Ezra 7

Chap. VII. Ver. 1—28. Ezra, the priest, and many of his brethren, go up to Jerusalem, with the decree of Artaxerxes in their favour.—Ezra, who was one of the captives in Babylon, is here distinguished as “a ready scribe;” by which we are not to understand his skill as a writer, but as a teacher and expounder—a man learned in the Mosaic law. He was also eminently pious, for he “had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach it.” The imperial decree was accompanied by a kind of letter of recommendation of Ezra, who is herein mentioned as “‘a scribe of the law of the God of heaven,” entrusted to make collections, and to &c.

7.7. 1 The companions of Ezra, who returned from Babylon, 15 He sendeth to Iddo for Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia, and 11 ministers for the temple.

2L He keepeth a fast. 24 He committeth the treasures to the custody of the priests. 31 From Ahava they come to Jerusalem. 33 The treatold them what they should say unto Iddo, sure is weighed in the temple. 36 The commission is delivered: and to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place THESE are now the chief of their fathers, Casiphia, that they should bring unto us 7 put and this is the genealogy of them that words in ministers for the house of our God. went up with me from Babylon, in the reign 18 And by the good hand of our God upon of Artaxerxes the king. us they brought us a man of understanding 2 Of the sons of Phinehas; Gershom: of the of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son j Tit. 1.5.

sons of Ithamar; Daniel of the sons of David; of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and > Hattush, k Ne. 8.7. his brethren, eighteen; 3 Of the sons of Shechaniah, of the sons of} °** 19 And Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of 1 ¢.2.43, * Pharosh; Zechariah: and with him were the sons of Merari, his brethren and their sons, m Ph. 4.3. ‘reckoned by genealogy of the males a hundred and fifty. n 2Ch. 20,3. 20 Also of the Nethinims, whom David and 4 Of the sons of Pahath-moab; Elihoenai the o Le. 16.29. the princes had appointed for the service of son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethi- Joel 2.13. nims: all of them were expressed by name. 21] Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might ° afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our ‘little ones, and for q Ps. 3.2. Ma. 10.13, all our substance. of the sons of Shechaniah; the son of Ja- 22 For “I was ashamed to require of the haziel, and with him three hundred males.

6 Of the sons also of Adin; Ebed the son of ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right Jonathan, and with him fifty males. 7 And of the sons of Elam; Jeshaiah the son Ma. 10.13, all our substance. of Athaliah, and with him seventy males. 22 For “I was ashamed to require of the 8 And of the sons of Shephatiah; Zebadiah |? 10%. king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help carry the amount, with the donations of the king and his beautify the house of Jehovah, and as that house was built for counsellors, to Jerusalem. (There he was appointed to superintend the work carrying on, and to regulate the worship according to the law of the God of Israel, with the promise man will rejoice in the establishment of Divine worship, of exemptions from all toll and taxes. He is also empowered because this is the readiest way to promote (the glory of God, to appoint magistrates and judges, and to instruct them in their duty, and to punish all the refractory and disobedient.

Notes on the verses

Cap. VII. Ver. 12. King of kings.—{The title of the king would, in Persian, run thus: Ardsheer shahinshah, or padshah, ‘‘Ardsheer, king of kings,” i. e. great or supreme sovereign emperor. The Persian monarchs had many kings tributary to them; but this title savours of ostentation, as if they had authority over all kings. |}—Bagster.; j:: Ver. 14. Seven counsellors.—{Seven princes of Persia having conspired against and slain the usurper Smerdis, and thus made way for the reign of Darius, which afterwards filled the throne the Persian kings of this race had always seven chief princes as their counsellors, who possessed peculiar privileges, were his chief assistants in the government, and by whose advice all the affairs of the empire were transacted.

The names of these counsellors are given in the parallel place of the book of Esther. See Prideaux. }- Ver. 22. Talents of silver—Value each $1550.——Measures.— * Cor;” about seventy-five gallons each.—Baths.—A bath was about seven and a half gallons.