EzraChapter 7

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After all this, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, there came Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah,

son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub,

son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth,

son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki,

son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest.

This Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given; and because the hand of the LORD his God was upon him, the king granted him everything he asked.

Some of the Israelites, along with priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants, went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.

Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of that seventh year of the king.

He had set out from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he came to Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the good hand of his God was upon him.

For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, to do it, and to teach its statutes and judgments in Israel.

This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest and scribe, a scholar in matters concerning the commandments and statutes of the LORD for Israel:

Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, scribe of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings.

I hereby decree that any of the people of Israel in my kingdom, including their priests and Levites, who freely choose to go up to Jerusalem, may go with you.

For you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God, which is in your hand,

and to bring the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,

together with all the silver and gold you may obtain throughout the province of Babylon, along with the freewill offerings of the people and the priests for the house of their God in Jerusalem.

Therefore with this money you are to buy without delay bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem.

Whatever seems best to you and your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, do it according to the will of your God.

And the vessels entrusted to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver them before the God of Jerusalem.

Whatever else is needed for the house of your God, whatever you must provide, pay for it from the royal treasury.

I, King Artaxerxes, further decree to all the treasurers of the province Beyond the River: whatever Ezra the priest, scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, asks of you, it shall be done with all diligence —

up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred cors of wheat, a hundred baths of wine, a hundred baths of oil, and salt without limit.

Whatever the God of heaven has commanded, let it be done with care for the house of the God of heaven, so that no wrath may come upon the realm of the king and his sons.

Be it also known to you that no tax, tribute, or toll may be imposed on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.

And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges to judge all the people in the province Beyond the River — all who know the laws of your God; and teach those who do not know them.

And whoever will not obey the Law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed on him with all diligence: death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.

Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who put it into the king's heart to glorify the house of the LORD in Jerusalem,

and who extended his steadfast love to me before the king, his counselors, and all the king's mighty officials. And I took courage, for the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.

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Summary2

Chapter 7

Main Theme: Ezra, a scribe-priest of the line of Aaron, receives authority from King Artaxerxes to lead Jews back to Jerusalem.

Content: The chapter begins with Ezra’s genealogy tracing back to Aaron. King Artaxerxes gives Ezra an extensive letter granting him authority to bring people to Jerusalem, carry gifts for the temple, appoint judges, and enforce God’s law. Ezra had prepared his heart to study the Lord’s law, live by it, and teach it to Israel. The chapter concludes with Ezra praising God for placing this in the king’s heart.

Key Words/Images:

The good hand of the Lord: This expression is repeated several times and shows that Ezra’s success was due to God’s guidance and favor.
Scribe (sofer): Ezra was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, qualified to teach and interpret Scripture.
The king’s letter: The official document that gave Ezra authority, resources, and legal power from the Persian king.
Prepared heart: Ezra had prepared his heart to study, practice, and teach God’s law—a model for spiritual leadership.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for Ezra 7

People

Ezra is introduced here for the first time in the book that bears his name. His genealogy traces back through several generations to Aaron, the high priest, establishing his legitimate priestly authority. The title "sofer mahir" (סֹפֵר מָהִיר, "expert scribe") in verse 6 marks an important development in Jewish religious leadership. While "sofer" previously denoted a scribe or secretary, here we see the beginning of the role of scribes as interpreters and teachers of the Torah—a tradition that would become central to later Judaism.

Artaxerxes I (Persian Artakhshatra) reigned from 465–424 B.C. His decree in this chapter shows remarkable goodwill toward the Jewish religion. Historically, this is consistent with Persian religious policy, under which local cults were supported as long as they prayed for the king and the empire. The expression "God of heaven" (אֱלָהּ שְׁמַיָּא) in the Aramaic portion was a diplomatic term used by Persian authorities to refer to YHWH.

Events and Customs

Ezra's journey from Babylon to Jerusalem took four months, from the first day of the first month (Nisan, March–April) to the first day of the fifth month (Av, July–August). The distance of about 1,500 kilometers was covered on foot along the well-organized royal highway. That the king granted "all he asked" (verse 6), including exemption from taxes for temple personnel (verse 24), reflects the Persian practice of granting certain religious groups economic privileges.

The king's decree (verses 12–26) is written in Imperial Aramaic, the official administrative language of the Persian Empire. The document follows standard Persian chancery style, with typical phrases such as "by my order it is commanded" (מִנִּי שִׂים טְעֵם). The seven counselors mentioned in verse 14 correspond to the Persian royal council known from other sources, including the book of Esther (Esther 1:14).

Key Terms

The expression "the good hand of his God upon him" (כְּיַד־אֱלֹהָיו הַטּוֹבָה עָלָיו, verse 9) is a recurring theme in Ezra-Nehemiah and expresses the conviction that God's providence was at work through political events. The term "dat" (דָּת) is used both for God's law and the king's law (verse 26), showing how Jewish religious law received official status within the Persian legal system.

The tax terms in verse 24—"mehndah, belo, halak" (מִנְדָּה בְלוֹ וַהֲלָךְ)—refer to various forms of Persian taxation: land taxes, tolls, and other levies. The exemption granted to temple servants from these taxes gave them a special status that helped strengthen the temple's economy and prestige.

Chapter-Specific Findings

The Aramaic portion of Artaxerxes' decree (verses 12–26) is linguistically consistent with other Aramaic documents from the fifth century B.C., including the Elephantine papyri from Egypt. These documents contain similar chancery language and phrasing, which supports the historical credibility of the decree.

People17

Shallum1 Abishua1 Zadok (High Priest)1 Ahitub1 Eleazar1 Hilkiah (Father of Eliakim, steward under King Hezekiah)1 Seraiah2 Aaron1 Artaxerxes (Persian king)4 Bukki1 Ezra6 Phinehas1 Amariah1 Azariah2 Uzzah1 Moses1 Merajot1

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Key words7

Ezra — A Jewish scribe and priest who led the people of Israel back from exile in Babylon.
Artaxerxes — The Persian king who gave Ezra permission to lead the Jews back to Jerusalem and restore the temple.
Temple — A holy place where the Jews worshiped God and offered sacrifices. The first temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, and Ezra was commissioned to rebuild it.
The Law — God's instructions and commands to the people of Israel, including the Ten Commandments and other rules for how they should live and worship God.
Scribe — A person who studied and interpreted the holy scriptures (the Torah) and taught the people God's laws.
Priest — A religious leader who performed ceremonies and sacrifices in the temple on behalf of the people.
Restoration — The process of bringing something back to its original state, which in this case is the rebuilding of the temple and the reestablishment of proper worship of God.