Ezra 7:1

_NOW AFTER THESE THINGS, IN THE REIGN OF ARTAXERXES KING OF PERSIA, EZRA THE SON OF SERAIAH, THE SON OF AZARIAH, THE SON OF HILKIAH,_ In the reign of Artaxerxes - i:e., him who was surnamed Longimanus. An interval of 50 years intervenes between the close of the last chapter and this; i:e., between the dedication of the temple and the journey of Ezra to Palestine. A number of stirring events occurred during that period-namely, the expedition of Xerxes into Greece, the battles of Marathon, Thermopylae, and Salamis, with the deeds of Miltiades, Leonidas, and Cimon, which brought such humiliating disasters on the Persian empire. Then, after the return of Xerxes from this unfortunate expedition, there was the episode of Esther and the exaltation of Mordecai, both of which produced a happy change on the condition and prospects of the Jews, a short time before the mission of Ezra. EZRA THE SO...

1-10 Ezra went from Babylon to Jerusalem, for the good of his country. The king was kind to him; he granted all his requests, whatever Ezra desired to enable him to serve his country. When he went, many went with him; he obtained favour from his king, by the Divine favour. Every creature is that to us, which God makes it to be. We must see the hand of God in the events that befal us, and acknowledge him with thankfulness....

CHAPTER VII _In the_ seventh _year of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, Ezra goes up_ _to Jerusalem; and with him certain of the priests, Levites,_ _porters, and Nethinim: his character_, 1-10. _The letter and decree of Artaxerxes in behalf of the Jews_, 11-26. _Ezra's thanksgiving to God for these mercies_, 27, 28. NOTES ON CHAP. VII Verse Ezra 7:1. _IN THE REIGN OF ARTAXERXES_] This was Artaxerxes Longimanus, the seventh of whose reign chronologers place A.M. 3547, _sixty-eight_ years after Cyrus had sent back Zerubbabel. - _Calmet_. See the introduction

AFTER THESE THINGS - The words mark an interval of 57 years; if, with most commentators, we take Artaxerxes to be Longimanus. See the introduction to the Book of Ezra. Three kings named Artaxerxes, the Greek rendering of the Hebrew Artakhshasta, and the Persian Artakhshatra, ruled over Persia, namely,: Longimanus, Mnemon, and Ochus. The evidence is in favor of the first being meant here: he was the grandson of Darius Hystaspis, Jeshua’s contemporary. The genealogy of Ezra here is incomplete. The time between the Exodus and Ezra must have exceeded one thousand years, and cannot have been covered by 16 generations. One gap may be filled up from 1 Chronicles 6:7, which supplies six names between Meraioth and Azariah Ezra 7:3 : another gap probab

PART II. SECOND RETURN OF THE ISRAELITES FROM CAPTIVITY UNDER EZRA. 1. DECREE OF ARTAXERXES, AND RETURN UNDER EZRA, WITH THE NUMBERS OF THOSE WHO RETURNED, AND THE NAMES OF THE CHIEF MEN. EXPOSITION FIFTY-SEVEN years after the completion of the temple and its dedication, when the long and eventful rein of Darius was over, and his son Xerxes, probably the Ahas

Ver. 1-5. NOW AFTER THESE THINGS,.... The finishing of the temple, and the dedication of it, and keeping the passover: IN THE REIGN OF ARTAXERXES KING OF PERSIA; in the seventh year of his reign, Ezra 7:7, who is the same with Darius in the preceding chapter; so Jarchi and Aben Ezra; Ezra 6:14. EZRA THE SON OF SERAIAH; the high priest slain by Nebuchadnezzar Jeremiah 52:24, this Ezra was a younger son of his, brother to Josedech, and uncle to Joshua, who were high priests in succession; his pedigree is carried in the ascending line up to Aaron, in this and the four following verses; only six generations, for brevity sake, are omitted, between Azariah and Meraioth, which may be suppli

II. THE RETURN UNDER EZRA AND HIS REFORMATION CHAPTER 7 _ 1. The journey of Ezra to Jerusalem (Ezra 7:1)_ 2. The decree of Artaxerxes (Ezra 7:11) 3. Ezra's thanksgiving (Ezra 7:27) Ezra 7:1. The record of the return under Zerubbabel and the rebuilding of the temple ends with the previous chapter. Many years passed after the temple had been built before the godly Ezra and his companions returned to Jerusalem. No record whatever is in existence covering the years which intervened between Zerubabbel's expedition and work, and Ezra's expedition. The critics claim that “it was in these apparently barren years that the priestly c

PART II (Ezra 7-10). THE WORK OF EZRA. Ezra 7:1. Ezra's Genealogy; his Return to Palestine. Ezra 7:1. Now after these things: _i.e._ those recorded as having taken place in the sixth year of Darius (Ezra 6:15). IN THE REIGN OF ARTAXERXES: 465- 425 B.C. What is now recorded took place in the seventh year (see Ezra 7:7) of Artaxerxes, _i.e._ in 458, so that a period of nearly sixty years is passed over in silence. For the genealogy of Ezra _cf._ 1 Chronicles 6:4. It is not complete; in addition to...

ARTAXERXES. the great king: i.e. Darius (Hystaspis). See notes on p. 618. App-57 and App-58. EZRA. By this genealogy (verses: Ezra 7:1), compared with 1 Chronicles 6:15, Ezra was brother to Jehozadak and uncle to the high priest Joshua. Ezra was deported with Zedekiah. SON. descendant. SERAIAH. Slain at Riblah (2 Kings 25:18)....

Ezra 7:1-10. A brief Summary of Events 1 5. Ezra's Genealogy _Now after these things_ An interval of 58 years is passed over in silence (516 458). One allusion has already been made to the reign of Xerxes (ch. Ezra 4:6). But with this exception the Compiler apparently found nothing to record of historic importance in the formation of the new religious community at Jerusalem during the period which elapsed between the completion of the Temple and the accession of Artaxerxes. The story of Esther belongs to Xerxes" reign, which belongs to the chronicles of -the Dispersion". It has no part in the development of the Jewish constitution. -Now after these things". A not infrequent phrase combining connexion (-now" or -and") with the previous narrative and statement of indefinite interval. Cf....