Aspects of the Divine and human. I. Aspects of GOD . "Blessed be the Lord God" ( Ezra 7:27 ). 1. He is blessed by devout men. 2. He is the God of our fathers. 3. He puts good things into the hearts of men. II. Aspects of MANHOOD ( Ezra 7:28 ). 1. Mercy extended. "And hath extended mercy unto me." 2. Influence augmented. "Before the king and his counsellors." 3. Encouragement imparted. "I was strengthened." 4. Enterprise undertaken. "And I... read more
Hath extended mercy unto me before the king . i.e. "hath given me favour in the king's sight"—"hath made him graciously disposed towards me" (see Ezra 7:6 ). And his counsellors and … princes. Compare the comment on Ezra 7:14 . The "counsellors" and "princes" are the same persons. read more
After these things - The words mark an interval of 57 years; if, with most commentators, we take Artaxerxes to be Longimanus. See the introduction to the Book of Ezra. Three kings named Artaxerxes, the Greek rendering of the Hebrew Artakhshasta, and the Persian Artakhshatra, ruled over Persia, namely,: Longimanus, Mnemon, and Ochus. The evidence is in favor of the first being meant here: he was the grandson of Darius Hystaspis, Jeshua’s contemporary.The genealogy of Ezra here is incomplete. The... read more
A ready scribe - Or, “a ready writer” Psalms 45:1. The professional scribe was well known in Egypt from an early date (see Genesis 39:4 note); and under David and his successors “scribes” were attached to the court as the king’s secretaries (2 Samuel 8:17; 2 Samuel 20:25; 2 Kings 12:10, etc.). It was scarcely, however, until the time of the captivity that the class to which Ezra belonged arose. The “scribes” of this time, and of later Jewish history, were students, interpreters, and copiers of... read more
The direct distance of Babylon from Jerusalem is about 520 miles; and the circuitous route by Carchemish and the Orontes valley, which was ordinarily taken by armies or large bodies of men, is about 900 miles. The time occupied in the journey is long, and is perhaps to be accounted for by the dangers alluded to in Ezra 8:22, Ezra 8:31. read more
The title, “king of kings,” is assumed by almost all the persian monarchs in their inscriptions.Perfect peace - “Peace” is not in the original, and the word translated “perfect” occurs only in this place. Some prefer to take it as an adjective descriptive of Ezra (see margin); others (Septuagint) as the opening word of the first paragraph of the letter, and give it the meaning, “it is completed.” read more
Seven counselors - Herodotus relates that there were seven families pre-eminent in Persia, those of the seven conspirators against the Pseudo-Smerdis (Ezra 4:7 note); and it is reasonable to suppose that the heads of these families formed the special council of the king; the “Achaemenidae,” or royal family, being represented by the head of the branch next in succession to that of the reigning monarch (see the marginal reference). read more
All the treasurers - The Persian system of taxing the provinces through the satraps involved the establishment in each province of at least one local treasury. read more
This verse assigns limits to the permission of Ezra 7:20. As the Persian tribute was paid partly in money and partly in kind (see Ezra 4:13 note), the treasuries would be able to supply them as readily as they could furnish money. read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Ezra 7:27-28
The extension of the mercy of the covenant. After recounting the wonderful success of his enterprise, Ezra breaks out into a rapture of gratitude to God. "Blessed be the Lord God," etc. Here— I. HE ACKNOWLEDGES GOD IN HIS COVENANT CAPACITY . 1. This is expressed in the terms " God of. " 2. Covenant relationship subsists in Christ. 3. The promise of the Christ was the establishment of the covenant with the " fathers. " II. HE ASCRIBES HIS ... read more