Ezra 7

Chapters 1–6 of Ezra cover the return under Zerubbabel and the completion of the temple. Chapter 7 opens the second half of the book (chapters 7–10) with the words "after these things," marking a leap forward in time. The central figure of this second half is Ezra himself.

Outline

• Verses 1–5 trace Ezra's genealogy back through sixteen generations, from Seraiah to the high priest Aaron.
• Verses 6–10 record the return in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. Ezra leaves Babylon on the first day of the first month and arrives in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month. He is introduced as a man who had resolved to study the Law, to practice it, and to teach it.
• Verses 11–26 contain the decree of King Artaxerxes. It authorizes the return, entrusts Ezra with silver and gold for the purchase of offerings, and orders the treasurers (storehouse officials) beyond the river to provide support. It also exempts temple workers from taxation and directs that judges be appointed and that the Law be taught.
• Verses 27–28 give Ezra's first-person account of blessing the LORD and gathering the chief men.

Key Verses

• Ezra 7:10 "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" — presents the sequence of learning, living, and teaching the Word.
• Ezra 7:9 "According to the good hand of his God upon him" — attributes the success of the return to God's care.
• Ezra 7:27 "Which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart" — confesses that even the decisions of a foreign king are in God's hand.

People and Places

• Ezra — a priest and scholar. The Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok Hangeul) renders his title as haksa ("scholar"); the original term belongs to the same word family as the term for scribe.
• Artaxerxes — king of Persia.
• Eleazar, Phinehas — Aaron's son and grandson, who appear in the genealogy.
• Levites and Nethinim — those who served in the temple. The Nethinim are understood to have been responsible for menial tasks in the temple.
• Babylon — the place from which Ezra departed.
• Jerusalem — Ezra's destination.

Notes for Readers

• Omissions in the genealogy: This genealogy is shorter than the one in 1 Chronicles 6, and intermediate generations are thought to have been omitted. Since Seraiah was the high priest executed by the Babylonians (2 Kings 25:18), "son" is understood in the sense of "descendant."
• Dating: If Artaxerxes is identified as Artaxerxes I, Ezra's return is commonly dated to 458 BC. Another view identifies him as Artaxerxes II and places the return later.
• Aramaic section: Verses 12–26 are written in Aramaic rather than Hebrew.
• Distinguishing later tradition: Jewish tradition exalts Ezra as the archetypal teacher of the Law and holds that he was also involved in collecting the Scriptures. These accounts, however, lie outside the biblical text.
• Connection to the New Testament: This chapter is often cited as the root of the tradition of teachers of the Law found in the New Testament era.

In the Korean Church

Ezra 7:10 is frequently quoted in sermons and meetings related to Sunday school teachers, Bible study, and discipleship training.