Ezra 7

NOw after these things in the reign of Artaxerxes The same of whom he speaks ch. 6. 14. king of Persia, Ezra the son of Serajah i. e. His Grandson. Here are divers persons omitted for brevity sake, which may be supplied out of 1 Chr. 6. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11., the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,

The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,

The son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Merajoth,

The son of Zerajah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,

The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest:

This Ezra went up from Babylon With the Kings consent and Commission., and he was a ready scribe i. e. A learned and expert Doctor: for in that sense the word Scribe is oft used as Ier. 8. 8. Mat. 7. 29. & 17. 10. & 23. 2, 13. Mark 12. 28. compare with Mat. 22. 35, 36. in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given, and the King granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him i. e. By the Grace and Favour of God so disposing the heart of the King..

And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims unto Jerusalem This is here related in the general, but how he procured this is particularly related hereafter., in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.

And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.

For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.

For Ezra had prepared his heart Or, directed, &c. i. e. He had set his mind and affections upon it, and made it his chief design and business. to seek i. e. To search and find out the true sense and meaning of it, and thence to learn what sins or errours were to be reformed, and what duties were to be performed. the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel The order of things in this verse is very observable: first he endeavours to understand Gods Law and Word, and that not for curiosity o... ostentation, but in order to practice: next he conscientiously practiseth what he did understand, which made his Doctrine much more effectual: and then he earnestly desires and labours to instruct and edifie others, that they also might know and do it. statutes and judgments.

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 The Phrase seems emphatical, noting that he explained both the words and the things: For the Jews in the Land of their Captivity had in a great measure lost both their Language, and the Knowledge of Gods Commands, and therefore Ezra and his Companions instruct them in both: of which see more on Nehem. 8. 8. of the LORD, and of his statutes to Israel.

Artaxerxes king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time.

I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests, and Levites in my realm, which are minded of their own free will to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee.

Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors His chief Nobles and Officers of State: of whom see also Esth. 1. 10, 14. to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God i. e. To make enquiry into all abuses and deviations from your Law, and to redress them. which is in thine hand Which is now and always in thy hand, being the matter of thy daily study and exercise; which thou now carriest along with thee, the Interpretation whereof belongeth unto thee.:

And to carry the silver and the gold which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem;

And all the silver and gold that thou canst find i. e. Procure, as that word is used, Gen. 6. 8. & 26. 12. Psal. 84. 3. & 119. 162. Prov. 1. 13. & 2. 5. & 3. 13. Whatsoever thou canst get of my Subjects by way of free gift. in all the province of Babylon, with the free-willoffering of the people To wit, of Israel., and of the priests offering willingly for the house of their God, which is in Jerusalem.

That thou maist buy speedily with this money, bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat-offerings, and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God, which is in Jerusalem:

And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver, and gold, that do after the will of your God.

The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem.

And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God Towards the Reparation, or adorning, or compleating of it. See the notes on ch. 6. 14., which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the kings treasure house.

And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily.

Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much Because it was but of mean price, and of very common and necessary use in all their Sacrifices, Lev. 2. 13. Mark 9. 49.:

Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons For the omission of any part of his Worship occasioned by my neglect. This danger and duty he discerned, partly by natural light, and principally by the Information of Ezra, ch. 8. 22. who had the Kings Ear and Heart.?

Also we certifie unto you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute or custom upon them.

And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God that is in thine hand i. e. Which God has put into thy Heart, and which appears in the works of thy hand. Wisdom is sometimes ascribed to the Hands, as Psal. 78. 72. See my Latin Synopsis on Gen. 48. 14. Or, by the Wisdom of God, he means the Law of God, which was said to be in his hand, v. 14., set magistrates and judges which may judg all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God, and teach ye them that know them not.

And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king To wit, concerning these matters. Or, which Law of God is by this my sanction now become my Law also, to which I expect their punctual and ready obedience. For as for the Civil Laws of the Empire Ezra neither was skilful in them, nor was intrusted with the Execution of them, which was committed to other hands., let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.

Blessed be the LORD God of our Fathers, which has put such a thing as this in the kings heart, to beautifie the house of the LORD, which is in Jerusalem:

And has extended mercy unto me before the king and his counsellors, and before all the kings mighty princes: and I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel, chief men to go up with me.