Ezra 7

1. Artaxerxes. This was Artaxerxes Longimanus, the son and successor of Xerxes I. The history now passes on to a period about sixty years after the Temple had been finished, as related in ch. vi. During the interval, Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Haggai, and Zechariah, had in all probability died; and although the Temple was built and the worship restored, the civil and ecclesiastical state of the Jews was still very unsettled, until Ezra came with a new body of settlers, and a commission to restore the ancient national institutions. It is probable that the events related in the Book of ESTHER occurred during the interval.

3 the son of Meraioth. In this genealogy, between Azariah and Meraioth, six generations are omitted, which are found in 1 Chron. vi. 7. Enough is given here to prove the descent of Ezra from the line of Eleazar, Aaron’s eldest son.

6 a ready scribe. That is, learned in the law of Moses, and well qualified to instruct others.

the Lord God of Israel. “The Eternal, the God of Israel,” as elsewhere: see R.V.

7. And there went up, etc. This was the second great company that returned from Babylon. They went in circumstances much more encouraging than the former; for now the Temple had been rebuilt, and the worship of God restored.

8 the fifth month. Ab, answering to the latter part of July and the former part of August. The distance between Babylon and Jerusalem is between five and six hundred miles.

12 king of kings. Perhaps this means, “having many tributary kings” under him. But the form of the title preserved by the Greek historians (“the Great King”) intimates that it is only superlative, like “the heaven of heavens.” Rameses II. applies the title “king of kings” to himself in his hieroglyphics on Cleopatra’s Needle.

14 his seven counsellors. So in Esther i. 14, “the seven princes.” According to Herodotus (iii. 70, 71, 76, 84) the seven nobles who deposed the false Smerdis, and their successors, had the right of private access to the king at all times as his advisers.

23 diligently. R.V., “exactly.” Moffatt translates, “in full.”

24 it shall not be lawful, etc. By thus exonerating from taxation all who officiated or assisted in the Temple-worship, the Persian monarch showed the favour with which he regarded the Jews. In their present circumstances, this unusual exemption was a seasonable and important encouragement.

25 set magistrates and judges, etc. The king authorized Ezra, as governor of the Jews who lived west of the Euphrates, to appoint subordinate officers, and to provide for the instruction of the people in the law of God; and he even permitted him to seek the conversion of the other inhabitants of the land to the worship of Jehovah.

27. Blessed be the Lord God (“the Eternal, the God of,” etc.). With this sudden outburst of gratitude the Hebrew language is resumed, and is continued through the rest of the book.