Ezra 7:1-21
Artaxerxes <0783> [A.M. 3547. B.C. 457. Artaxerxes.]
Ezra <05830> [Ezra.]
Seraiah <08304> [Seraiah.]
Hilkiah <02518> [Hilkiah.]
Zadok <06659> [Zadok.]
Phinehas <06372> [Phinehas.]
Eleazar <0499> [Eleazar.]
chief priest <03548 07218> [chief priest.]
skilled <04106> [a ready.]
{Sopher mahir} does not merely signify a speedy writer, or an excellent penman, but one eminently skilful in expounding the law, {sophro chochmo,} "a wise scribe," as the Syriac renders.
scribe <05608> [scribe.]
law <08451> [the law.]
given ......... requested <05414 01246> [granted him.]
hand <03027> [according to.]
Israelites <01121> [the children.]
Levites <03881> [the Levites.]
attendants <07891> [singers.]
gatekeepers <07778> [porters.]
temple servants <05411> [Nethinims.]
Artaxerxes <0783> [Artaxerxes.]
determined ..... ascent <03246 04609> [began he to go up. Heb. was the foundation of the going up. according to.]
dedicated <03559> [prepared.]
law <08451> [the law.]
observance <06213 03925> [to do it.]
observance <03925> [and to teach.]
copy <06572> [the copy.]
scribe ..... scribe <05608> [a scribe.]
Artaxerxes <0783> [Artaxerxes.]
The title of the king would, in Persian, run thus: {Ardsheer shahinshah,} or {padshah,} "Ardsheer, king of kings," i.e., great or supreme king or emperor.
Ezra <05831> [unto Ezra, etc. or, to Ezra the priest, a perfect scribe of the law of the God of heaven, peace, etc. and at such a time.]
I .... issued ......... from <04481 07761> [I make.]
wishes to do so <05069> [minded.]
[of the king. Chal. from before the king. seven counsellors.]
Seven princes of Persia having conspired against and slain the usurper Smerdis, and thus made way for the family of Darius, which afterwards filled the throne, the Persian kings of this race had always seven chief princes as their counsellors, who possessed peculiar privileges, were his chief assistants in the government, and by whose advice all the public affairs of the empire were transacted. The names of these counsellors are given in the parallel place of the book of Esther.
law <01882> [according.]
God <0426> [thy God.]
silver <03702> [the silver.]
which ............... who resides <01768 04907> [whose habitation.]
all ... silver ......... all <03702 03606> [all the silver.]
contributions <05069> [offering.]
sure ... purchase <0629 07066> [buy speedily.]
meal offerings <04504> [their meat offerings.]
bring them <01994 07127> [offer them.]
whatever <04101> [whatsoever.]
do .................... keeping <05648> [that do.]
will <07470> [after the will.]
He gave them the fullest liberty to order every thing according to their own institutions; binding them to no form or mode of worship.
vessels <03984> [The vessels.]
God ... Jerusalem ................. God <0426 03390> [the God of Jerusalem.]
supply .... do so from <05415 04481> [bestow it.]
Artaxerxes <0783> [Artaxerxes.]
Trans-Euphrates <05103 05675> [beyond the river.]
Ezra ... priestly <03549 05831> [Ezra the priest.]
