Ezra's Priestly Heritage
Study note
Ezra was not just any teacher. His family line went all the way back to Aaron, the first high priest of Israel. This long list of ancestors proved that Ezra had the full authority of a priest. The gap of about sixty years between chapters 6 and 7 shows that the events of the book of Esther took place during this time. Ezra's journey represents the second wave of Jewish people returning to the land.
1 Later, while Artaxerxes was king of Persia, a man named Ezra made the journey from Babylon. His family line went back through Seraiah, Azariah, and Hilkiah, 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 then through Shallum, Zadok, and Ahitub, The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
3 through Amariah, Azariah, and Meraioth, The son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
4 through Zerahiah, Uzzi, and Bukki, The son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
5 all the way back through Abishua, Phinehas, and Eleazar to Aaron the very first high priest. The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest:
Ezra Travels to Jerusalem
Study note
Ezra was a skilled scribe, meaning he was an expert in the Law of Moses. The journey from Babylon to Jerusalem took about four months on foot, covering roughly 900 miles. The text emphasizes that God's hand was on Ezra, and that is why the king gave him everything he asked for. Verse 10 reveals Ezra's life mission: he had devoted his heart to studying, obeying, and teaching God's Law.
6 Ezra traveled from Babylon to Jerusalem. He was an expert in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king granted everything Ezra requested because God's hand was guiding him. This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe 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.
7 A group of Israelites came with him, including priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, and temple workers. This was during King Artaxerxes' seventh year. 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, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
8 Ezra reached Jerusalem in the fifth month of that seventh year. And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
9 He had departed Babylon on the first day of the first month and arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month. God's protective hand was on him throughout the entire trip. 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.
10 Ezra gave his whole life to the Lord's Law. He studied it, lived by it, and taught its rules and commands to Israel. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.
The King's Letter to Ezra
Study note
This section contains the official letter from King Artaxerxes to Ezra, originally written in Aramaic. The letter granted remarkable authority: Ezra could take anyone who wanted to go, carry large amounts of gold and silver, buy whatever was needed for temple worship, and draw from the royal treasury. The king also exempted all temple workers from taxes and gave Ezra the power to appoint judges and enforce the law, including the death penalty.
11 Here is the letter King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra. Ezra was both a priest and an expert in the Lord's commands and laws given to Israel: 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.
12 "From Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest and expert in the law of the God of heaven: Warm greetings. 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.
13 "I now say that any Israelite in my kingdom may travel with you to Jerusalem. This goes for priests and Levites too. They must choose to go freely." 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 freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee.
14 "I and my seven royal aides are sending you. Check on things in Judah and Jerusalem. Use the law of your God that you carry." Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand;
15 "Bring the silver and gold that I and my aides freely give to Israel's God. He lives in Jerusalem." And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem,
16 "Gather any extra silver and gold you can find in Babylon. Also take what the people and priests freely give for their God's temple in Jerusalem." And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem:
17 "Use this money to buy bulls, rams, lambs, and their accompanying grain and drink offerings. Sacrifice them on the altar at your God's temple in Jerusalem. That thou mayest 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.
18 "Whatever silver and gold remains, you and your fellow priests may spend however your God directs. And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God.
19 "The holy items given to you for worship in your God's temple -- bring every one of them to God in Jerusalem." The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem.
20 "If you need more money for your God's temple that you cannot cover, take the funds from the royal treasury. And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure house.
21 "I, King Artaxerxes, command every treasurer west of the Euphrates: give Ezra the priest whatever he asks for. He is an expert in the God of heaven's law. Do it right away. 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,
22 "Give up to 7,500 pounds of silver, 600 bushels of wheat, 600 gallons of wine, 600 gallons of olive oil, and all the salt needed." 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.
23 "Whatever the God of heaven demands, provide it completely for his temple. We do not want to risk the God of heaven's anger falling on the king and his sons. 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?
24 "One more thing. No taxes, fees, or duties of any kind may be charged to temple workers. This covers priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and all who serve there." Also we certify 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.
25 "Ezra, use the wisdom God has given you to appoint judges and officials to govern all the people west of the Euphrates who follow your God's laws. Teach God's laws to anyone who does not know them. And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge 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.
26 "Anyone who will not obey your God's law and the king's law must be punished fast. The penalty may be death, exile, fines, or prison." And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.