Ezra

Chapters 7-8

Leon L. Combs, B.S., M.A., M.Div., Ph.D.

Chapter Seven

Ezra 7:1-6 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, there went up Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, (2) son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, (3) son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, (4) son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, (5) son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest. (6) This Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all he requested because the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.

We finally come to the events regarding Ezra coming to Jerusalem. It has been 57 years since the completion of the temple as told in chapter six. The author is more concerned with the theological aspects involved rather than giving a complete history of this period of history of the Jews. By studying the book of Esther after chapter six before studying chapter seven gives us some understanding of the environment of Jerusalem that was a part of the Persian Empire during this time.

The identity of Artaxerxes is disputed but the most prevalent view is that he is Artaxerxes I which means that Ezra arrived in Palestine in 458 B.C. This view gives a gap of about 60 years between the evens in chapters 6 and 7. There is a new beginning here in that Ezra is definitely identified as returning to Jerusalem. After studying Esther, we have a better understanding of the environment in which the Jews were returning. The opposition in Xerxes’s reign (485 B.C.) is the only recorded event in this time period as also stated obliquely in Ezra 4:6 Now in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

The genealogy of Ezra is extraordinary as it lists his ancestry back to Aaron, brother of Moses. In Hebrew the term “son of” often has the same meaning as “descendant of” so there may be more than one generation between the names. Seraiah was the high priest under Zedekiah who was killed in 587 B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar about 129 years before Ezra arrived. Azariah is the name of about 25 OT people including one of Daniel’s companions (Dan 1:6-7). Hilkiah was the high priest under Josiah (2 Kings 22:4). Shallum means complete. Zadok was a priest under David and Ahitub was the grandfather of Zadok. Amariah means “Yahweh has spoken” and Zerahiah means “Yahweh has shone forth”. Uzzi means “Yahweh is strength” and Bukki means “vessel of Yahweh”. Abishua was the great grandson of Aaron (1 Chron 6:4-5) and Phinehas was the grandson of Aaron. Eleazar is “God has helped” and the Greek transliteration is Lazarus.

Ezra was a teacher or scribe and they served kings as secretaries or took dictation. From the exilic period the scribes studied and taught the Scriptures. Saying that Ezra was well versed or

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skilled in the Law of Moses means that he was an expert in the Mosaic Law that Yahweh had given Israel. Since Jerusalem was part of the Persian Empire the group needed permission to leave Babylon and go to Jerusalem. Nehemiah came from Susa but Ezra came from Babylon. We see here an expression of the providence of God as the king granted Ezra his entire request because the hand of the Lord his God was upon him. The community of Jews has been preserved because God acted.

Ezra 7:7-10Some of the sons of Israel and some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. (8) He came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. (9) For on the first of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, because the good hand of his God was upon him. (10) For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.

Many of the exiles lived in Babylon and many had returned to Jerusalem in 538. The Jewish community continued its worship of God and maintained the separate categories of worshiper as indicated in verse seven. Scholars are not certain as to which calendar the writer is referring so the exact dates are speculative. During the exile the Israelites adopted a civil fall to fall calendar (Tishri to Tishri) and some have assumed that they kept that calendar when they returned to Jerusalem. Then the seventh year of Artaxerxes would be from Tishri 458 to Tishri 457 and Ezra would have left on March 27, 458 and arrived on July 23, 457. Whatever calendar is assumed the journey would have taken 119 days or four months. The direct route from Babylon to Jerusalem is about 500 miles but they would have all had to travel 900 miles as they would have gone northwest along the Euphrates River and then south. The extra distance and time is due mainly to the presence of children and the elderly.

The phrase at the end of verse 9 indicates that God has placed His permanent help and grace upon them. Verse 10 gives us the reason for why Ezra studied the law of the LORD to such an extent. His interest was not just for an intellectual inquiry but as the basis for all of his life and the lives of those in his congregation. The order study, practice, and teach is the proper order for learning the way of God. Anyone called to teach must also study and practice obedience. The word statutes refer to the appointed regulations of conduct for a person of God and ordinances

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are duties and rights determined by the authority of God. Used together they refer to all of the requirements of the law of God.

Ezra 7:11- 12Now this is the copy of the decree which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, learned in the words of the commandments of the LORD and His statutes to Israel: (12) "Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace. And now

Many scholars think the letter of Artaxerxes I permitting Ezra’s return in 458 B.C to be the beginning point of Daniel’s first 69 weeks as Daniel 9:25 could refer to the events we have been studying about the rebuilding of the temple and Jerusalem. I have added a discussion about this possibility at the end of this discussion. The text of the decree in vv. 12-26 is in Aramaic as was the text in Ezra 4:8-6:18. The Aramaic sections mostly contain official documents. The people to whom he is writing would have understood Hebrew and Aramaic although the official language was Aramaic in most regions. The author here again states the credentials of Ezra as God has raised him to be an expert in the words and statues of God as He has given to Israel. The letter contains phrases that are typical Persian and some details of which only Jews would be aware. So it seems that the decree was written by Persian officials with the aid of some Jewish advisors. The phrase “king of kings” is a title used specifically for Persian kings and not of later Greek rulers so this helps authenticate the dating of the document. The title of Ezra given in verse 12 might be understood to be an official designation of the status of Ezra as perhaps “secretary of state for Jewish affairs”.

Ezra 7:13-17I have issued a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdom who are willing to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. (14) "Forasmuch as you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God which is in your hand, (15) and to bring the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, (16) with all the silver and gold which you find in the whole province of Babylon, along with the freewill offering of the people and of the priests, who offered willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem; (17) with this money, therefore, you shall diligently buy bulls, rams and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings and offer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.

The king wishes Ezra to have perfect peace that means in all aspects. Before going into the details, an overview of the letter is helpful to see that it contains five stipulations:

1. It authorizes Ezra and others to go to Jerusalem to make sure God’s law is observed. (vv. 14, 25)

2. A grant is provided to purchase sacrifices and temple vessels (vv.15-19).3. The treasurers are commanded to give supplies to Ezra (vv. 21-23).4. All temple officials are freed from taxation (v. 24)5. Ezra is authorized to establish a judicial system for Jews to obey (vv. 25-26).

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Verse 13 informs us that many Jews still lived in Mesopotamia and the king wanted a friendly community in Jerusalem because he was concerned about rebellions in Egypt. He then tells all Jews who are willing to go to Jerusalem may go freely. Note that he uses the phrase “people of Israel” rather than “Judeans” as the goal was to make a unified Israel for those returning. Verse 14 informs us that the king had an advisory council of seven people and other reports tell us also that the king had an advisory council of seven leading families in Persia. We also read in Esther 1:14 about such a council. The king is then stating that he and his ruling council are sending them to make sure that God’s law is being observed properly. Further he states that the law of God is in their hand indicating that they have a written rather than just an oral statement. Most scholars think that Ezra took a complete Pentateuch in its present form so that they would have a complete document as the legal instrument of this small group of people in the huge Persian Empire.

Ezra is then said to bring the silver and gold that the king and his counselors had freely offered to the God of Israel. This is a very generous gift and remained a custom until the Jewish-Roman war when the Romans diverted these contributions to the temple of Jupiter. God is stated to live in Jerusalem indicating that they think of God as not being omnipresent but as living in the temple built in Jerusalem. Such thinking is standard for the gods of these people and even today some people think of God living in “His house” meaning in the Christian church building. Such thinking lends to people going to a Sunday worship service for an hour or so and then leaving thinking they are leaving the presence of God and so He cannot know what they are then doing or thinking. Artaxerxes then tells them to take all the silver and gold in all of the province of Babylon and the freewill offerings of the people and priests given for the house of their God in Jerusalem and to buy items needed for sacrifices. The only way that the king could have known what sacrifices were needed is if he had Jewish advisors helping to write the decree. Persian kings took very seriously the religious actions of their people as they wanted to obtain all the spiritual help available since they did not believe in one God. He states that they are to place such sacrifices on the altar in the house of their God in Jerusalem.

Ezra 7:18-22 "Whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do according to the will of your God. (19) "Also the utensils which are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem. (20) "The rest of the needs for the house of your God, for which you may have occasion to provide, provide for it from the royal treasury. (21) "I, even I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the provinces beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it shall be done diligently, (22) even up to 100 talents of silver, 100 kors of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt as needed.

The king then gives Ezra and his brothers the authority to use the rest of the silver and gold as stated by the will of his God probably referring to the requirements of the Torah. Ezra is also instructed to use the utensils given him for worship totally before God. Those vessels taken away by Nebuchadnezzar had already been returned on the first return from exile (1:7-8) so this probably refers to items we will see in 8:27. In verse 20 they are told that they can furnish any other needs for the temple from the royal treasury. This seems overly generous but the Persian

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rulers wanted as much spiritual help as they could possibly need so they similarly related to other religious in their provinces. Portions of this generous offer could also be used in his journey as he could just show the decree to officials during his travel to obtain needed supplies. The king does set some limits for the provinces to give Ezra but they are very high. Records show that the annual tribute for the entire province of Beyond the River (meaning the Euphrates) was about 350 talents so 100 talents would be a bit over 25% of the total tribute from the region. One hundred kors of wheat would be about 380 bushels and 100 baths was about 480 gallons. A hundred talents of silver was an enormous sum of about 3.75 tons of silver. Some people question how literally this disbursement of items was actually taken for the following indicates a delay in the temple work because of a lack of contributions:

Hag 1:8-11 "Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified," says the LORD. (9) "You look for much, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why?" declares the LORD of hosts, "Because of My house which lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house. (10) "Therefore, because of you the sky has withheld its dew and the earth has withheld its produce. (11) "I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on men, on cattle, and on all the labor of your hands."

It may be that the provincial officials did not initially cooperate in carrying out the royal commands.

Ezra 7:23-26"Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, so that there will not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons. (24) "We also inform you that it is not allowed to impose tax, tribute or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, Nethinim or servants of this house of God. (25) "You, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges that they may judge all the people who are in the province beyond the River, even all those who know the laws of your God; and you may teach anyone who is ignorant of them. (26) "Whoever will not observe the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon him strictly, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of goods or for imprisonment."

We see again the wish of the king to have all people to pray to their gods to remove any wrath from his kingdom and from his sons. Darius made a similar request: that they may offer acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons. (Ezra 6:10) It is amazing that the king of one of the greatest empires the world had ever seen would be concerned about asking for help from the God of such an outwardly insignificant people. The king further states that all the people involved in temple worship would be free from all taxes. That this was a Persian practice can been seen from history when Darius I reprimanded an official for exacting tributes from someone serving Apollo. In verse 25 we see that the king understood the wisdom of Ezra to come from his God according to the writings he held in his hand. History informs us that Judah continued to be a province of the Persian Empire and at the time of Ezra Ahzai was governor. Thus Ezra was not appointed as a governor but he was given authority by the king to appoint magistrates and judges to enforce the laws of God.

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Some of these people may have lived outside of the area of Judah as the text states “beyond the River” or “Trans-Euphrates” as some translations may state. The concern of the king was that all the Jews were to be under the same law. Verse 26 does not mean that Ezra could punish people in the ways listed but that the Persian authorities were to use these punishments upon people Ezra finds to be in violation of the laws of God. We again note the separation of state and religion as previously discussed. In a similar manner to Joseph in Egypt, Ezra has been given authority in a foreign government. However depending upon a secular government to enforce Biblical principles can be dangerous. Any given society consists of two types of people: regenerate and unregenerate. Certainly God’s laws give the blueprint for a healthy society. However, in our time frame, forcing Christian principles on unregenerate people is forcing external behavior on people without the internal motivation. The result can be:

1. The development of a people or “church” that includes certain elements of “pagan” elements. Church history shows this happened during the time when Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. We also see this happening in many “Christian” denominations now.

2. There is a reaction against biblical norms and ethics as we also see happening today. Certainly Christians should be concerned about ethical behaviors in our society but without God changing the person into one of His children there is no motivation for Godly living.

Ezra 7:27-28 Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to adorn the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem, (28) and has extended lovingkindness to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king's mighty princes. Thus I was strengthened according to the hand of the LORD my God upon me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.

Beginning with verse 27 we return to Hebrew writing and is probably based upon Ezra’s own account that begins here and goes through chapter nine. It is a witness to the devotion of Ezra to God that he begins this section with praise to Him and this section is often called the “Ezra Memoirs”. Saying that God has put the adorning of the temple in Jerusalem probably refers to the embellishing of the temple by Artaxerxes in this visit by Ezra and the inclusion of his name in a previous verse: And the elders of the Jews were successful in building through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. (Ezra 6:14) He continues to thank God for strengthening him for the trip and inspiring leading men from Israel to accompany him.

Chapter Eight

Ezra 8:1-14 Now these are the heads of their fathers' households and the genealogical enrollment of those who went up with me from Babylon in the reign of King Artaxerxes: (2) of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom; of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel; of the sons of David, Hattush; (3) of the sons of Shecaniah who was of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah and with him 150 males who were in the genealogical list; (4) of the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai the

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son of Zerahiah and 200 males with him; (5) of the sons of Zattu, Shecaniah, the son of Jahaziel and 300 males with him; (6) and of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan and 50 males with him; (7) and of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah and 70 males with him; (8) and of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael and 80 males with him; (9) of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel and 218 males with him; (10) and of the sons of Bani, Shelomith, the son of Josiphiah and 160 males with him; (11) and of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai and 28 males with him; (12) and of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan and 110 males with him; (13) and of the sons of Adonikam, the last ones, these being their names, Eliphelet, Jeuel and Shemaiah, and 60 males with them; (14) and of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud, and 70 males with them.

God now emphasizes the importance of the family as he states the heads of household and the genealogy of the families who came with him to Jerusalem in this second returning. This list is different from that in Ezra 2 and Neh 7 for it is a different type of list to show the genealogical legitimacy of those returning. All the names in this list are also found in Ezra 2 so all who returned with Ezra would have had relatives in the first group that returned 80 years earlier. In this list the priest’s families are listed first (v.2) with the royal line descendants of David next (vv. 2b-3a). These are then followed by 12 lay families (3b-14). The priests are listed in the Aaronite line whereas in Ezra 2 they are listed from the Zadokite line. In 3b-14 there are twelve families listed indicating that they represent all of Israel, which consisted of 12 tribes. For these 12 families the number of men given in each is given but for the two priestly families and for Hattush the numbers are not given. The total number of men in the twelve families was 1500 and adding the women and children leads us to estimate that more than 5000 people were in the caravan.

The two priestly lines include Phinehas who was the son of Eleazar, Aaron’s third son (Exod 6:23-25) and Ezra is counted in that line. Gershom was the name of the elder son of Moses and Zipporah (Exod 2:22). The other priestly line is from Ithamar who was Aaron’s fourth son (Exod 6:23). Hattush was a great-great grandson of Zerubbabel in the line of David. Shecaniah means “Yahweh has taken up his abode” and Parosh means “flea” that may indicate insignificance although insect and animal names were common among the Hebrews. Pahath-Moab means “governor of Moab” and may be descendants of the tribe of Reuben. There are meanings of each of the names given and he lists the number of males that accompanied each of these leaders. It would have been very meaningful for many generations after these to have these names for references. After they all returned to Jerusalem there would have been many feasts and joyful occasions for the relatives to get together and remember their backgrounds.

Ezra 8:15-17Now I assembled them at the river that runs to Ahava, where we camped for three days; and when I observed the people and the priests, I did not find any Levites there. (16) So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, leading men, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, teachers. (17) I sent them to Iddo the leading man at the place Casiphia; and I told them what to say to Iddo and his brothers, the temple servants at the place Casiphia, that is, to bring ministers to us for the house of our God.

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They were now getting ready to make a four-month journey and Ezra knew that it was important to plan carefully so they camped for three days to make sure they were prepared properly. The word translated “river” is similar to the Babylonian word for “canal” and there were canals in the city of Babylon, around the city, and extending out from the city. We cannot know exactly where they paused but it was probably at one of the canals that was extending away from the city so they could make more plans while near the city if they needed to obtain something else. As he was observing and organizing all the people and priests in the group he saw that there were no Levites in the group. A Rabbinic legend states that there were Levites in the group but none of them were able to play their harps because they had bitten off the fingers on their right hands during exile in Babylon so they could not be made to play music for their temple worship. Whatever the reason, it is easy to understand that many Levites did not want to return to rather servile work in the temple when they were having so much prosperity in Babylon.

Some people think the list is corrupted since the name Elnathan is stated three times and some of the names in v. 16 are not in vv. 1-14. However the name was very common and could be three different people with the same name. He sent for nine leaders and two teachers. It is not known if any of them were heads of families. Some translators use “interpreters of the Law” rather than “teachers” and that is probably more appropriate. These two men then had a special teaching function although they were not Levites. Casiphia was a village near Babylon where there was a large community of Jews. Calling it a place has a special meaning in the Jewish community as it often designates a sanctuary:

Deu 12:5 "But you shall seek the LORD at the place which the LORD your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come.

Jer 7:3 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place.

Jer 7:6-7 if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin, (7) then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.

It is also possible that there was a temple there like the one in Elephantine or a place that had developed into a place of worship as one of the first synagogues. Elephantine is an island in the Nile River and a community of Jews worshiped there. There also are documents from this settlement that scholars use to help understand the background of Jewish worship during this period.

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Some scholars think it had a school for training temple personnel. Casiphia must have had a similar establishment. Ezra sent the eleven men to Iddo who was one of the leading men at this location. He told them what to say to Iddo and to ask him to send them some appropriate temple leaders since they did not have the appropriate Levites to bring to Jerusalem. Ezra instructed them to ask Iddo and his brothers who were temple servants at the place Casiphia to send them some people to minister at the temple.

Ezra 8:18-20According to the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of insight of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, and his sons and brothers, 18 men; (19) and Hashabiah and Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his brothers and their sons, 20 men; (20) and 220 of the temple servants, whom David and the princes had given for the service of the Levites, all of them designated by name.

Ezra is quick to give God the credit for bringing them to Sherebiah who is called a man of insight with an impressive genealogy. His sons and brothers numbered 18. He also mentions individually two of the sons of Merari with all of them numbering 20 men. Ezra now has 38 Levites to accompany him to Jerusalem. He may have been disappointed at the small number but he knows that God gave them all the desire for the journey. It speaks highly of them to leave behind their comfortable situation and to only have three days to prepare for the journey. God also provided 220 temple servants who assisted the Levites in their duties. These temple servants were Nethinim and we will see that they helped rebuild the wall (Neh 3:26).

Ezra 8:21-23Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions. (22) For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to protect us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, "The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsake Him." (23) So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our entreaty.

It is not known exactly where Ahava is located but the river is known by the name of that town and flows past Babylon as noted below. They probably camped south of Babylon at the river:

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They had a very difficult four-month journey ahead so Ezra had them declare a fast so they might humble themselves before God and ask for a safe journey for the entire caravan of men, women, children, and their many possessions. This trip was an important part of God’s plan to reestablish Jerusalem and the temple to prepare for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to bring redemption. Verse 22 shows the faith of Ezra that God would provide for their safety. He could have asked the king for a military escort to protect them from bandits along the way but he had already told the king that God was their protector and it was His hand that would protect them. If he had asked for a military escort he would have stated his lack of trust in God’s protection that he had previously proclaimed to the king. It is interesting to compare this trip with that of Nehemiah thirteen years later for he did ask the king for protection. Ezra then states his assurance that God had heard their petition through their fasting.

Ezra 8:24-30Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers; (25) and I weighed out to them the silver, the gold and the utensils, the offering for the house of our God which the king and his counselors and his princes and all Israel present there had offered. (26) Thus I weighed into their hands 650 talents of silver, and silver utensils worth 100 talents, and 100 gold talents, (27) and 20 gold bowls worth 1,000 darics, and two utensils of fine shiny bronze, precious as gold. (28) Then I said to them, "You are holy to the LORD, and the utensils are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the LORD God of your fathers. (29) "Watch and keep them until you weigh them before the leading priests, the Levites and the heads of the fathers' households of Israel at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD." (30) So the priests and the Levites accepted the weighed out silver and gold and the utensils, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God.

Sherebiah, Hashabiah and the ten were Levites and not priests so it seems to be a more accurate reading to insert “aside from” before the name of Sherebiah. He then set aside 12 priests and 12 Levites for this task. According to Num. 4 the priests were in charge of the tabernacle furnishings but the Levites were to carry them. We see in verse 30 that Ezra included both of these groups in this effort to bring in the items. Ezra clearly stated that all of these offerings came from both the king and his counselors and princes and the Israelites so he is giving credit to all who gave. Ezra is setting a great example for us today in that he was very precise to choose

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the people to whom he was giving responsibility and to be careful to weigh out all of the valuables so there would be no doubt later that all was done properly. It is also very important to make a written record as he has done. It was all carefully recorded at the beginning and then checked at the end of the journey. The “darics” appears only here and in 1 Chron 29:7 and if this is the Persian daric the gold bowls would weigh about 18.5 pounds. The shiny bronze is not found anywhere else in the OT and it may have been orichalc that was a bright yellow alloy of copper highly praised in these times. The amount of silver (25 tons) and gold (3.75 tons) seems very excessive. However it is well known that the pagan rulers supported the religions of their people as a way to obtain blessings from the gods of those people. Also some discoveries in Nippur show that many Jewish families participated in the banking businesses from 455-403 B.C. and their freewill offerings could have been large.

Ezra 8:31-36Then we journeyed from the river Ahava on the twelfth of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and the hand of our God was over us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the way. (32) Thus we came to Jerusalem and remained there three days. (33) On the fourth day the silver and the gold and the utensils were weighed out in the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them were the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui. (34) Everything was numbered and weighed, and all the weight was recorded at that time. (35) The exiles who had come from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, 12 male goats for a sin offering, all as a burnt offering to the LORD. (36) Then they delivered the king's edicts to the king's satraps and to the governors in the provinces beyond the River, and they supported the people and the house of God.

They then began their journey from the river Ahava where he had led them a three-day fast on the twelfth of the first month (Apr. 19). In 7:9 we are told they began the journey on the first of Nisan (Apr.8) but they had to gather together by the Ahava river and then have a search for the Levites (8:15-30) and those two events account for the delay. There are no details given for the journey but he informs us that God protected them from ambushes that were common along this route. They would have been especially vulnerable with 5000 people and much gold and silver and no military escort. He does not state if they had some ambushes and God defeated the attackers of if they just did not have any attacks for God kept them away but the latter seems more likely. They left Babylon on April 19 and arrived in Jerusalem on August 4 (7:8). After arriving in Jerusalem they rested for three days before proceeding with delivering the silver, gold, and utensils.

Four days after arriving in Jerusalem they proceeded to deliver the items. Meremoth was either the high priest or the treasurer. We read of a man with the same name and the same father in:

(Neh 3:4) Next to them Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz made repairs. And next to him Meshullam the son of Berechiah the son of Meshezabel made repairs. And next to him Zadok the son of Baana also made repairs.

This Meremoth is not called a priest but he was working on the wall in an area frequented by the priests. Hakkoz is often translated Koz or Coz and we read in Ezra 2:61 that they were not qualified for priestly work because they did not have the proper genealogy. We cannot be certain

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if they are the same man for this was a common name. Eleazar means “God has helped” and Phinehas was the grandson of Aaron. They were also met by two Levites: Jozabad that means “Yahweh has given”, and Noadiah that means “Yahweh has kept his appointment”. Babylonian tradition requires that all transactions must be in written form and Ezra may have had to send a signed certification of the delivery of the treasures to King Artaxerxes.

They then worshipped God with an emphasis on the number 12 in reference to the 12 tribes with the author intimating that this exilic group is representative of all Israel. One number, 77, is not a multiple of 12 but in Esdr 8:66 it is 72 that is a multiple of 12. The number 77 is often used in scripture just to indicate a large number so that also may be the meaning here. The king’s edicts or orders were probably the documents giving Ezra the authority to administer Jewish law to his fellow Jews mostly in the area of Palestine. But since it says to the king’s satraps and to the governors in the provinces beyond the Euphrates River, the order may include the Jews in other satrapies such as Egypt where a large number of Jews lived. A satrap was a ruling official in the huge Persian Empire. It seems that the governors ruled in ordinary affairs under a satrap. Being an order from the king, the governors all had to obey and the author states that they supported the people and the temple. So this second exile has been successfully completed and we all praise the Lord!

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Relating Ezra 7 and Daniel 9

Dan 9:20-27Now while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, (21) while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering. (22) He gave me instruction and talked with me and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding. (23) "At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision. (24) "Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. (25) "So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. (26) "Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. (27) "And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate."

Gabriel then announces to Daniel that he had come to give him instruction and insight with understanding. In verse 23 Daniel records Gabriel as saying that he had been highly regarded in heavenly places that reflects again on the righteousness of Daniel. He tells Daniel that he must highly regard the message and that he is purposed to be given understanding of the vision. God is very eager to answer our prayers and may even begin the answer before we finish our prayer. Gabriel then begins to expound upon the meaning so that Daniel will appreciate how God is going to end the years of discipline and hardship for captive Israel. He tells Daniel that seventy “weeks” have been decreed for the fulfilling of some goals. Notice in verse 24 Daniel gives six goals for God’s exile of His people to Babylon and for Jerusalem to be achieved during that time period:

Finish transgression Put an end to sin Atone for wickedness Bring in everlasting righteousness Seal up vision and prophecy Anoint the most holy

Perhaps God will bring about the same six goals for the church if some righteous man will pray appropriately for it.

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In verse 24, my translation states seven “weeks” and sixty-two “weeks” but this is misleading for the Hebrew word translated weeks actually means some group of seven something and other translations write this as seven “sevens” and sixty-two “sevens”. If the meaning is truly weeks the prophecy is meaningless for nothing happened during those periods of actual weeks (49 days and 434 days). Most interpreters are also agreed that the meaning is seven groups of seven years and sixty-two groups of seven years and we will use “heptads” as this is discussed. Thus the first time period is 49 years and the second time period is 434 years for a total of 483 years. In verse 27 there seems to be another time period given of one group of seven or seven years for a total of 490 years. Gabriel did tell Daniel in verse 24 that seventy “weeks” had been set aside for achieving those goals. But an accurate understanding will require a specific understanding for each goal, especially the last one.

An interpretation of these times depends upon the starting point (terminus a quo) for the dating and several possibilities have been attempted. The question then is “what is the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem of verse 25”? The date of that decree will be the starting point of the time interval of a total of 490 years. The completion of the building of Jerusalem will then be 49 years after the starting date. One possible choice for this starting date is the first decree of Cyrus the Great:

2Chron 36:23 "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up!'"

Ezra 1:2-4 "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. (3) 'Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem. (4) 'Every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.'"

Both of these verses merely discuss building the temple so this will not fit within the requirements of verse 25 of Daniel 9.

The position taken by J. Vernon McGee is the decree of Artaxerxes in the twentieth year of his reign (Neh 2:1-8) issued in the month Nisan 445 B.C. The first seven weeks takes us to 397 B.C. and to Malachi and the end of the OT as these were troublous times. The next 434 years brings us to the Messiah using a Jewish year of 360 days he arrives at 483 years or 69 sevens. At this time Jesus rode into Jerusalem as He publically offered Himself as the Messiah. Between the 69th

and 70th week the Messiah will be cut off as He is crucified and Jerusalem and the temple are destroyed in 70 A.D. The final “week” (the seventieth) he takes to be in the future that is yet unfulfilled.

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Another possibility is the decree issued to Ezra in the seventh year of Artaxerxes I in 457 B.C. (Ezra 7:12-26). This decree involved rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem (Ezra 9:9) and thus would fit with verse 25. There were considerable problems with the rebuilding of the wall and Nehemiah was disappointed when he determined no progress in 446 B.C. Taking the starting date to be 457 B.C. and counting forward 49 years brings us to 408 B.C. within which the city, walls, and moat were finished. Going forward 62 heptads (434 years) brings us to A.D. 26. But really this would be A.D. 27 since a year has to be added when crossing over zero (1 B.C. to 1 A.D.). Since the generally accepted date for the crucifixion of Jesus is 30 A.D., this date of the start of His ministry is remarkably exact. This leaves three years from His baptism until His crucifixion and resurrection, which is also generally accepted. Verse 26 is then fulfilled in A.D. 27 when “after the sixty-two heptads the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing”. Gabriel did not specify a time period when he said the cutting off would be after the sixty-two heptads. History informs us that it was three years after the sixty-two heptads that the Messiah was crucified.

The second part of verse 26 states that the people of the prince to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary but here also he does not tell the time interval. History informs us that this event could be the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Romans under Titus in A.D. 70 that was 40 years after Calvary or 43 years after the end of the sixty-ninth “week”. Forty-three years is six heptads for a total of 75 heptads that exceeds the 70 of verse 24 to achieve the six goals. But the last goal could be the beginning of the ministry of Jesus Christ for a total of 70 heptads. Gabriel only tells Daniel that from the issuing of the decree until the coming of the Messiah will be 69 heptads and we have seen a remarkable prophecy for the beginning of the ministry of Jesus Christ in A.D. 27. The dating from that point is vague for Gabriel only says “after the 62 heptads” without being specific. He says the end will come like a flood and that certainly was symbolic of what happened when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. There was also a huge war with millions of people killed and blood flowed like a flood.

Verse 27 presents some problems for it is not clear when in the sequence of years this event occurs. Some people take this last seven years to be the time from the ascension of Jesus until the establishment of the early church. Other interpreters take this last “week” to be the great tribulation after some long time period. Ordinary interpretive techniques informs us that the “he” of verse 27 is the same person mentioned previously (the prince of the people to come) and that would be the Roman ruler Titus from history. However neither of these interpretations informs us regarding the middle of the week unless the “he” is the antichrist of Revelation 13 and not Titus. The firm covenant could be a peace time between warring nations and dispensationalists take this to be a time of peace developed by the antichrist that he will invalidate in the middle of the period. I conclude this chapter with:

Deut 29:29 "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.”

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