a cor, or about 5.6 U.S. gallons or 21 litres or 2.4 pecks. 100 baths would be about 2,100 litres.
Version: World English Bible
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Ezra Chapter 7 Guide
Here begins the second section of the Book, that which gathers around the doings of Ezra. Between the close of the last chapter and the commencement of this sixty years had passed away. To a very great extent they were uneventful years in the history of the people settled in Jerusalem. That they had largely failed in the realization of the purposes of Zerubbabel is evident from the work done by Ezra, subsequently by Nehemiah. This chapter tells of the coming of Ezra, and there are two verses which very largely explain the movement for us. They are verses ten and twenty-three, in which we discover the individual inspiration of Ezra and Artaxerxes.
While still in Babylon, Ezra was moved to help his people in Jerusalem. In order to do this, he yielded to obedience to the law of God, and so prepared himself for his work of teaching. The verse should not be passed without noticing its suggestiveness for all such as are called, or feel they are called, to teach. The order is, "to seek ... to do ... to teach." Verse twenty-three explains the personal reason for the decree and beneficence of Artaxerxes. Why should there be "wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?" It is perfectly evident that he had some very clear consciousness of the paver of God. Thus God is seen overruling, and by the creation of different emotions, bringing them into co-operation with each other, and thus with His purpose.
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
Ezra Chapter 7 Commentary
Chapter Outline
- Ezra goes up to Jerusalem. -- (1-10)
- The commission to Ezra. -- (11-26)
- Ezra blesses God for his favour. -- (27, 28)
Verses 1-10
Ezra went from Babylon to Jerusalem, for the good of his country. The king was kind to him; he granted all his requests, whatever Ezra desired to enable him to serve his country. When he went, many went with him; he obtained favour from his king, by the Divine favour. Every creature is that to us, which God makes it to be. We must see the hand of God in the events that befal us, and acknowledge him with thankfulness.
Verses 11-26
The liberality of heathen kings to support the worship of God, reproached the conduct of many kings of Judah, and will rise up in judgment against the covetousness of wealthy professed Christians, who will not promote the cause of God. But the weapons of Christian ministers are not carnal. Faithful preaching, holy lives, fervent prayers, and patient suffering when called to it, are the means to bring men into obedience to Christ.
Verses 27, 28
Two things Ezra blessed God for: 1. For his commission. If any good appear in our hearts, or in the hearts of others, we must own that God put it there, and bless him; it is he that worketh in us, both to will and to do that which is good.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.