Ezra 7 Study Notes: Ezra Comes to Jerusalem
Ezra, a priest descended from Aaron and an expert in Moses’ Law, travels from Babylon to Jerusalem with God’s favor on him, devoted to learning, obeying, and teaching God’s Law. King Artaxerxes sends him with gifts, supplies, and authority to appoint judges, and Ezra praises God and gathers Israel’s leaders.
General
What does the long family line at the opening of the chapter show about Ezra (7:1-5)?
Answer: He descended from Aaron, so he belonged to the priests
Before telling what Ezra did, the chapter traces his ancestors back generation by generation, through Zadok and Phinehas, all the way to Aaron, Israel’s first chief priest (7:1-5). A priest was one of the men God set apart to serve at His altar and teach His law. God had chosen Aaron and his sons for that work (Exodus 28:1), and He had promised Phinehas a lasting priesthood for his descendants (Numbers 25:13). The list shows that Ezra belonged to that priestly family, which is why the king’s letter calls him Ezra the priest (7:11).
- Ezra 7:1-5 (BSB)“Many years later, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, 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 Meraioth, the son of Zerahiah, 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—”Ezra’s ancestry is traced back to Aaron the chief priest.
- Ezra 7:11 (BSB)“This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest and scribe, an expert in the commandments and statutes of the LORD to Israel:”The king’s letter addresses Ezra as priest and scribe.
- Exodus 28:1 (BSB)““Next, have your brother Aaron brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, to serve Me as priests.”God set apart Aaron and his sons to serve Him as priests.
- Numbers 25:13 (BSB)“It will be a covenant of permanent priesthood for him and his descendants, because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the Israelites.””God promised Phinehas and his descendants a lasting priesthood.
Theological
What is the point of the genealogy that introduces Ezra (7:1-5)?
Answer: He descended from Aaron, so he belonged to the priests
The genealogy runs backward from Ezra through Zadok and Phinehas to Aaron, the first chief priest (7:1-5). Its purpose is to establish Ezra’s priestly legitimacy: he stands in the line God set apart in Aaron and his sons (Exodus 28:1) and in the lasting priesthood promised to Phinehas’s descendants (Numbers 25:13). Hence the king’s letter addresses him as both priest and scribe (7:11).
- Ezra 7:1-5 (BSB)“Many years later, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, 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 Meraioth, the son of Zerahiah, 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—”Ezra’s ancestry is traced back to Aaron the chief priest.
- Ezra 7:11 (BSB)“This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest and scribe, an expert in the commandments and statutes of the LORD to Israel:”The king’s letter addresses Ezra as priest and scribe.
- Exodus 28:1 (BSB)““Next, have your brother Aaron brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, to serve Me as priests.”God set apart Aaron and his sons to serve Him as priests.
- Numbers 25:13 (BSB)“It will be a covenant of permanent priesthood for him and his descendants, because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the Israelites.””God promised Phinehas and his descendants a lasting priesthood.
General
Why, according to 7:6, did the king give Ezra whatever he asked for?
Answer: Because God’s hand rested on Ezra
A Persian king said yes to all Ezra asked for one reason: God’s hand was on him (7:6). The same phrase comes back again and again in these chapters, at Ezra’s arrival (7:9), his courage (7:28), the finding of Levites (8:18), and the road to Jerusalem (8:31), so that every success is traced to God’s care. Proverbs teaches that a king’s heart is in the LORD’s hand and He turns it wherever He pleases (Proverbs 21:1). Nehemiah later explains the king’s favor to him in the same way (Nehemiah 2:8).
- Ezra 7:6 (BSB)“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. The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.”The king grants Ezra’s requests because God’s hand is on him.
- Proverbs 21:1 (BSB)“The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.”The LORD directs a king’s heart wherever He pleases.
- Nehemiah 2:8 (BSB)“And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I will occupy.” And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.”Nehemiah likewise credits the king’s favor to God’s gracious hand.
- Ezra 8:31 (BSB)“On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem, and the hand of our God was upon us to protect us from the hands of the enemies and bandits along the way.”God’s hand protects the travelers from enemies on the road.
Theological
To what does 7:6 attribute the king’s willingness to give Ezra everything he asked?
Answer: Because God’s hand rested on Ezra
Artaxerxes’ generosity is explained by the LORD’s hand resting on Ezra (7:6). The refrain recurs through the narrative (7:9, 7:28; 8:18, 8:31), presenting each step as the outworking of God’s sovereign favor rather than Ezra’s influence. The LORD directs a king’s heart like a watercourse wherever He pleases (Proverbs 21:1), and Nehemiah later credits the king’s favor toward him to the same gracious hand (Nehemiah 2:8).
- Ezra 7:6 (BSB)“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. The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.”The king grants Ezra’s requests because God’s hand is on him.
- Proverbs 21:1 (BSB)“The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.”The LORD directs a king’s heart wherever He pleases.
- Nehemiah 2:8 (BSB)“And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I will occupy.” And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.”Nehemiah likewise credits the king’s favor to God’s gracious hand.
- Ezra 8:31 (BSB)“On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem, and the hand of our God was upon us to protect us from the hands of the enemies and bandits along the way.”God’s hand protects the travelers from enemies on the road.
General
True or False: According to 7:9, Ezra reached Jerusalem because God’s gracious hand was on him.
Answer: True
This is true. After the long journey from Babylon, Ezra’s safe arrival in Jerusalem is explained by God’s gracious hand being on him (7:8-9). The next chapter describes the same protection on the road: God’s hand kept the travelers from enemies and bandits (Ezra 8:31). A psalm of trust says the LORD watches over His people’s coming and going (Psalm 121:7-8).
- Ezra 7:8-9 (BSB)“Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. He had begun the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was upon him.”Ezra’s journey from Babylon ends in Jerusalem under God’s gracious hand.
- Ezra 8:31 (BSB)“On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem, and the hand of our God was upon us to protect us from the hands of the enemies and bandits along the way.”God’s hand protects the travelers from enemies and bandits along the way.
- Psalm 121:7-8 (BSB)“The LORD will guard you from all evil; He will preserve your soul. The LORD will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore.”The LORD guards His people and watches over their coming and going.
Theological
True or False: 7:9 credits Ezra’s arrival in Jerusalem to God’s gracious hand upon him.
Answer: True
This is true. The long journey from Babylon ends with its completion attributed to God’s gracious hand upon Ezra (7:8-9). Chapter 8 fills in what that meant on the road: God’s hand guarded the company from enemies and robbers (Ezra 8:31), the kind of keeping the psalmist confesses when he says the LORD watches over His people’s coming and going (Psalm 121:7-8).
- Ezra 7:8-9 (BSB)“Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. He had begun the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was upon him.”Ezra’s journey from Babylon ends in Jerusalem under God’s gracious hand.
- Ezra 8:31 (BSB)“On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem, and the hand of our God was upon us to protect us from the hands of the enemies and bandits along the way.”God’s hand protects the travelers from enemies and bandits along the way.
- Psalm 121:7-8 (BSB)“The LORD will guard you from all evil; He will preserve your soul. The LORD will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore.”The LORD guards His people and watches over their coming and going.
General
What did the letter direct Ezra to do about judges and teaching in the lands across the Euphrates (7:25)?
Answer: Appoint judges for all who knew God’s laws; teach the rest
Using the wisdom from his God that he had, Ezra was to name magistrates and judges over everyone in the region across the Euphrates who knew God’s laws, and he was to instruct in those laws anyone who did not know them (7:25). The letter also set out penalties plainly: anyone who would not obey God’s law and the king’s law was to be punished strictly, by death, exile, loss of property, or prison (7:26). God’s Law had always required judges who would judge rightly (Deuteronomy 16:18), and in King Jehoshaphat’s day teachers had gone through Judah’s towns with the LORD’s written Law (2 Chronicles 17:9).
- Ezra 7:25-26 (BSB)“And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God, which you possess, are to appoint magistrates and judges to judge all the people west of the Euphrates—all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach these laws to anyone who does not know them. If anyone does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, let a strict judgment be executed against him, whether death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.”Ezra is to appoint judges for those who know God’s laws, teach the rest, and enforce the decree’s penalties.
- Deuteronomy 16:18 (BSB)“You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.”The Law required judges who would judge the people righteously.
- 2 Chronicles 17:9 (BSB)“They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the LORD. They went throughout the towns of Judah and taught the people.”Under Jehoshaphat, teachers took the Book of the Law through Judah’s towns.
Theological
What judicial and teaching responsibilities did the decree give Ezra (7:25)?
Answer: Appoint judges for all who knew God’s laws; teach the rest
Guided by the wisdom his God had given him, Ezra was to install magistrates and judges over everyone in the region across the Euphrates who knew God’s laws, and to teach those laws to whoever did not know them (7:25). The decree attached strict penalties for refusing to keep God’s law and the king’s: death, exile, confiscation of goods, or imprisonment (7:26). The commission fits the Mosaic requirement of judges who judge righteously (Deuteronomy 16:18) and the earlier example of Jehoshaphat’s teachers carrying the LORD’s written Law through Judah (2 Chronicles 17:9).
- Ezra 7:25-26 (BSB)“And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God, which you possess, are to appoint magistrates and judges to judge all the people west of the Euphrates—all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach these laws to anyone who does not know them. If anyone does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, let a strict judgment be executed against him, whether death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.”Ezra is to appoint judges for those who know God’s laws, teach the rest, and enforce the decree’s penalties.
- Deuteronomy 16:18 (BSB)“You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.”The Law required judges who would judge the people righteously.
- 2 Chronicles 17:9 (BSB)“They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the LORD. They went throughout the towns of Judah and taught the people.”Under Jehoshaphat, teachers took the Book of the Law through Judah’s towns.
General
In Artaxerxes’ letter, who was allowed to go with Ezra, and what was Ezra sent to do (7:13-14)?
Answer: Any willing Israelites; to assess Judah by God’s Law
The letter allowed any Israelites in the kingdom who were willing, including priests and Levites, to travel to Jerusalem with Ezra (7:13). Ezra himself was commissioned by Artaxerxes and his seven advisers to look into the condition of Judah and Jerusalem by the standard of God’s Law, which he carried in his hand (7:14). As in Cyrus’s earlier decree, going was open to those of God’s people who chose to go (Ezra 1:3), and in that first return the ones who went were those whose spirits God had stirred (Ezra 1:5).
- Ezra 7:13-14 (BSB)“I hereby decree that any volunteers among the Israelites in my kingdom, including the priests and Levites, may go up with you to Jerusalem. You are sent by the king and his seven counselors to evaluate Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God, which is in your hand.”Volunteers may go, and Ezra is sent to inquire into Judah by God’s Law.
- Ezra 1:3 (BSB)“Whoever among you belongs to His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem.”Cyrus’s decree also opened the return to any of God’s people.
- Ezra 1:5 (BSB)“So the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites—everyone whose spirit God had stirred—prepared to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.”In the first return, those who went were the ones whose spirit God had stirred.
Theological
What does Artaxerxes’ letter say about who could accompany Ezra and the purpose of his mission (7:13-14)?
Answer: Any willing Israelites; to assess Judah by God’s Law
The decree permits any willing Israelites, priests and Levites included, to accompany Ezra (7:13), and commissions him on behalf of Artaxerxes and his seven advisers to inquire into Judah and Jerusalem by the standard of his God’s Law that he carried (7:14). The return remains voluntary, as under Cyrus (Ezra 1:3), and in that first return the willingness itself was God’s work: those who went up were those whose spirits God had stirred (Ezra 1:5).
- Ezra 7:13-14 (BSB)“I hereby decree that any volunteers among the Israelites in my kingdom, including the priests and Levites, may go up with you to Jerusalem. You are sent by the king and his seven counselors to evaluate Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God, which is in your hand.”Volunteers may go, and Ezra is sent to inquire into Judah by God’s Law.
- Ezra 1:3 (BSB)“Whoever among you belongs to His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem.”Cyrus’s decree also opened the return to any of God’s people.
- Ezra 1:5 (BSB)“So the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites—everyone whose spirit God had stirred—prepared to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.”In the first return, those who went were the ones whose spirit God had stirred.
General
When Ezra responds to the king’s letter, whom does he praise for the king’s decision to honor the LORD’s house (7:27)?
Answer: The LORD, who put it into the king’s heart
Ezra breaks into praise, blessing the LORD, his ancestors’ God, for putting it into the king’s heart to honor His house in Jerusalem and for giving Ezra favor with the king, his advisers, and his officials (7:27-28). Ezra does not credit his own skill or the king’s goodness but God, who rules over rulers’ hearts. Proverbs teaches that the LORD directs a king’s heart wherever He pleases (Proverbs 21:1). The book has said the same of Cyrus, whose spirit the LORD stirred (Ezra 1:1), and of the king whose heart the LORD turned toward His people (Ezra 6:22).
- Ezra 7:27-28 (BSB)“Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put into the heart of the king to so honor the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, and who has shown me favor before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful officials. And because the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, I took courage and gathered the leaders of Israel to return with me.”Ezra blesses the LORD for moving the king’s heart and granting him favor.
- Proverbs 21:1 (BSB)“The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.”The LORD directs a king’s heart wherever He pleases.
- Ezra 1:1 (BSB)“In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows:”The LORD stirred Cyrus’s spirit to issue his proclamation.
- Ezra 6:22 (BSB)“For seven days they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy, because the LORD had made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen their hands in the work on the house of the God of Israel.”The LORD turned a king’s heart toward His people.
Theological
To whom does Ezra ascribe the king’s resolve to honor the LORD’s house (7:27)?
Answer: The LORD, who put it into the king’s heart
Ezra’s praise attributes the decree to the LORD, God of Israel’s ancestors, who put it into the king’s heart to honor His house and extended favor to Ezra before the royal court (7:27-28). Royal policy is the instrument of God’s sovereign will: He directs the king’s heart wherever He pleases (Proverbs 21:1), as He stirred Cyrus’s spirit (Ezra 1:1) and turned a king’s heart toward the builders (Ezra 6:22). The king acts freely and for his own reasons (7:23), yet the LORD receives the praise.
- Ezra 7:27-28 (BSB)“Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put into the heart of the king to so honor the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, and who has shown me favor before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful officials. And because the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, I took courage and gathered the leaders of Israel to return with me.”Ezra blesses the LORD for moving the king’s heart and granting him favor.
- Proverbs 21:1 (BSB)“The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.”The LORD directs a king’s heart wherever He pleases.
- Ezra 1:1 (BSB)“In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows:”The LORD stirred Cyrus’s spirit to issue his proclamation.
- Ezra 6:22 (BSB)“For seven days they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy, because the LORD had made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen their hands in the work on the house of the God of Israel.”The LORD turned a king’s heart toward His people.
General
What were the precious metals sent with Ezra mainly to be used for (7:15-17)?
Answer: Buying animals and offerings for God’s altar
Ezra was to carry silver and gold freely given by Artaxerxes and his advisers to Israel’s God, along with whatever he could gather in Babylon and the people’s and priests’ freewill offerings, meaning gifts given willingly rather than required (7:15-16). With it he was to buy animals, with the grain and drink offerings that go with them, and sacrifice them at the altar of God’s house (7:17), using any remainder as seemed best according to God’s will (7:18). The king also ordered the royal treasurers in the western provinces to supply what Ezra needed, up to set limits (7:21-22), and exempted temple workers from taxes (7:24). Darius had earlier ordered supplies for the sacrifices in a similar way (Ezra 6:8-10), and freewill gifts had marked the return from the start (Ezra 1:4).
- Ezra 7:15-18 (BSB)“Moreover, you are to take with you 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 find in all the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests to the house of their God in Jerusalem. With this money, therefore, you are to buy as many bulls, rams, and lambs as needed, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and offer them on the altar at the house of your God in Jerusalem. You and your brothers may do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God.”The silver and gold are to buy offerings for the altar, with the rest used by God’s will.
- Ezra 7:21-24 (BSB)“I, King Artaxerxes, decree to all the treasurers west of the Euphrates: Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it must be provided promptly, up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred cors of wheat, a hundred baths of wine, a hundred baths of olive oil, and salt without limit. Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven must be done diligently for His house. For why should wrath fall on the realm of the king and his sons? And be advised that you have no authority to impose tribute, duty, or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.”Treasurers are to supply Ezra, and temple workers are exempt from taxes.
- Ezra 6:8-10 (BSB)“I hereby decree what you must do for these elders of the Jews who are rebuilding this house of God: The cost is to be paid in full to these men from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces west of the Euphrates, so that the work will not be hindered. Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, as well as wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given to them daily without fail. Then they will be able to offer sacrifices of a sweet aroma to the God of heaven and to pray for the lives of the king and his sons.”Darius had also ordered supplies for the sacrifices from royal funds.
- Ezra 1:4 (BSB)“And let every survivor, wherever he lives, be assisted by the men of that region with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, along with a freewill offering for the house of God in Jerusalem.’””Cyrus’s decree also provided for freewill offerings for God’s house.
Theological
According to the decree, what was the primary use of the precious metals Ezra carried (7:15-17)?
Answer: Buying animals and offerings for God’s altar
The precious metals, given freely by Artaxerxes and his advisers and supplemented by gifts from Babylon and freewill gifts from people and priests (7:15-16), were designated for animals, together with the grain and drink offerings that went with them, to be sacrificed at the altar of God’s house (7:17), with any surplus spent according to God’s will (7:18). Provincial treasurers were to supply further needs up to fixed amounts (7:21-22), and temple personnel were exempted from tribute (7:24). The provision echoes Darius’s decree for the sacrifices (Ezra 6:8-10) and the freewill giving that accompanied the first return (Ezra 1:4).
- Ezra 7:15-18 (BSB)“Moreover, you are to take with you 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 find in all the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests to the house of their God in Jerusalem. With this money, therefore, you are to buy as many bulls, rams, and lambs as needed, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and offer them on the altar at the house of your God in Jerusalem. You and your brothers may do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God.”The silver and gold are to buy offerings for the altar, with the rest used by God’s will.
- Ezra 7:21-24 (BSB)“I, King Artaxerxes, decree to all the treasurers west of the Euphrates: Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it must be provided promptly, up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred cors of wheat, a hundred baths of wine, a hundred baths of olive oil, and salt without limit. Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven must be done diligently for His house. For why should wrath fall on the realm of the king and his sons? And be advised that you have no authority to impose tribute, duty, or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.”Treasurers are to supply Ezra, and temple workers are exempt from taxes.
- Ezra 6:8-10 (BSB)“I hereby decree what you must do for these elders of the Jews who are rebuilding this house of God: The cost is to be paid in full to these men from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces west of the Euphrates, so that the work will not be hindered. Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, as well as wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given to them daily without fail. Then they will be able to offer sacrifices of a sweet aroma to the God of heaven and to pray for the lives of the king and his sons.”Darius had also ordered supplies for the sacrifices from royal funds.
- Ezra 1:4 (BSB)“And let every survivor, wherever he lives, be assisted by the men of that region with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, along with a freewill offering for the house of God in Jerusalem.’””Cyrus’s decree also provided for freewill offerings for God’s house.
General
How is Ezra described when he is first introduced (7:6)?
Answer: A scribe expert in the Law God gave through Moses
Ezra is introduced as a scribe, a trained expert in writing, copying, and explaining the written Law, and his field was Moses’ Law, the Law that the LORD, Israel’s God, had given (7:6). The king’s letter likewise describes him as well versed in the LORD’s commands and statutes for Israel (7:11). The Law came through Moses but from God: the LORD Himself gave Moses the commandments for the people’s instruction (Exodus 24:12), and Moses wrote it down and handed it over to the priests (Deuteronomy 31:9).
- Ezra 7:6 (BSB)“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. The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.”Ezra comes up from Babylon, a scribe skilled in the Law the LORD gave.
- Ezra 7:11 (BSB)“This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest and scribe, an expert in the commandments and statutes of the LORD to Israel:”The letter calls Ezra an expert in the LORD’s commandments and statutes.
- Exodus 24:12 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and stay here, so that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.””The LORD Himself gave Moses the law and commandments.
- Deuteronomy 31:9 (BSB)“So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.”Moses wrote down the law and entrusted it to the priests.
Theological
What role and expertise does 7:6 ascribe to Ezra?
Answer: A scribe expert in the Law God gave through Moses
Ezra is a scribe well versed in Moses’ Law, which came from the LORD, Israel’s God (7:6); the royal letter repeats that he is well versed in the LORD’s commandments and statutes (7:11). The Mosaic Law is divine in origin, given by the LORD to Moses for Israel’s instruction (Exodus 24:12), written by Moses and committed to the priests (Deuteronomy 31:9), and Ezra, a priest, is its trained expositor.
- Ezra 7:6 (BSB)“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. The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.”Ezra comes up from Babylon, a scribe skilled in the Law the LORD gave.
- Ezra 7:11 (BSB)“This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest and scribe, an expert in the commandments and statutes of the LORD to Israel:”The letter calls Ezra an expert in the LORD’s commandments and statutes.
- Exodus 24:12 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and stay here, so that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.””The LORD Himself gave Moses the law and commandments.
- Deuteronomy 31:9 (BSB)“So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.”Moses wrote down the law and entrusted it to the priests.
General
According to 7:10, what had Ezra committed his heart to do with the LORD’s Law?
Answer: Learn it, obey it, and teach it to Israel
Verse 10 continues the account of God’s gracious hand on Ezra (7:9) by describing the man God was using: he had made it his heart’s aim first to study the LORD’s Law, then to live it out himself, and then to instruct Israel in its decrees and rules (7:10). The order matters. He learned the Law before he taught it, and he obeyed it himself rather than only passing it on. Scripture describes the same pattern elsewhere: the blessed man delights in the LORD’s law and thinks on it day and night (Psalm 1:2); James calls believers to put the word into practice rather than merely listen to it (James 1:22); and the priests, Aaron’s line, were charged to teach Israel all the LORD’s statutes (Leviticus 10:11).
- Ezra 7:9-10 (BSB)“He had begun the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was upon him. For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, to practice it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.”God’s gracious hand is on Ezra, who had set his heart to study, practice, and teach the Law.
- Psalm 1:2 (BSB)“But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night.”The blessed man delights in the LORD’s law and meditates on it.
- James 1:22 (BSB)“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.”Believers are called to do the word, not only hear it.
- Leviticus 10:11 (BSB)“so that you may teach the Israelites all the statutes that the LORD has given them through Moses.””The priests were charged to teach Israel the LORD’s statutes.
Theological
What threefold commitment to the LORD’s Law does 7:10 describe in Ezra?
Answer: Learn it, obey it, and teach it to Israel
Following the note of God’s gracious hand on him (7:9), 7:10 describes the servant through whom God was working: Ezra had resolved to study the LORD’s Law, to keep it, and to instruct Israel in its decrees and ordinances. The sequence moves from learning to personal obedience to instruction. It mirrors the delight in and meditation on the law that marks the righteous (Psalm 1:2), the call to put the word into practice, not merely hear it (James 1:22), and the priestly charge given to Aaron’s line to teach Israel the statutes given through Moses (Leviticus 10:11). The chapter consistently credits Ezra’s success to God’s hand upon him (7:6, 7:28).
- Ezra 7:9-10 (BSB)“He had begun the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was upon him. For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, to practice it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.”God’s gracious hand is on Ezra, who had set his heart to study, practice, and teach the Law.
- Psalm 1:2 (BSB)“But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night.”The blessed man delights in the LORD’s law and meditates on it.
- James 1:22 (BSB)“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.”Believers are called to do the word, not only hear it.
- Leviticus 10:11 (BSB)“so that you may teach the Israelites all the statutes that the LORD has given them through Moses.””The priests were charged to teach Israel the LORD’s statutes.
General
What did Ezra do because God’s hand was on him, according to 7:28?
Answer: He took heart and gathered Israel’s leaders to go
Ezra says that since God’s hand was on him, he took courage and called together Israel’s leaders to go up with him (7:28). His boldness came from knowing God was with him, not from the king’s letter alone. God gave the same kind of encouragement to Joshua, telling him to be brave and strong because the LORD would be with him wherever he went (Joshua 1:9), and through Isaiah He promised to strengthen and help His people (Isaiah 41:10).
- Ezra 7:28 (BSB)“and who has shown me favor before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful officials. And because the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, I took courage and gathered the leaders of Israel to return with me.”Strengthened by God’s hand, Ezra gathers Israel’s leaders to return.
- Joshua 1:9 (BSB)“Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.””God tells Joshua to be courageous because He is with him.
- Isaiah 41:10 (BSB)“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”God promises to strengthen and help His people.
Theological
What action does 7:28 say Ezra took as a result of God’s hand upon him?
Answer: He took heart and gathered Israel’s leaders to go
The chapter closes with Ezra’s courage grounded in God’s hand upon him; strengthened, he gathered Israel’s leaders to go up with him (7:28). Confidence rests on God’s presence, as in the charge to Joshua to be brave and unafraid because the LORD would be with him (Joshua 1:9) and the promise that God will strengthen, help, and uphold His people (Isaiah 41:10).
- Ezra 7:28 (BSB)“and who has shown me favor before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful officials. And because the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, I took courage and gathered the leaders of Israel to return with me.”Strengthened by God’s hand, Ezra gathers Israel’s leaders to return.
- Joshua 1:9 (BSB)“Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.””God tells Joshua to be courageous because He is with him.
- Isaiah 41:10 (BSB)“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”God promises to strengthen and help His people.
General
Why did Artaxerxes insist that whatever the God of heaven required for His house be carried out with care (7:23)?
Answer: He feared God’s anger on his kingdom and sons
The king’s own reason was that he did not want wrath to come on his realm and on his sons (7:23). He wanted the God of heaven’s house fully provided for so that no anger would fall on his kingdom. Darius had similarly wanted the priests to offer sacrifices and pray on behalf of Darius and his heirs (Ezra 6:10). Whatever the king’s motive, Ezra himself credits the decree to the LORD, who put it into the king’s heart (Ezra 7:27).
- Ezra 7:23 (BSB)“Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven must be done diligently for His house. For why should wrath fall on the realm of the king and his sons?”The king orders diligence so that wrath will not fall on his realm and sons.
- Ezra 6:10 (BSB)“Then they will be able to offer sacrifices of a sweet aroma to the God of heaven and to pray for the lives of the king and his sons.”Darius also wanted prayer offered for the lives of the king and his sons.
- Ezra 7:27 (BSB)“Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put into the heart of the king to so honor the house of the LORD in Jerusalem,”Ezra credits the decree to the LORD, who put it into the king’s heart.
Theological
What motive does Artaxerxes give for requiring careful compliance with what the God of heaven commands for His house (7:23)?
Answer: He feared God’s anger on his kingdom and sons
Artaxerxes grounds the order in self-protection: he did not want wrath to come on his kingdom or his heirs (7:23). His concern parallels Darius’s wish that the priests pray for Darius and his sons (Ezra 6:10). Behind the king’s reasoning, Ezra sees the LORD at work, who placed this purpose in the king’s heart (Ezra 7:27).
- Ezra 7:23 (BSB)“Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven must be done diligently for His house. For why should wrath fall on the realm of the king and his sons?”The king orders diligence so that wrath will not fall on his realm and sons.
- Ezra 6:10 (BSB)“Then they will be able to offer sacrifices of a sweet aroma to the God of heaven and to pray for the lives of the king and his sons.”Darius also wanted prayer offered for the lives of the king and his sons.
- Ezra 7:27 (BSB)“Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put into the heart of the king to so honor the house of the LORD in Jerusalem,”Ezra credits the decree to the LORD, who put it into the king’s heart.