Ezra 7:14

14 Forasmuch as thou art sent by the king, and by his seven counselors, to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which [is] in thy 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, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect [peace], and at such a time.

13 I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and [of] his priests and Levites, in my realm, who are disposed of their own free will to go to Jerusalem, go with thee.

14 Forasmuch as thou art sent by the king, and by his seven counselors, to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which [is] in thy hand;

15 And 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,

16 And all the silver and gold that thou canst 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: