Ezra 7:14

14 "Forasmuch * * as you are sent by the king and his ¹seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God which is in your hand,

Ezra 7:14 Meaning and Commentary

Ezra 7:14

Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven
counsellors
Such a number the kings of Persia used to have from the times of Darius Hystaspis, who was chosen out of seven nobles to be king, and ever after the Persian kings had seven counsellors privileged, as those nobles were, ( Esther 1:14 ) , and Ezra had the honour to be sent with a commission from this king and his seven counsellors,

to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem;
the inhabitants thereof, whether they had knowledge of and behaved

according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand;
a copy of which he had with him, and was very expert in and conversant with, and could readily and at once pass judgment whether they acted according to it or not.

Ezra 7:14 In-Context

12 "Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace. And now

13 I have issued a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdom who are willing to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.

14 "Forasmuch as 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,

15 and to bring the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,

16 with all the silver and gold which you find in the whole province of Babylon, along with the freewill offering of the people and of the priests, who offered willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem;

Cross References

• 1. Ezra 7:15, 28; Ezra 8:25

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "from before"