And in the days of Artaxerxes
The same with Ahasuerus, in the preceding verse; and who also is
Cambyses, which is his name in Heathen authors, Artaxerxes being
a common name to the kings of Persia; though some F6 think
this was Smerdis, the magician and impostor, who was between
Cambyses and Darius; but as he reigned but seven months, it is
not very likely that he should be wrote unto, and an answer
received from him; besides he sent to every nation he ruled over
F7, and so to the Jews, and proclaimed
to them freedom from tribute and the militia for three years, to
ingratiate himself to them:
wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their
companions;
or his company; for Jarchi thinks only one person is meant; that
Mithredath Tabeel is the name of one of the adversaries of Judah;
and that Bishlam is an appellative, and signifies that he wrote
in peace, or in a way of salutation and greeting; but they seem
to be the names of governors in the cities of Samaria under the
king of Persia: these wrote
to Artaxerxes king of Persia;
instigated by the Samaritans:
and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian
tongue, and
interpreted in the Syrian tongue;
or Chaldee, of which Ezra gives a copy in the Chaldee language;
the meaning either is, that it was written both in Syriac
letters, and in the Syriac language; for sometimes words are
written in one language and in the character of another, as the
Syriac is sometimes written in, Hebrew characters, and the Hebrew
in Roman; or else there was a postscript added to this letter,
explaining some things in it, which also was written in the same
language: some take F8 the word "nishtevan", rendered
"written", to be the name of a province on the borders of the
country beyond Euphrates, whose figure and characters were in
high esteem, and fit to write in to kings; but the words and
language were Syrian, and needed interpretation.