Ezra, the priest and scribe whose name this book bears, enters the inspired record at this point. An interval of about forty-six years had elapsed since the close of chapter 6, during which Darius Hystaspes had died, and been succeeded on the throne of Persia by Xerxes, his son,—the Ahasuerus of the book of Esther.
Xerxes also had died, and his son Artaxerxes Longimanus had at this time been king for six years. This king, under God's providential overruling, favored the Jews more than Cyrus, who directed the rebuilding of the temple, or Darius Hystaspes who aided in its completion, as we have seen.
Artaxerxes is of perhaps greatest interest on account of his being the king who gave the commandment to restore Jerusalem, marking the beginning of the seventy weeks (of years) of Daniel 9:2121Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. (Daniel 9:21). This action was taken in the king's twentieth year (Nehemiah chapters 1, 2),
Chapter 7 then opens at a period about 66 years later than the first year of Cyrus, the time with which the book of Ezra begins, its first six chapters over which we have gone, dealing with the state of the people, and the building of the temple, during the period of twenty years.
Haggai and Zechariah, the prophets, now are gone, their testimony closed,—and Malachi now, last of the Old Testament prophets, is soon to appear.
Ezra's name means "help", and such he was, when the Jews were sinking into the ways of the idolatrous world around them. He had evidently been born in Babylon, the land of Judah's captivity, and there learned what was used of God for the moulding of his life. Verse 10 gives the key to Ezra's enrollment among the servants of God.
It is not that he set out to achieve a place of distinction, or to obtain leadership or power. He "directed his heart to seek the law of the Lord, to do it, and to teach it in Israel.”
Mark the order of these things; it was thus that Ezra became a "ready scribe in the law of Moses which the Lord God of Israel had given."
Artaxerxes and his counsellors, moved by God, unconsciously to themselves, sent Ezra to Jerusalem to inquire concerning the state of Judah and Jerusalem, according to God's Word, and to carry thither gifts of silver and gold, both money and vessels for the temple., The king further ordered that silver, wheat, wine, oil and salt, in abundance should be supplied by the treasurers beyond the river (Euphrates) to Ezra as he might require.
Whatever God ("the God of Heaven," — or the Heavens) commanded, the king would have supplied for the temple at Jerusalem. No tribute or tax should be imposed upon the priest, Levites and others who were connected with the temple.
Ezra was to appoint magistrates and judges, and to teach those who knew not the law of his God. Punishment was to be inflicted upon those who might be insubordinate.
Every Israelite, who desired to go to Jerusalem with Ezra, was free to do so. In view of all this, the heart of Ezra overflowed in thankfulness, and he gathered together chief men of Israel to go up with him.