Ezra · WEB-C
Ezra
7
Bible textSynthetic voice (AI)
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, See also: Nehemiah 2:11 Chronicles 6:4-14Ezra 6:14the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, See also: 1 Kings 2:352 Samuel 8:17the 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— See also: Numbers 25:7-13Joshua 22:13Numbers 20:25-28this Ezra went up from Babylon. He was a skilled scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given; and the king granted him all his request, according to the LORD his God’s hand on him. See also: Ezra 8:22Ezra 7:28Ezra 8:31Some of the children of Israel, including some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king. See also: Ezra 8:1-20Nehemiah 10:281 Chronicles 6:31-48He came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God on him. See also: Ezra 7:6Nehemiah 2:8Nehemiah 2:18For Ezra had set his heart to seek the LORD’s law, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel. See also: Malachi 2:72 Timothy 4:2Matthew 7:24Now this is the copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, even the scribe of the words of the LORD’s commandments, and of his statutes to Israel: See also: Matthew 23:2Ezra 7:6Mark 7:1-13Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the perfect God of heaven. Now See also: Daniel 2:37Ezekiel 26:7Ezra 4:17I make a decree that all those of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my realm, who intend of their own free will to go to Jerusalem, go with you. See also: Ezra 6:12 Chronicles 30:5Psalms 148:6Because you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of your God which is in your hand, See also: Esther 1:14Daniel 6:26Ezra 7:15and to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem, See also: 2 Chronicles 6:2Psalms 135:21Ezra 6:12and all the silver and gold that you will find in all the province of Babylon, with the free will offering of the people and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem. See also: 1 Chronicles 29:6Ezra 1:41 Chronicles 29:9Therefore you shall with all diligence buy with this money bulls, rams, and lambs with their meal offerings and their drink offerings, and shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. See also: Deuteronomy 12:5-11Ezra 6:9-10Numbers 15:4-13Whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do that according to the will of your God. See also: Ezra 7:26Ephesians 5:172 Kings 12:15The vessels that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver before the God of Jerusalem. See also: 2 Chronicles 32:19Ezra 8:27-30Jeremiah 3:17Whatever more will be needed for the house of your God, which you may have occasion to give, give it out of the king’s treasure house. See also: Ezra 6:4Ezra 6:8-18I, even I, Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers who are beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, requires of you, it shall be done with all diligence, See also: Ezra 7:6Ezra 4:16Ezra 6:6up to one hundred talents of silver, and to one hundred cors of wheat, and to one hundred baths of wine, and to one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much. See also: Luke 16:6-7Leviticus 2:13Ezekiel 45:14Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done exactly for the house of the God of heaven; for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons? See also: Psalms 119:4Zechariah 12:3Ezra 7:13Also we inform you that it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, or laborers of this house of God. See also: Ezra 7:7Ezra 4:13Ezra 4:20You, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people who are beyond the River, who all know the laws of your God; and teach him who doesn’t know them. See also: Ezra 7:10Deuteronomy 16:18James 1:5Whoever will not do the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed on him with all diligence, whether it is to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment. See also: Ezra 6:11Deuteronomy 13:1-18Leviticus 20:1-27Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the LORD’s house which is in Jerusalem; See also: Revelation 17:17Ezra 6:22Isaiah 60:13and has extended loving kindness to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. I was strengthened according to the LORD my God’s hand on me, and I gathered together chief men out of Israel to go up with me. See also: 2 Timothy 4:17-18Ezra 5:5Genesis 32:28
See also: Cross references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), derived in part from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
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Notes · Haydock (1859, public domain)15 notes
Notes in English 19th-century Catholic commentary by Fr. George Leo Haydock, shown as published.
These notes keep the polemics of their time: some speak harshly of the Jewish people or of other Christians. The Church teaches otherwise today. The Jewish people may not be blamed for the death of Christ (Nostra Aetate 4; Catechism 597–598), and Christians of other communities are our brothers and sisters in the Lord (Unitatis Redintegratio 3). Christian unity
Ezra 7:1
Ver. 1. Things, sixty-eight years after the journey of Zorobabel. C. --- Salien adds ten years more. H. --- Artaxerxes Longimanus. M. T. --- Son, or great grandson of Saraias, who had been slain 121 years. Esdras was still living, in the days of Nehemias. Many persons are omitted in this genealogy. The immediate descendants of Azarias may be found, 1 Par. vi. Similarity of names has occasioned many mistakes. 3 Esd. viii. reckons only eleven persons between Aaron and Esdras; and 4 Esd. i. has eighteen; whereas here we behold sixteen generations, and 1 Par.
twenty-two. C.
↑ 1Ezra 7:5
Ver. 5. Beginning of the Jewish republic.
↑ 5Ezra 7:6
Ver. 6. Went up, a second time. 2 Esd. xii. 1. W. --- Ready. Heb. mahir, "diligent,"
&c. H. ---
Scribe, not so much noted for his skill in writing fast, or drawing up deeds, as for his knowledge of the divine law. C. --- The gospel sometimes gives the title of scribe to the doctors of the law.
Matt. xxii. 35, with Mark xii. 28. It is peculiarly due to Esdras, who gave a correct copy of the Scriptures, and wrote them in a different character, leaving the ancient one to the Samaritans, that the people might be less connected.
Bellarm. De Verb. xx. 1, citing (T.) the most learned Fathers and Jewish writers.
C. Diss. --- The author of 4 Esdras (xiv. 19,) intimates that the sacred books had been all destroyed, and were dictated again to Esdras by the Holy Spirit.
But this book is not of sufficient authority to establish so dangerous an opinion; (H.) which is refuted by the whole context of the Bible, in which we see that the law was never forgotten. C. Diss. D. --- As Esdras was inspired, what additions he might make, must be accounted divine and authentic. C. ---
Hand; protection, (Delrio, adag. 217,) or inspiration. M. --- God can incline the heart of the king, (Prov. xxi.) to accomplish his decrees. H.
↑ 6Ezra 7:9
Ver. 9. Month. Thus four entire months were spent on the journey, as they did not go the shortest way, and had much baggage, &c. C.
↑ 9Ezra 7:10
Ver. 10. Heart. Thinking continually (M.) how he might keep the law himself, and direct others.
H. --- It would be well if all would thus teach by example, like Jesus Christ, who began to do and then to teach. H. --- Judgment. Both these terms express the same thing. M.
↑ 10Ezra 7:11
Ver. 11. Of the edict, is a farther explanation of the letter. H.
↑ 11Ezra 7:12
Ver. 12. Kings. This title was placed on the tomb of Cyrus, (Strabo xv.) and denoted a very powerful king. Artaxerxes had many tributaries in Media, Sidon,
&c. The kings of Assyria had before assumed such pompous titles. Osee viii.
10. C. --- The most learned, comes later in the original Chald. H. --- "The priest, scribe of the law,...perfection, (health and happiness, (C.) or consummate in learning, &c. H.) as at present." C. --- Gemir uceheneth, "perfection (Castel.
Lexic.) even now." C. iv. 10. Prot. "perfect peace, and at such a time." H.
↑ 12Ezra 7:14
Ver. 14. Counsellors. Interpreters of the laws. Joseph. xi. 6. --- The number seems to have been established at the courts of the Assyrian and Chaldee monarchs. Tob. xii. 15. We find their names, Est. i. 10. 14. The history of this queen happened in the reign of Darius Hystaspes. C. ---
Hand. By this he was to pass sentence, v. 25. H. --- The Jews were authorized to follow their own laws (C.) under the Persian dominion, v. 26. T.
↑ 14Ezra 7:16
Ver. 16. Babylon, which the Chaldees may freely give. M.
↑ 16Ezra 7:20
Ver. 20. By me. Heb. "to spend, take it out of the king's treasure-house." Sept.
adds, "and from me."
↑ 20Ezra 7:22
Ver. 22. Salt was used in all the sacrifices. Lev. ii. 13. In 3 Esd. no mention is made of oil or salt; but we read, "and all other things in abundance."
↑ 22Ezra 7:24
Ver. 24. Nathinites. 3 Esd. "sacred slaves." H. --- Artaxerxes confirms the immunities granted by the law of God, (Num. iii. 6. 12,) by the kings of Egypt, (Gen. xlvii. 22,) and by all nations to the ministers of religion. C.
↑ 24Ezra 7:25
Ver. 25. River. 3 Esd. "In all Syria and Phenicia." H. --- Hitherto, it seems, the royal judges had decided all affairs of consequence, which required any public chastisement.
↑ 25Ezra 7:26
Ver. 26. Banishment. Heb. lit. "eradication" by death or exile, (C.) or by being cut off from all society. C. x. 8. De Dieu. --- Sept. "correction." H.
↑ 26Ezra 7:27
Ver. 27. Blessed. Here the author beings to write again in Heb. and in the following verse, Esdras speaks in person. C.
↑ 27License: Notes by Fr. George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), from the Douay-Rheims Bible with Haydock's commentary (first ed. Thomas Haydock, Manchester/Dublin, 1811–1814; New York: Edward Dunigan & Brother, 1859); New Testament notes compiled with Fr. Benedict Rayment. Public domain. Digital text: "The Haydock Bible", Internet Archive (archive.org/details/TheHaydockBible), uploaded 2011 under the Public Domain Mark. · Credits and licenses