Ezra 7:6

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.

Ezra 7:10-12

7:10 Now Ezra had dedicated himself ¹  to the study of the law of the Lord, to its observance, and to teaching ²  its statutes and judgments in Israel.

Artaxerxes Gives Official Endorsement to Ezra’s Mission

7:11 What follows ³  is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priestly scribe. ⁴  Ezra was ⁵  a scribe in matters pertaining to the commandments of the Lord and his statutes over Israel:

7:12 ⁶ “Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, a scribe of the perfect law of the God of heaven:

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¹ tn Heb “established his heart.”

² tn Heb “to do and to teach.” The expression may be a hendiadys, in which case it would have the sense of “effectively teaching.”

³ tn Heb “this.”

⁴ tn Heb “the priest, the scribe.” So also in v. 21.

⁵ tn The words “Ezra was” are not in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for clarity.

⁶ sn Ezra 7:12-26 is written in Aramaic rather than Hebrew.