Ezra 7:11-12

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:

7:12 ⁴ “Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, a scribe of the perfect law of the God of heaven:

Ezra 7:21

7:21 “I, King Artaxerxes, hereby issue orders to all the treasurers of ⁵  Trans-Euphrates, that you precisely execute all that Ezra the priestly scribe of the law of the God of heaven may request of you –

[7:11]  ¹ tn Heb “this.”

[7:11]  ² tn Heb “the priest, the scribe.” So also in v. 21.

[7:11]  ³ tn The words “Ezra was” are not in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for clarity.

[7:12]  ⁴ sn Ezra 7:12-26 is written in Aramaic rather than Hebrew.

[7:21]  ⁵ tn Aram “who are in.”