Ezra 7:8-12

7:8 He entered Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. 7:9 On the first day of the first month he had determined to make ¹  the ascent from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he arrived at Jerusalem, ²  for the good hand of his God was on him. 7:10 Now Ezra had dedicated himself ³  to the study of the law of the Lord, to its observance, and to teaching ⁴  its statutes and judgments in Israel.

Artaxerxes Gives Official Endorsement to Ezra’s Mission

7:11 What follows ⁵  is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priestly scribe. ⁶  Ezra was ⁷  a scribe in matters pertaining to the commandments of the Lord and his statutes over Israel:

7:12 ⁸ “Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, a scribe of the perfect law of the God of heaven:

¹ tc The translation reads יִסַּד (yissad, “he appointed” [= determined]) rather than the reading יְסֻד (yÿsud, “foundation”) of the MT. (The words “to make” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.)

² sn Apparently it took the caravan almost four months to make the five hundred mile journey.

¹ tn Heb “established his heart.”

² tn Heb “to do and to teach.” The expression may be a hendiadys, in which case it would have the sense of “effectively teaching.”

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.

¹ sn Ezra 7:12-26 is written in Aramaic rather than Hebrew.