1Po těchto událostech, za kralování perského krále Artaxerxa, Ezdráš, syn Serajáše, syna Azarjáše, syna Chilkijáše, 2syna Šalúma, syna Sádoka, syna Achítúba, 3syna Amarjáše, syna Azarjáše, syna Merajóta, 4syna Zerachjáše, syna Uzího, syna Bukího, 5syna Abíšúy, syna Pinchase, syna Eleazara, syna Árona, vrchního kněze, 6tento Ezdráš vyšel z Babylonu. Byl písařem, zběhlým v Mojžíšově zákoně, který vydal Hospodin, Bůh Izraele. Protože ruka Hospodina, jeho Boha, byla nad ním, král mu dal vše, o co jej žádal. 7Také někteří ze synů Izraele, z kněží, lévitů, zpěváků, vrátných a chrámových nevolníků vyšli do Jeruzaléma v sedmém roce vlády krále Artaxerxa. 8Do Jeruzaléma přišel v pátém měsíci sedmého roku vlády krále. 9Prvního dne prvního měsíce určil vyjít z Babylonu a prvního dne pátého měsíce přišel do Jeruzaléma, protože dobrotivá ruka jeho Boha byla nad ním. 10Ezdráš zaměřil své srdce na to, aby zkoumal Hospodinův zákon a plnil jej a aby učil v Izraeli ustanovení a nařízení. 11A toto je text dopisu, který dal král Artaxerxes knězi a písaři Ezdrášovi, písaři záležitostí ohledně Hospodinových příkazů a jeho ustanovení o Izraeli: 12Artaxerxes, král králů, Ezdrášovi, knězi a znalci zákona Boha nebes a tak dále. Nuže: 13Vydávám tímto nařízení, že každý, kdo je v mém království z izraelského lidu, jeho kněží a lévítů ochoten jít do Jeruzaléma s tebou, nechť jde, 14jelikož jsi poslán samotným králem a jeho sedmi rádci k dozírání na Judsko a Jeruzalém podle zákona svého Boha, který máš u sebe; 15také abys donesl stříbro a zlato, které král a jeho rádci dobrovolně věnovali Bohu Izraele, jehož příbytek je v Jeruzalémě, 16i všechno stříbro a zlato, které získáš po celé babylonské provincii spolu s dobrovolnými dary lidu a kněží, věnovanými domu jejich Boha v Jeruzalémě. 17Proto za to stříbro pečlivě nakoupíš býky, berany a jehňata s patřičnými obětními dary a úlitbami a budeš je obětovat na oltáři v domě vašeho Boha v Jeruzalémě. 18Cokoliv se pak tobě a tvým bratřím bude zdát za dobré učinit se zbytkem stříbra a zlata, to učiňte podle vůle svého Boha. 19Avšak nádoby, jež jsou ti dány pro bohoslužbu v domě tvého Boha, odevzdej před Bohem v Jeruzalémě. 20Ostatní potřeby domu tvého Boha, které musíš dodat, dodej z královské pokladnice. 21Já, král Artaxerxes, vydávám nařízení všem pokladníkům v Zaeufratí, aby vše, oč vás požádá Ezdráš, kněz a znalec zákona Boha nebes, bylo pečlivě provedeno, 22a to až do sta talentů stříbra, do sta kórů pšenice, do sta batů vína, do sta batů oleje a soli bez omezení. 23Cokoliv Bůh nebes přikáže, budiž domu Boha nebes přesně provedeno, aby nedopadlo rozhořčení na královu říši ani jeho syny. 24Dále vám budiž známo, že na žádné kněze, lévíty, zpěváky, vrátné, chrámové nevolníky a vůbec služebníky tohoto domu Božího uvalovat daně, dávky ani poplatky není dovoleno. 25Ty, Ezdráši, podle moudrosti svého Boha, kterou máš při sobě, pověř správce a soudce, kteří budou soudit všechen lid v Zaeufratí, všechny vědomé si zákonů tvého Boha; neznalé poučte. 26Kdokoliv zákon tvého Boha ani zákon královský plnit nebude, nad tím se bude bez okolků konat soud, ať smrtí, ať vyhnanstvím, ať exekucí majetku nebo vězením. 27Požehnán buď Hospodin, Bůh našich otců, který položil něco takového králi na srdce, aby ozdobil Hospodinův dům v Jeruzalémě 28a získal mi přízeň u krále, jeho rádců a všech mocných králových knížat; a já jsem se vzchopil, protože ruka Hospodina, mého Boha, byla nade mnou, a shromáždil jsem izraelské předáky, aby vyšli se mnou.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 EZRA GOES UP TO JERUSALEM. (
Ezra 7:1-
Ezra 7:10)
in the reign of Artaxerxes--the Ahasuerus of Esther.
Ezra the son of Seraiah--that is, grandson or great-grandson. Seraiah was the high priest put to death by Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah (
2Kgs 25:18). A period of one hundred thirty years had elapsed between that catastrophe and the journey of Ezra to Jerusalem. As a grandson of Seraiah, namely, Jeshua, who held the office of high priest, had accompanied Zerubbabel in the first caravan of returning exiles, Ezra must have been in all probability a grandson, descended, too, from a younger son, the older branch being in possession of the pontificate.
6 This Ezra . . . was a ready scribe in the law of Moses--The term "scribe" does not mean merely a penman, nor even an attorney well versed in forms of law and skilled in the method of preparing public or private deeds. He was a rabbi, or doctor, learned in the Mosaic law, and in all that related to the civil and ecclesiastical polity and customs of the Hebrew people. Scribes of this description possessed great authority and influence (compare
Matt 23:25;
Mark 12:28).
the king granted him all his request--left Babylon entrusted with an important commission to be executed in Jerusalem. The manner in which he obtained this office is minutely related in a subsequent passage. Here it is noticed, but with a pious acknowledgment of the divine grace and goodness which disposed the royal mind in favor of Ezra's patriotic objects. The Levites, &c., did not go at that time, but are mentioned here by anticipation.
8 he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month--that is, corresponding to the end of our July or beginning of our August. As he left Babylon on the Jewish New Year's Day (
Ezra 7:9), the journey must have occupied not less than four months (a long period), but it was necessary to move at a slow pace and by short, easy stages, as he had to conduct a large caravan of poor people, including women, children, and all their household gear (see on
Ezra 8:24).
10 Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, &c.--His reigning desire had been to study the divine law--its principles, institutions, privileges, and requirements; and now from love and zeal, he devoted himself, as the business of his life, to the work of instructing, reforming, and edifying others.
11 GRACIOUS COMMISSION OF ARTAXERXES. (Ezra 7:11-26)
this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave--The measure which this document authorized, and the remarkable interest in the Jews displayed in it, were most probably owing to the influence of Esther, who is thought to have been raised to the high position of queen a few months previous to the departure of Ezra [HALES]. According to others, who adopt a different chronology, it was more probably pressed upon the attention of the Persian court by Ezra, who, like Daniel, showed the prophecies to the king; or by some leading Jews on his accession, who, seeing the unsettled and disordered state of the colony after the deaths of Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Haggai, and Zechariah, recommended the appointment of a commission to reform abuses, suppress disorder, and enforce the observance of the law.
12 Artaxerxes, king of kings--That title might have been assumed as, with literal truth, applicable to him, since many of the tributary princes of his empire still retained the name and authority of kings. But it was a probably a mere Orientalism, denoting a great and powerful prince, as the heaven of heavens signified the highest heaven, and vanity of vanities, the greatest vanity. This vainglorious title was assumed by the kings of Assyria, from whom it passed to the sovereigns of Persia.
unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven--The appointment of Ezra to this influential mission was of the highest importance to the Hebrew people, as a large proportion of them were become, in a great measure, strangers both to the language and the institutions of their forefathers.
14 sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors--This was the fixed number of the privy council of the kings of Persia (
Esth 1:10,
Esth 1:14). The document describes, with great clearness and precision, the nature of Ezra's commission and the extent of power and prerogatives with which he was invested. It gave him authority, in the first place, to organize the colony in Judea and institute a regular government, according to the laws of the Hebrew people, and by magistrates and rulers of their own nation (
Ezra 7:25-
Ezra 7:26), with power to punish offenders by fines, imprisonment, exile, or death, according to the degree of their criminality. Secondly, he was empowered to carry a large donation in money, partly from the royal treasury and partly raised by voluntary contributions among his countrymen, to create a fund out of which to make suitable provision for maintaining the regular worship of God in Jerusalem (
Ezra 7:16-
Ezra 7:17). Thirdly, the Persian officers in Syria were commanded to afford him every assistance by gifts of money within a certain specified limit, in carrying out the objects of his patriotic mission (
Ezra 7:21).
22 an hundred talents of silver--Ł22,000 according to the rate of the silver talent of Babylon. Fourthly, Artaxerxes gave his royal sanction in the establishment of the divine law, which exempted priests and Levites from taxation or tribute and confirmed to them the exclusive right to officiate in the sacred services of the sanctuary. And, finally, in the expression of the king's desire for the divine blessing upon the king and his government (
Ezra 7:23), we see the strong persuasion which pervaded the Persian court, and had been produced by the captivity of the Hebrew people, as to the being and directing providence of the God they worshipped. It will be observed, however, that the commission related exclusively to the rebuilding of the temple--not of the walls. The Samaritans (
Ezra 4:20-
Ezra 4:22) had succeeded in alarming the Persian court by their representations of the danger to the empire of fortifying a city notorious for the turbulent character of its inhabitants and the prowess of its kings.
27 EZRA BLESSES GOD FOR THIS FAVOR. (
Ezra 7:27-
Ezra 7:28)
Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers--This devout thanksgiving is in unison with the whole character of Ezra, who discerns the hand of God in every event, and is always ready to express a pious acknowledgment for the divine goodness.