Ezra Chapters 7-8
These chapters describe a second return of exiles from Babylon, this time under Ezra in 458 B.C. (7:7). Here Ezra often wrote in the first person (“I” and “we”). “The emphasis in these chapters is on the character of Ezra, which sets the scene for chapters 9 and 10 where sin is uncovered in the postexilic community. Ezra is presented as a man who was strongly motivated by the Law of God” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 665). Chapter 7 7:1 “Now after these things”: This expression points to a gap of 57 years since the events at the end of chapter 6. The temple was completed in 515 B.C. in the reign of Darius I. After Darius’ death in 486 his son Xerxes ruled for 20 years (485-465). Since Xerxes was the Ahasuerus mentioned in the Book of Esther, the events of that book occurred between Ezra 6 and 7. Then Xerxes’ son Artaxerxes ruled from 464 to 424. From 515 to 458 (the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes, Ezra 7:7) was 57 years. 7:1-5 The lineage of Ezra is given and is traced all the way back to Aaron, the very first priest under the Law. Because of his priestly ancestry, Ezra, like the priests, had authority to teach God’s Law in Israel (Leviticus 10:11; Ezra 7:10). “Seraiah” was the chief priest in Jerusalem at the time it was destroyed by the Babylonians. He was taken and killed (2 Kings 25:18-21). More than 120 years had elapsed since then, hence, Ezra was probably his grandson or even further removed. Somewhere around this time period, the prophet Malachi spoke. If Malachi spoke before or shortly after the time that Ezra arrived in Jerusalem, then we also know that Ezra will face: decaying moral and religious practices. The people were questioning God’s love for them and were offering Him diseased and worthless animals (Malachi 1:2,7-14). Many Jewish men had left their Jewish wives and married pagan women
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(2:11-16). God was being robbed of His tithes (3:8-10), and the people had concluded that it was vain to serve the Lord (3:13-18). 7:6 Ezra is labeled as a man “skilled” in the law of Moses. “Suggesting a quickness of grasp and ease of movement amid this complex material” (Kidner p. 62). As a scribe, Ezra was both skilled in copying the Scriptures and in teaching them to the people. Kidner notes, “Incidentally the present verse shares none of the doubts of some modern criticism over the antiquity (Moses) or the authority (the Lord) of the law, nor does it see Ezra as a reviser or compiler. He is concerned with it as something given” (p. 62). 7:6 “because the hand of the Lord his God was upon him”: This will be a common expression in the book of Ezra and Nehemiah (7:6,9, 28; 8:18, 22,31; Nehemiah 2:8, 18). The writer is making it clear that God is with Ezra in his mission, that God approves of Ezra’s actions, and that God is working behind the scenes and providentially seeing to it that the Persian monarch gives Ezra what he needs. None of this is an accident or just luck. The Jews have been allowed to come back to Palestine, because God has allowed it to happen. Without God’s favor, none of this would have ever happened. There is no specific record of what Ezra had asked of the Persian king; evidently the letter of Artaxerxes, 7:12ff., represents these things. 7:7 The seventh year of King Artaxerxes I was 458 B.C. 7:8-9 These verses give a brief summary of the trip from Babylon to Jerusalem. A fuller account is given later on in chapter 7 and chapter 8. The trip back to the land took exactly four months, from the first of the first month (Nisan 1, our March-April), to the fifth month (our July-August). One writer gave the dates April 8th to August 4th. This trip would have been some eight or nine hundred miles, although it appears that the group averaged about 10 miles per day. “Again we have the author’s emphasis on God’s providence in working out all the details and in protecting Ezra and those with him. The next verse explains why God’s hand was upon Ezra” (Breneman p. 129). 7:10 Ezra had dedicated all of himself and his life to the study, personal application, and teaching of God’s Law. He loved God’s word and he loved God’s people. This wasn’t a hobby or pastime activity, this was his life (2 Timothy 2:15; 4:2). There has been and will always be a great need among God’s people for men who are willing to dedicate their lives to study, personal
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application and instructing others in the Word of God (Hebrews 5:14; 2 Timothy 2:2). 2. Correctly applying and teaching the Scriptures will take work and diligence (2 Timothy 2:15). There isn’t a quick and easy way to know what is in the Bible. 3. The people of God will always need to understand and know God’s statues and ordinances. 4. Other people can try to motivate us, but in the end, the only motivation that will last, is inward determination. He had set his heart; he had made up his mind. Have we set our hearts to study the Bible, to do what it says, and teach it to others? Does this verse accurately sum up the game plan for our lives? 7:11 Artaxerxes wrote a letter and this is a copy of that letter, which allowed Ezra and others to return to the land. No reason for the decree was given, but it can be surmised that Ezra had asked for permission to take a group back and that this decree was the official granting of his request. Ezra was learned in the words of the commandments of the Lord and His statutes. “God makes behavioral demands on His people. God made humankind, and He knows what is best for human society, therefore we must take seriously His moral demands” (Breneman p. 131). 7:12 The expression, “king of kings”, was a title frequently used by the Persian kings. Note, Ezra wasn’t a secret believer, even the Persian king knew what Ezra did and Who Ezra served. Are we known for our faith in God? Are we known for our knowledge of the Scriptures? 7:13-17 The decree contains five stipulations: It authorizes Ezra and those with him to go to Jerusalem to see that God’s law was observed (14,25). It provides a grant to buy sacrifices and temple vessels (15-19). It commands the treasurers in the provinces to give supplies to Ezra (21-23). It frees all temple officials from taxation (24), and it authorizes Ezra to set up a judicial system to see that the Jews obeyed these laws (25-26). 1. It was to the Persian king’s advantage to have a strong and friendly community in Jerusalem since he was concerned about rebellions in Egypt. 2. Esther 1:14 also mentions the “seven nobles of Persia and Media” who has special access to the king. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote that the Persian kings had an advisory council made up of the heads of the seven leading families in Persia. 3. The “law of your God, which is in your hand”, indicates that Ezra had a copy of the Law or the Scriptures. 7:18-25 The king entrusted Ezra to use wisely the money he sent. Ezra must have been a very trustworthy man. A hundred “kors” of wheat
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would be about 380 bushels and a hundred baths was about 480 gallons. In 6:10 Darius had also asked for prayers for his well-being and that of his sons. Here Artaxerxes wanted God’s protection even though he also feared other gods….It is interesting that the king of one of the greatest empires the world has ever known should care about the God of such a seemingly insignificant people. In verse 25 it is clear that the king recognized Ezra as an honest man who knew the Scriptures and who had good judgment. From extrabiblical sources we also have evidence that the Persian kings were concerned that each subject people take seriously their own laws. 7:26 “This may not mean that Ezra could punish in the ways listed but that the governor and Persian authorities were to back him up with these punishments” (Breneman p. 136). Ezra, like Joseph centuries earlier, had been given tremendous power and authority by a heathen government. 7:27-28 Here Ezra praises God for His providence and His goodness. God can use secular rulers, even the most powerful, to fulfill His purposes. “We are suddenly aware of Ezra the man, his own voice breaking into the narrative with a grateful delight which time has done nothing to diminish. He will take up the history himself to the end of chapter 9” (Kidner p. 64). Chapter 8 8:1-14 This list consists of the major men (family heads) who returned as well as the numbers of those who accompanied them. Most of the people listed were related to the families who had returned previously under Zerubbabel, 79 years earlier. Many of the families’ names are mentioned in Ezra 2:3-15. The total number of men who returned was 1514 including 18 heads of families and 1496 other men. With 258 Levites assembled later (8:15-20) the number came to 1772. With women and children, the group may have totaled between four and five thousand. The man by the name of “Hattush” (8:2), was an ancestor of king David (see also 1 Chronicles 3:17ff). In fact, he was the fourth generation from Zerubbabel. If Zerubbabel was born around 560 B.C., and if we reckon approximately 25 years for a generation, the date for Hattush comes close to 458 B.C. “The emphasis on the ‘family heads’ reminds us of the great responsibility of being head of a family. The family is the basis of society, and the father is the head of the family. As such, he has a tremendous responsibility under God to direct and teach his family” (Breneman p. 138).
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8:13 The phrase, “the last ones”, probably means that these were the last members of this family to migrate from Babylon. Thus, the entire family of Adonikam had left Babylon. 8:15 The name “Ahava” (a HAH vuh) was one of the canals that existed in Babylon. Here Ezra had the people camp for three days to make sure that they were properly prepared for the journey. “The three-day pause by the river was no waste of time: this was the right moment to take stock and be prepared for unwelcome discoveries” (Kidner p. 65). 8:16-17 The place named “Casiphia” (kuh SIF ih uh), was either a city or district in Babylonia. The name might mean, “place of silversmiths”. This might have been a village near Babylon where there was a large community of Jews. “We should not be surprised that no Levites were in the group of returnees (to begin with). No doubt a certain amount of prosperity in Babylon and the kind of servile work assigned to the Levites did not make it easy to recruit them to return to Jerusalem” (Breneman p. 140). 8:18-20 Once again, Ezra gives credit to God for success in acquiring Levites to go to Jerusalem. It might have been disappointing to some people that only 38 Levites decided to go, but Ezra gave thanks that there were some. The “temple servants” in verse 20 were assistants to the Levites in the many tasks involved with temple sacrifices and temple upkeep. 8:21 Ezra realizes the importance of spiritual preparation, and proclaimed a fast before the journey, in order to ask God for a safe trip. Being humble before God shows one’s spiritual dependence, his acknowledgment that God is in total control. “These people were making a momentous decision to leave the security of their relatively comfortable life, make a dangerous four-month trip, and live in Judah, which still had a precarious existence” (Breneman p. 142). “Here with all earnestness Ezra and his company implored God to look upon their afflicted souls, consider the straits of the perilous journey before them, and to give them safe passage back to the promised land” (Winters p. 46). When we are facing huge decisions, do we fast? Unfortunately, today most people demand instant comfort from God, instead of depriving themselves and humbling themselves in preparation themselves to do His will. 8:22 “In saying, ‘I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers’, Ezra was not bragging about his faith, nor was he regretting his earlier statement to the king. He was simply explaining that the king might have misunderstood if he had asked for a military escort. We must admire Ezra for being
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consistent” (Breneman p. 142). Years later, Nehemiah would travel with a military escort (Nehemiah 2:9). But Ezra was a priest on a religious mission. In such a case a military escort would have seemed strange, because the religious group would then have shown no faith in their God. When Nehemiah went to Jerusalem, he was going as a political official, that is, the governor. In such a case, the king would protect his official with a military escort. There is a time when faith must simply be put to the test. 8:23-30 Ezra carefully delegates responsibility to trustworthy men. “It may seem exaggerated to have taken such precautions with the money, to weigh it out carefully, to record every detail. However, to do things carefully, with decisions and transactions documented in writing, is a sign of wisdom rather than a lack of confidence. It protects everyone involved. Many present day scandals could be avoided if Christian leaders would learn from Ezra” (Breneman p. 143). The amount of silver was 25 tons and the amount of gold was 3 ¾ tons. Such an amount demonstrates the generosity of the Persian king and especially the prosperity of the Jews in captivity. Texts discovered in Nippur cite that some Jewish families participated in a banking business in 455-403 B.C. Ezra also placed a great responsibility on these men and reminded them of their sacred duty and trust in God (8:28). In verse 29, he reminded such men that all of this would be weighed when they returned to Jerusalem to see that nothing was missing. “Ezra’s refusal to have an armed guard, and his reminder to the priests of their sacred trust (28), gave them an abrupt initiation into the discipline of faith” (Kidner p. 66). The expression, “Watch and keep them” (29), is a reminder that thieves existed both in the forms of bandits on the way and dishonest Jews who might be in the caravan. Clearly, Ezra sensed the need for exact records, careful auditing, and doing everything possible to avoid suspicions of the wrong use of money and goods which had been given for the Lord’s service. Here is a great example of faithful and responsible stewardship. Compare with 1 Corinthians 16:1ff. 8:31 On the 12th day of Nisan (April 19th), Ezra and his large caravan finally set out on their nearly four-month trip to Jerusalem. Again, he gives thanks to God for a safe journey. The route from Babylon to Palestine was plagued with bands of robbers. This demonstrates, that even in dangerous situations, God is able to providentially protect His children. 8:32 No more details of the journey are given. “The journey of nearly a thousand miles is passed over with scarcely a comment. All that mattered was the destination and the mission to fulfill” (Kidner p. 67).
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8:33-34 “Meremoth” (MER eh moth) was a priest or maybe even the high priest, who accepted the offering. The Persians insisted that most transactions, such as sales and marriages, had to be recorded. “So Ezra probably had to send to King Artaxerxes signed certification that these treasures had been received in the temple. Christians must learn from Ezra to be circumspect in all their accounting: today’s civil law requires it, non-Christians expect it, God’s people want it, and God requires it” (Breneman p. 146). 8:35 The first order of business, was to worship and offer sacrifice to God (Matthew 6:33). The influx of up to maybe 5000 immigrants into Jerusalem and its vicinity must have presented innumerable problems, but at this point in time the returning captives had their priorities in order. 8:36 “The Samaritan threat had hung heavily over the restoration project from its very beginning, and any renewed activity around Jerusalem or the temple usually brought immediate action on their part. It was eminently necessary then that they know quickly, not only that Ezra’s planned actions had the approval of Artaxerxes, but that they also would have to bear their fair share of the financial burden. But their reaction was favorable, and their response immediate, however galling the experience might have been for them” (Winters p. 49).
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