Ezra 7:11

Artaxerxes Gives Official Endorsement to Ezra’s Mission

7:11 What follows 1  is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priestly scribe. 2  Ezra was 3  a scribe in matters pertaining to the commandments of the Lord and his statutes over Israel:

Ezra 1:8

1:8 King Cyrus of Persia entrusted 4  them to 5  Mithredath 6  the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar 7  the leader of the Judahite exiles. 8 

Ezra 7:6

7:6 This Ezra is the one who came up from Babylon. He was a scribe who was skilled in the law of Moses which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king supplied him with everything he requested, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.

1 tn Heb “this.”

2 tn Heb “the priest, the scribe.” So also in v. 21.

3 tn The words “Ezra was” are not in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for clarity.

4 tn Heb “brought them forth.”

5 tn Heb “upon the hand of.”

6 sn A Persian name meaning “gift of Mithras.” See HALOT 656 s.v. מִתְרְדָת.

7 sn A Babylonian name with the probable meaning “Shamash protect the father.” See HALOT 1664-65 s.v. שֵׁשְׁבַּצַּר.

8 tn Heb “Sheshbazzar the prince to Judah”; TEV, CEV “the governor of Judah.”