Ezra 7:11

Letter from Artaxerxes

11 This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest and scribe, an expert in matters of the Lord's commandments and statutes for Israel:^[a]

Ezra 7:11 Meaning and Commentary

Ezra 7:11

Now this is the copy of the letter that the King Artaxerxes
gave unto Ezra the priest
This title relating to his office is justly given him, since he was the son of an high priest, and lineally descended from Aaron, as the above account of his pedigree shows:

the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the Lord,
and of his statutes to Israel;
the doubling of the word "scribe" shows that he was very wise and learned in the law, in the commandments and statutes of it the Lord gave to Israel; not only in the language of it in which it was written, but in the matter and substance of it, in the things contained in it; for (yrbd) "dibre", signfiies "things" as well as words.

Ezra 7:11 In-Context

9 He began the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month and arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month. The gracious hand of his God was on him,

10 because Ezra had determined in his heart to study the law of the Lord, obey [it], and teach [its] statutes and ordinances in Israel.

11 This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest and scribe, an expert in matters of the Lord's commandments and statutes for Israel:

12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, an expert in the law of the God of heaven: Greetings [to you].

13 I issue a decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including their priests and Levites, who want to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.

Footnotes

• [a]. Ezr 7:12-26 is written in Aram.