Ezra 7:10: Edit history

Context

Chapter 7 of Ezra introduces Ezra, a priest in Babylon and a scribe skilled in the law. Verses 1–5 trace his genealogy back to Aaron, and verses 6–9 relate that in the seventh year of the Persian king Artaxerxes he led a company to Jerusalem, "according to the good hand of his God upon him" (Ezra 7:9). Verse 10 opens with "For" and gives Ezra's inner resolve as the reason: "For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments." Verses 11–26 then present, in Aramaic, the royal decree granting Ezra his authority. This return is commonly dated to about 458 BC, under Artaxerxes I, though some scholars place it later, under Artaxerxes II. The verse stands at the beginning of the process by which the community of the return from exile was rebuilt around the law after the Babylonian exile.

Interpretation

• A reading focused on sequence: Many preachers and commentators draw attention to the order of "to seek," "to do," and "to teach." They regard the verse as a model for those who handle the Word, since Ezra first practiced what he learned before teaching it to others.
• A reading focused on the heart's resolve: The Hebrew expression rendered in some translations as "had determined" literally means "had prepared (set) his heart," as the King James Version renders it. For this reason, some read the verse as emphasizing the orientation of the heart over learning.
• A reading in Jewish tradition: The Hebrew word darash, translated "to seek" or "to study," originally means "to seek, to inquire." The term midrash, which in later Judaism came to denote biblical interpretation, derives from the same root. Jewish tradition has long esteemed Ezra as the restorer of the law, second only to Moses.

Questions of Application

There is no significant interpretive dispute over this verse among denominations. Readers do, however, explain the relationship between "the good hand of his God" in verse 9 and verse 10 in different ways. Some take Ezra's resolve as the reason he received God's help, while others hold that God's help came first and that Ezra's resolve took shape within it. In addition, Ezra held the specific offices of priest and scribe. Preachers therefore differ in emphasis as to whether the verse should be extended as a general principle for all believers or applied chiefly to the office of teaching the Word.

In the Korean Church

In the Korean church, the verse is widely known as one frequently cited in sermons and instruction related to seminaries, Bible study, and the dedication of Sunday school teachers. It is commonly expounded in three stages: study, practice, and teaching.

Related Passages

• Ezra 7:6
• Ezra 7:9
• Nehemiah 8:8
• Deuteronomy 6:6–9
• James 1:22