Ezra 7:11-26

Ezra 7:11-26

[11] Now this is the copy  of the letter  that the king  Artaxerxes  gave  unto Ezra  the priest,  the scribe,  of the words  of the commandments  of the LORD,  and of his statutes  to Israel.  [12] Artaxerxes,  king  unto Ezra  the priest,  a scribe  of the law  of the God  of heaven,  perfect  peace, and at such a time.  [13] I  make  a decree,  that all  they of  the people  of Israel,  and of his priests  and Levites,  in my realm,  which are minded of their own freewill  to go up  to Jerusalem,  go  with thee.  [14] Forasmuch  as  thou art sent  of  the king,  and of his seven  counsellors,  to enquire  concerning  Judah  and Jerusalem,  according to the law  of thy God  which is in thine hand;  [15] And to carry  the silver  and gold,  which the king  and his counsellors  have freely offered  unto the God  of Israel,  whose  habitation  is in Jerusalem,  [16] And all  the silver  and gold  that thou canst find  in all  the province  of Babylon,  with  the freewill offering  of the people,  and of the priests,  offering willingly  for the house  of their God  which is in Jerusalem:  [17] That  thou mayest buy  speedily  with this  money  bullocks,  rams,  lambs,  with their meat offerings  and their drink offerings,  and offer  them  upon  the altar  of the house  of your God  which is in Jerusalem.  [18] And whatsoever  shall seem good  to thee, and to  thy brethren,  to do  with the rest  of the silver  and the gold,  that do  after the will  of your God.  [19] The vessels  also that are given  thee for the service  of the house  of thy God,  those deliver  thou before  the God  of Jerusalem.  [20] And whatsoever more  for the house  of thy God,  which thou shalt have occasion  to bestow,  it out of  the king's  treasure  house.  [21] And I,  even I  Artaxerxes  the king,  do make  a decree  to all  the treasurers  which are beyond  the river,  that whatsoever Ezra  the priest,  the scribe  of the law  of the God  of heaven,  shall require  of you, it be done  speedily,  [22] Unto  an hundred  talents  of silver,  and to an hundred  measures  of wheat,  and to an hundred  baths  of wine,  and to an hundred  baths  of oil,  and salt  without  prescribing  [23] Whatsoever  is commanded by  the God  of heaven,  let it be diligently  done  for the house  of the God  of heaven:  for  why  should there be  wrath  against  the realm  of the king  and his sons?  [24] Also we certify  you, that touching any  of the priests  and Levites,  singers,  porters,  Nethinims,  or ministers  of this  house  of God,  it shall not  be lawful  to impose  toll,  tribute,  or custom,  upon  [25] And thou,  Ezra,  after the wisdom  of thy God,  that is in thine hand,  set  magistrates  and judges,  which may judge  all  the people  that are beyond  the river,  all  such as know  the laws  of thy God;  and teach  them not.  [26] And whosoever  will not  do  the law  of thy God,  and the law  of the king,  let judgment  be  executed  speedily  upon him,  whether  it be unto death,  or  to banishment,  or  to confiscation  of goods,  or to imprisonment. 

What does Ezra 7:11-26 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

This decree appears in Aramaic, the official language of the Persian Empire, in the Hebrew Bible.
The king appointed Ezra as the person responsible to him for the affairs conducted in the Jewish community in Judah. He held a position in the Persian court equivalent to Secretary of State for Jewish Affairs. [1] This decree encouraged any Jews in exile to return to their land ( Ezra 7:12-13).
"The Persians had respect for the laws of other nations as long as they did not conflict with their own.
"We know from the Elephantine papyri that a whole colony of Jews lived in the south of Egypt. The greatest concentration of Jews, however, was in Babylon and vicinity." [2]
Elephantine stood on an island in the Nile River on the southern frontier of Egypt near modern Aswan. Artaxerxes" decree promised provisions for the temple worship ( Ezra 7:14-20), authorized Ezra to withdraw funds from the provincial treasury ( Ezra 7:21-23; cf. Ezra 4:12), and permitted him to establish judicial and educational systems in Judah ( Ezra 7:24-26). The reason Artaxerxes permitted all this was evidently so there would be peace and good will among his Jewish subjects, and so he might appease Yahweh"s wrath ( Ezra 7:23).
"In460 B.C. the confederation of Greek cities under Athenian leadership known as the Attic-Delic League sent a fleet of200 war galleys against Persia in the Cypriot seas. This fleet sailed to Egypt, gained a great victory over the Persian army there and captured Memphis in the autumn of459. This placed the coast of Palestine and Phoenicia into Greek hands as the only possible route from Ionia to Egypt.
"It was in458 , immediately after the fall of Memphis to the Greeks, that Ezra the Judean courtier was sent to Judea "to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem" (7 , 14) and to reorganize and strengthen this traditional enemy of the Philistines. From the point of view of the Persian king a strong Proverbs -Persian Judea was a major threat to the Greek coastal lifeline, and as long as the Greeks dominated the coast and Egypt he supported a strong Judean province headed by a Judean-Persian official and peopled by a Proverbs -Persian population, most of whose families were hostages in Babylon and Persia. The war in Phoenicia continued with battles in Cyprus and Egypt until the peace of Callias in448 B.C. which put an end to the war between Persia and Greece." [3]
The "utensils" ( Ezra 7:19) for the temple may have been some that Cyrus had overlooked ( Ezra 6:5), or perhaps they were gifts from Artaxerxes. Probably Artaxerxes granted provisions for the exiles on their return to Jerusalem, not only for them after they had returned ( Ezra 7:21-22). [4] Jewish temple employees received special tax exemption ( Ezra 7:24; cf. Ezra 2:43). Ezra was officially responsible to teach the Jews God"s Law ( Ezra 7:25), and the king paid him to do so.
"Thus Ezra comes to Jerusalem as the real implementation of the Cyrus decree and his function is to establish an acceptable means of worship whereby Yahweh"s lordship over Judah and the whole world (in terms of the extravagance of the Cyrus decree) may be realized and the kingship of God reasserted." [5]
"Ezra"s interest and assigned task was thus not to build the country materially, as it had been with the first return [4] and would be again with the third [1], but to build the people socially and spiritually." [8]