Table of Contents
A New Phase of Restoration Begins
Ezra chapter 7 marks a significant shift in the book’s narrative. There is a gap of nearly six decades between the end of chapter 6 and the beginning of chapter 7. The temple has been rebuilt and dedicated, but the spiritual and social life of the people in Judah needs reform. This chapter introduces the central figure of the second half of the book: Ezra. He is a priest and a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses. His arrival in Jerusalem, sanctioned and supported by the Persian king Artaxerxes I, initiates a new phase of restoration focused on teaching God’s law and reforming the community’s covenant faithfulness. This chapter details Ezra’s lineage, his character, the king’s generous decree, and Ezra’s grateful response to God’s favor. It highlights the themes of God’s sovereign providence, the importance of God’s Word, and the vital role of godly leadership.
The Person and Purpose of Ezra
(Ezra 7:1-10) The chapter opens by introducing Ezra. His genealogy is traced back to Aaron, the first high priest, establishing his impeccable priestly credentials. This lineage was crucial for his authority as a spiritual leader in Jerusalem. He is described not only as a priest but as “a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses that the LORD, the God of Israel, had given.” This description is key to understanding his mission. A scribe was more than a mere copyist; he was an expert, a scholar, and a teacher of the law. Ezra had devoted his life to studying, practicing, and teaching the Torah.
The text states that Ezra came up from Babylon to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. He did not come alone. A group of Israelites, including priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants, went with him. This indicates an organized second wave of returnees, focused on reinforcing the spiritual life of the community. The journey from Babylon to Jerusalem was long and arduous, taking about four months.
Verse 10 is the thematic center of the chapter and reveals Ezra’s life purpose. It says, “For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.” This three-fold mission is the driving force behind his actions. First, he was committed to deep, personal study of God’s Word. Second, he was committed to personal obedience, to “do it.” His teaching would come from a life of integrity. Third, he was committed to teaching God’s law to the people of Israel. His goal was a comprehensive spiritual renewal based on a return to the covenant law. The text attributes his success to “the good hand of the LORD his God” being upon him. This phrase, repeated throughout the chapter, emphasizes that Ezra’s mission was divinely ordained and empowered.
The Decree of Artaxerxes
(Ezra 7:11-26) This section contains the official letter, written in Aramaic, from King Artaxerxes to Ezra. The decree is remarkably supportive and generous, demonstrating God’s continued influence over the Persian throne. The king addresses Ezra as “the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven.” He grants Ezra official permission to go to Jerusalem.
The decree has several key provisions. First, it authorizes any Israelite in the kingdom who wishes to go to Jerusalem with Ezra to do so. This gave royal backing to the second wave of returnees. Second, the king commissions Ezra to inquire about the state of Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of God. Ezra was essentially sent as a royal commissioner to implement God’s law as the law of the land for the Jewish community.
Third, the decree provides substantial financial support. Ezra was to carry silver and gold, which the king and his counselors had freely offered to the God of Israel. He was also authorized to collect offerings from the Jewish people in Babylon. These funds were to be used to purchase animals for sacrifice and other necessary items for the temple. Any surplus could be used as Ezra and his brethren saw fit. Fourth, the decree commands that the sacred vessels for the temple service be delivered in full.
Fifth, Artaxerxes authorizes the royal treasurers in the province “Beyond the River” to provide Ezra with whatever he needed, up to a specified, generous limit: 100 talents of silver, 100 cors of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt without limit. Sixth, the king grants tax exemption to all temple personnel—priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and servants. This was a significant privilege that would encourage service at the temple.
Finally, the decree gives Ezra judicial authority. He was to appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice for all the Jews in the province, based on the law of his God. He was also instructed to teach the law to anyone who did not know it. The decree concludes with a stern warning: anyone who would not obey the law of God and the law of the king would be punished severely, whether by death, banishment, confiscation of goods, or imprisonment. This edict effectively made the Law of Moses the official and enforceable law for the Jewish community within the Persian Empire.
Verse by Verse
(Ezra 7:1-6) Ezra’s lineage is detailed, linking him directly to Aaron. This establishes his priestly authority. He is introduced as a skilled scribe. The king grants him all his requests because “the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.” This theme of divine favor is central.
(Ezra 7:7-9) The journey to Jerusalem is described. It began on the first day of the first month and ended on the first day of the fifth month. The four-month duration highlights the distance and difficulty. Ezra’s safe arrival is again credited to “the good hand of his God upon him.”
(Ezra 7:10) This key verse outlines Ezra’s life’s purpose: to study, to obey, and to teach the Law of the LORD. This is the heart of his mission and the foundation for the reforms he will bring.
(Ezra 7:12-13) The Aramaic letter from Artaxerxes begins. The king gives official permission for Ezra and any other willing Jews to return to Jerusalem.
(Ezra 7:14-20) The king commissions and funds the mission. Ezra is to assess the community based on God’s law. He is entrusted with offerings from the king and is authorized to collect more. The funds are designated for temple worship.
(Ezra 7:21-23) The king commands his treasurers to provide for Ezra’s needs from the royal revenues. The generous limits are specified. The king’s motive is to ensure that whatever “the God of heaven has commanded” is done diligently, so that “wrath may not come upon the kingdom of the king and his sons.”
(Ezra 7:24) Tax exemption is granted to all temple workers. This was a practical measure to support the restored worship system.
(Ezra 7:25-26) Ezra is given authority to establish a judicial system based on the Torah. He is to appoint judges and teach the law. The king’s authority backs the enforcement of God’s law with severe penalties.
Ezra’s Doxology
(Ezra 7:27-28) The chapter concludes with Ezra’s personal response to the king’s decree. He bursts into a prayer of praise, a doxology, to God. He does not take credit for this success, nor does he praise the king’s generosity. Instead, he blesses the LORD, the God of his fathers. Ezra recognizes that it was God who “put such a thing as this into the heart of the king.” He sees God’s sovereign hand behind the entire affair, moving the Persian monarch to “beautify the house of the LORD that is in Jerusalem.”
Ezra acknowledges that God has extended to him steadfast love, or “hesed,” before the king, his counselors, and all the king’s mighty officers. This is covenant language, showing that Ezra saw the king’s favor as an expression of God’s faithfulness to His promises to Israel.
Finally, Ezra concludes with a personal testimony. He says, “I took courage, for the hand of the LORD my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.” The awareness of God’s favor and empowerment gave him the courage to undertake the great task before him. He understood that his strength came not from the king’s decree but from God’s presence. This doxology provides a fitting conclusion to the chapter, turning the focus from the human actors and political documents back to the God who orchestrates all things for the good of His people and the glory of His name.
Cross References
Nehemiah 2:1-8: This passage describes a similar scene where another Persian king, also named Artaxerxes, grants a decree to Nehemiah. Like Ezra, Nehemiah finds favor with the king and receives royal letters and provisions for his work in Jerusalem. Both accounts powerfully illustrate God’s ability to use pagan rulers to accomplish His purposes for His people.
Psalm 119: This psalm is a beautiful and extended meditation on the beauty, goodness, and power of God’s law (Torah). Ezra’s life mission as described in Ezra 7:10—to study, do, and teach the law—is the embodiment of the spirit of Psalm 119. The psalmist’s delight in God’s statutes mirrors Ezra’s own heart.
Deuteronomy 17:18-20: This passage instructs the future kings of Israel to write a copy of the law and read it every day, so that they might learn to fear the LORD and follow His statutes. Ezra, though not a king, takes on this role as a leader, making the law of God central to the life of the nation once again.
2 Timothy 2:15: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” This New Testament verse captures the essence of Ezra’s character as a scribe. He was a workman who had studied diligently to handle God’s Word with accuracy and integrity.
Matthew 23:2-3: Jesus speaks of the scribes and Pharisees who “sit on Moses’ seat.” While He critiques their hypocrisy, the phrase itself points to the role of the scribe as the official interpreter and teacher of the Mosaic Law, a role that Ezra fulfilled faithfully. Ezra’s commitment to “do” the law before he taught it stands as a corrective to the hypocrisy Jesus condemned.