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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comKeil and Delitzsch Commentary - Ezra 7:11 - 7:11
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The commission given by Artachshasta to Ezra (Ezr 7:11), with a short postscript by Ezra (Ezr 7:27 and Ezr 7:28). - Ezr 7:11 The introductory title, “This is the copy of the letter,” On פַּרְשֶׁגֶן, comp. Ezr 4:11, and on נִשְׁתְּוָן, Ezr 4:7. Ezra is here, as also in the letter itself, Ezr 7:12, Ezr 7:21, and in Neh 8:9; Neh 12:26, called only הַסֹּופֵר הַכֹּהֵן, the priest, the scribe; in other places we find merely one title or the other: either the priest, Neh 10:10, Neh 10:16, Neh 8:2; or the scribe, Neh 8:4, Neh 8:13; Neh 12:36. To designate him according to his rank, as the priest, seems to have subsequently become more customary; hence in the first book of Esdras he is constantly called ὁ Ἱιερεύς. הַסֹּופֵר is explained by the addition וגו דִּבְרֵי סֹפֵר, scribe of the words of the law of Jahve and of His statutes to Israel, i.e., the scribe, whose investigations referred to the law of God. More briefly in Ezr 7:12 and Ezr 7:21 : scribe of the law.
Ezr 7:12-13
The letter containing the royal commission is given in the Chaldee original. It is questionable what explanation must be given to גְּמִיר in the title. If it were the adjective belonging to דָּתָא סָפַר, we should expect the emphatic state גְּמִירָא. Hence Bertheau combines it with the following וּכְעֶנֶת as an abbreviation, “completeness, etc.,” which would signify that in the royal commission itself this introductory formula would be found fully given, and that all the words here missing are represented by וּכְעֶנֶת. This would be, at all events, an extremely strange expression. We incline to regard גְּמִיר as an adverb used adjectively: To the scribe in the law of God perfectly, for the perfect scribe, etc., corresponding with the translation of the Vulgate, doctissimo. The commission begins with an order that those Israelites who desire to go to Jerusalem should depart with Ezra, because the king and his seven counsellors send him to order matters in Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of God, and to carry thither presents and free-will offerings as a contribution towards the sacrifices, and other matters necessary for the worship of God, Ezr 7:13. “By me is commandment given,” as in Ezr 6:8. לִמְהָךְ...כָּל־מִתְנַדֵּב: Every one of the people of Israel in my kingdom, who shows himself willing to go up to Jerusalem, let him go up with thee. On יְהָךְ and the infin. מְהָךְ, comp. Ezr 5:5.
Ezr 7:14
“Forasmuch as thou (art) sent by the king and his seven counsellors to inquire (to institute an inquiry) concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God, which is in thy hand,” i.e., which thou handlest or possessest and understandest. The seven counsellors of the king formed the supreme court of the realm; see remarks on Est 1:14. It is obvious from the context that שְׁלִיחַ must be completed by אַנְתְּ, for it is evidently Ezra who is addressed both in what precedes and follows. עַל בַּקָּרָה, to inquire concerning (the condition of) Judah, i.e., concerning the religious and civil relations of the Jewish community, to arrange them in conformity with the divine law.
Ezr 7:15-16
“To carry the silver and gold which the king and his counsellors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose habitation is at Jerusalem, and all the silver and gold which thou shalt obtain in all the province of Babylon, with the free-will offering of the people and the priests, willingly offering for the house of their God at Jerusalem.” Three kinds of offerings for the temple are here spoken of: 1st, the gifts of the king and his counsellors for the service of the God of Israel; 2nd, the gold and the silver that Ezra should obtain in the province of Babylon, i.e., by the collection which he was consequently empowered to make among the non-Israelite population of Babylon; 3rd, the free-will offerings of his fellow-countrymen. הִתְנַדָּבוּת is an abstract formed from the infin. Hithpael: the freely given. The participle מִתְנַדְּבִין (not in the stat. emph. i.e., without an article) is but slightly connected, in the sense of, if they, or what they, may freely offer.
Ezr 7:17-18
The application of these contributions. דְּנָה כָּל־קְבֵל, for this very reason, sc. because furnished by the king and his counsellors, and by the heathen and Israelite inhabitants of Babylon, thou shalt diligently buy with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat-offerings and their drink-offerings (the meat and drink offerings pertaining by the law, Num 15:1, etc., to the sacrifices), and offer them upon the altar ... The Pael תְּקָרֵב instead of the Aphel, Ezr 6:10, Ezr 6:17. The distribution and collection were thus chiefly destined for the support of public worship, but were larger and more abundant than was necessary for this purpose. Hence the further injunction, Ezr 7:18 : “And whatsoever shall seem good to thee and to thy brethren to do with the rest of the gold and the silver, that do after the will of your God,” i.e., according to the precept of the law in which the will of God is expressed. “Thy brethren” are the priests, to whom was committed the care of the temple and its worship.
Ezr 7:19
The gold and silver vessels, moreover, which, according to Ezr 8:25-27, the king and his counsellors, and the princes and all Israel, presented for the service of the house of God, he is to deliver before the God at Jerusalem (an abbreviated expression for the God whose dwelling is at Jerusalem). The noun פָּלְחָן, only here and in the Targums, in the Syriac פּוּלְחָן, the service, corresponds with the Hebrew עֲבֹורָה. שְׁלַם in the Aphel, to complete, to make full, then to deliver entirely, to consign.
Ezr 7:20-21
Ezra is to defray the expenses of all other things necessary for the temple from the royal treasury, on which account a royal order is despatched to the treasurer on this side the river. “And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to give” (i.e., whatever necessary expenses shall be incurred which cannot be determined beforehand), and for which the gifts and contributions already furnished to Ezra shall not suffice, he is to give, i.e., to defray, out of the house of the king's treasures, i.e., the royal treasury. For this purpose Artaxerxes commands all the treasures on this side the river, that whatsoever Ezra shall require of them shall be immediately done. אֲנָה is an emphatic repetition of the pronoun, as in Dan 7:15, and frequently in Hebrew.
Ezr 7:22-23
Unto one hundred talents of silver, one hundred cors of wheat, one hundred baths of wine, one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescription, i.e., as much as is needed. Cor had already become, even in Hebrew, the later word for chomer, e.g., 1Ki 5:2; Eze 45:14. It was equal to ten ephahs or baths, almost two sheffels; see by bibl. Archäol. ii. §126. The command closes with the injunction, Ezr 7:23 : Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, i.e., whatever is needful according to the law for the service of God, let it be completely done for the house of the God of heaven; for why should the wrath of heaven come upon the realm of the king and of his sons? The ἁπ. λεγ. אַדְרַזְדָּא is derived from the Aryan, but is not to be regarded (as by Hitzig and Bertheau) as compounded of אֲדַר and אַזְדָּא; but probably (as by Haug in Ewald's bibl. Jahrb. v. p. 152) as formed of the Persian drsh, dorest, with א prosthetic, from the Zend root doreç, to grow, to flourish, to become firm, in the meaning of perfect in all parts, exact. The motive of the royal order, that the priests may offer acceptable offerings to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and of his sons, recalls Ezr 6:10. On the formula לְמָה דִּי, for why should wrath come, comp. Ezr 4:22.
Ezr 7:24
The priests, the Levites, and all the servants of the temple, are also to be free from all customs and taxes. מְהֹודְעִין וּלְכֹם, we also make known to you (it is made known to you). These words also are addressed to the treasures, as levyers of taxes on this side the river. That, with regard to all priests, ... and (other) ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose upon them toll, tribute, or custom. The אֱלָהָא בֵּית פָּלְחֵי are not worshippers in the house of God, but they who do service in the house of God. The expression comprises any servants of the temple who might have been omitted in the classes enumerated. On וגו בְּלֹו מִנְדָּה, comp. Ezr 4:13. שַׁלִּיט לָא, (any one) has no right, with an infinitive following: it is allowed to no one to do. מִרְמֵא from רְמָא, Targ. for שִׂים. On this matter, compare Josephus, Ant. xii. 3. 3, according to which Antiochus the Great freed the priests and Levites from taxation.
Ezr 7:25
Finally, Ezra is empowered to appoint over his whole people (all the Jews) on this side the river, judges who know the law of God, and to inflict severe penalties upon those who transgress it.
“Thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God which is in thy hand (בִידָךְ דִּי like Ezr 7:14), set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are on this side the river, namely all such as know the laws of thy God, and teach ye them that know them not.” The form מֶנִּי is imper. Pael for מַנִּי, the A sound probably passing in rapid speech into the flatter E sound. “All the people on this side the river” is limited to Israelites or Jews by the further particulars, ”who know the law of thy God,” etc. These are to receive from Ezra judges, viz., such as are acquainted with the law, i.e., Israelite judges, and thus to be placed under the jurisdiction established at Jerusalem. The sentence, “and they who know it (the law) not, them teach ye, make them acquainted with it,” does not refer to the heathen, but to born Israelites or Jews, who, living among the heathen, had not hitherto made the Mosaic law the rule of their lives. Such were the judges to constrain to the observance and obedience of the law.
Ezr 7:26
But whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let a court be speedily (מִנֵּהּ) held on his account (i.e., let him be brought to justice, and punished). This, too, applies chiefly to such as were Israelites born. The law of the king is the present edict, the commission therein entrusted to Ezra: whoever opposes, neglects, or transgresses it, shall be condemned, whether to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment. הֵן ... הֵן = the Hebrew אִם ... אִם = sive ... sive. שְׁרֹשׁוּ (Keri שְׁרֹשִׁי), rooting our (from שֵׁרֵשׁ, to root out), i.e., banishment, exilium (Vulg.), not παιδεία (lxx).
Ezr 7:27-28
This royal commission granted to the Jews all they could possibly desire from the heathen governors of the country, for the establishment and furtherance of their civil and religious polity. By granting these privileges, Artaxerxes was not only treading in the footsteps of Cyrus and Darius Hystaspes, but even going beyond these princes in granting to the Jews a jurisdiction of their own. Without a magistrate who was one of themselves, the Jewish community could not well prosper in their own land; for the social and religious life of Israel were so closely connected, that heathen magistrates, however well-intentioned, were incapable of exercising a beneficial influence upon the welfare of the Jews. Hence Ezra, having thus reported the royal commission, adds a thanksgiving to God for having put such a thing into the king's heart, namely, to beautify the house of the Lord, and for having granted him favour before the king and his counsellors. The sentence הִטָּה וְעָלַי הִטָּה e is a continuation of the preceding infinitive sentence in the tempus finit. לְ before כָּל־שָׂרֵי is the לְ comprehensive. Ezra names the beautifying of the house of God as the occasion of his thanksgiving, not only because this formed the chief matter of the royal favour, but also because the re-establishment of divine worship was the re-establishment of the moral and religious life of the community. “And I felt myself strengthened, and gathered together (so that I gathered together) the heads of Israel to go up with me (to Jerusalem).” Ezra assembled the heads, i.e., of houses, as fellow-travellers, because their decision would be a rule for the families at the head of which they stood. With their heads, the several races and families determined to return to the land of their fathers.