Esdras 7:12

12 Artaxerxes, rei dos reis, ao sacerdote Esdras, escriba da lei do Deus do céu: Saudações.

Esdras 7:12 Meaning and Commentary

Ezra 7:12

Artaxerxes, king of kings
Having many kings and kingdoms subject and tributary to him; for this was not merely a proud haughty title which the eastern kings ^F16 assumed, particularly the Persians; for after Cyrus they were so in fact, who took this title also, and had it put on his sepulchral monument,

``Here I lie, Cyrus, king of kings ^F17;''

this title was given to Grecian kings, particularly Agamemnon is called king of kings ^F18, he being general at the siege of Troy, under whom the rest of the kings fought; if this was Darius Hystaspis, of him Cyrus dreamed that he had wings on his shoulders, with one he covered Asia, and with the other Europe ^F19:

unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven;
of which titles see ( Ezra 7:11 ) :

perfect [peace], and at such a time;
the word "perfect" belongs to Ezra's title as a scribe, signifying that he was a most learned and complete scribe or teacher of the law of God; "peace" is not in the text, and the phrase "at such a time" respects the date of the letter, though not expressed, or is only an "et cetera", (See Gill on Ezra 4:10).

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 See the Universal History, vol. 5. p. 16, 137. & vol. 11. p. 7, 8. margin, & p. 66.
F17 Strabo, Geograph. l. 15. p. 502.
F18 Vell. Patercul. Hist. Roman. l. 1. in initio.
F19 Herodot. Clio, sive, l. 1. c. 209.

Esdras 7:12 In-Context

10 Porque Esdras tinha preparado o seu coração para buscar e cumprir a lei do Senhor, e para ensinar em Israel os seus estatutos e as suas ordenanças.

11 Esta é, pois, a cópia da carta que o rei Artaxerxes deu a Esdras, o sacerdote, o escriba instruído nas palavras dos mandamentos do Senhor e dos seus estatutos para Israel:

12 Artaxerxes, rei dos reis, ao sacerdote Esdras, escriba da lei do Deus do céu: Saudações.

13 Por mim se decreta que no meu reino todo aquele do povo de Israel, e dos seus sacerdotes e levitas, que quiser ir a Jerusalém, vá contigo.

14 Porquanto és enviado da parte do rei e dos seus sete conselheiros para indagares a respeito de Judá e de Jerusalém, conforme a lei do teu Deus, a qual está na tua mão;