Ezra 7:6-11

7:6 This Ezra is the one who came up from Babylon. He was a scribe who was skilled in the law of Moses which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king supplied him with everything he requested, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him. 7:7 In the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, Ezra brought 1  up to Jerusalem 2  some of the Israelites and some of the priests, the Levites, the attendants, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants. 7:8 He entered Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. 7:9 On the first day of the first month he had determined to make 3  the ascent from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he arrived at Jerusalem, 4  for the good hand of his God was on him. 7:10 Now Ezra had dedicated himself 5  to the study of the law of the Lord, to its observance, and to teaching 6  its statutes and judgments in Israel.

Artaxerxes Gives Official Endorsement to Ezra’s Mission

7:11 What follows 7  is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priestly scribe. 8  Ezra was 9  a scribe in matters pertaining to the commandments of the Lord and his statutes over Israel:

1 tc The translation reads the Hiphil singular וַיַּעֲל (vayya’al, “he [Ezra] brought up”) rather than the Qal plural וַיַּעַלוּ (vayya’alu, “they came up”) of the MT.

tn Heb “he brought”; the referent (Ezra) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

2 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

3 tc The translation reads יִסַּד (yissad, “he appointed” [= determined]) rather than the reading יְסֻד (yÿsud, “foundation”) of the MT. (The words “to make” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.)

4 sn Apparently it took the caravan almost four months to make the five hundred mile journey.

5 tn Heb “established his heart.”

6 tn Heb “to do and to teach.” The expression may be a hendiadys, in which case it would have the sense of “effectively teaching.”

7 tn Heb “this.”

8 tn Heb “the priest, the scribe.” So also in v. 21.

9 tn The words “Ezra was” are not in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for clarity.