Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezra 7:14
Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counselors, to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which [is] in thine hand;
14. Object of the commission: ( a) to investigate.
of the king, and of his seven counsellers ] R.V. marg. Aram. ‘ from before the king ’.
‘The counsellers’ are mentioned again Ezr 7:15; Ezr 7:28. ‘The seven’ here spoken of should be compared with ‘the seven princes of Persia and Media, which saw the king’s face, and sat first in the kingdom’ (Est 1:14).
to enquire ] R.V. to inquire. Same word in the original as ‘to make search’ in Ezr 4:15. The object of the enquiry is not defined except by the clause ‘according to the law of thy God’; from which we must conclude that the moral and religious condition of the Jews at Jerusalem having occasioned anxiety to the Jews at Babylon, Ezra, who in some way enjoyed the favour of the court, obtained permission to enquire generally into the position.
Judah and Jerusalem ] Cf. Ezr 5:1.
according to the law ] Literally ‘with, or, through the law’.
which is in thine hand ] Not a book in Ezra’s private possession, but the law of the Israelite people, in which Ezra was reputed to be the best instructed of his day.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Seven counselors – Herodotus relates that there were seven families pre-eminent in Persia, those of the seven conspirators against the Pseudo-Smerdis (Ezr 4:7 note); and it is reasonable to suppose that the heads of these families formed the special council of the king; the Achaemenidae, or royal family, being represented by the head of the branch next in succession to that of the reigning monarch (see the marginal reference).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 14. His seven counsellors] It is very likely that the privy counsel of the king consisted of seven persons simply. The names of these seven counsellors or chamberlains may be found in the book of Esther, Es 1:10.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
His seven counsellors; his chief nobles and officers of state, of whom see also Est 1:10,14.
To inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, i.e. to make inquiry into all abuses and deviations from your law, and to redress them.
Which is in thine hand; which is now and always in thy hand, being the matter of thy daily study and exercise; which thou now carriest along with thee, the interpretation whereof belongeth unto thee.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
14. sent of the king, and of hisseven counsellorsThis was the fixed number of the privycouncil of the kings of Persia (Est 1:10;Est 1:14). The documentdescribes, with great clearness and precision, the nature of Ezra’scommission and the extent of power and prerogatives with which he wasinvested. It gave him authority, in the first place, to organize thecolony in Judea and institute a regular government, according to thelaws of the Hebrew people, and by magistrates and rulers of their ownnation (Ezr 7:25; Ezr 7:26),with power to punish offenders by fines, imprisonment, exile, ordeath, according to the degree of their criminality. Secondly, he wasempowered to carry a large donation in money, partly from the royaltreasury and partly raised by voluntary contributions among hiscountrymen, to create a fund out of which to make suitable provisionfor maintaining the regular worship of God in Jerusalem (Ezr 7:16;Ezr 7:17). Thirdly, the Persianofficers in Syria were commanded to afford him every assistance bygifts of money within a certain specified limit, in carrying out theobjects of his patriotic mission (Ezr7:21).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors,…. Such a number the kings of Persia used to have from the times of Darius Hystaspis, who was chosen out of seven nobles to be king, and ever after the Persian kings had seven counsellors privileged, as those nobles were, Es 1:14, and Ezra had the honour to be sent with a commission from this king and his seven counsellors,
to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem; the inhabitants thereof, whether they had knowledge of and behaved
according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand; a copy of which he had with him, and was very expert in and conversant with, and could readily and at once pass judgment whether they acted according to it or not.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(14) Seven counsellors.These are mentioned in Est. 1:14, and were probably the heads of those families who aided Darius Hystaspis against the pseudo-Smerdis, as mentioned by Herodotus.
According to the law of thy God.Ezras commission was first to enquire into the condition of the city and province, with regard to the relation of both to the Divine law.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
14. His seven counsellors Seven seems to have been a favourite and sacred number among the Persians as among the Jews. “Besides the royal family itself or clan of the Achaemenidae there were six great houses which had a rank superior to that of all the other grandees. According to Herodotus these houses derived their special dignity from the accident that their heads had been fellow-conspirators with Darius Hystaspes, ( Herod., 3:84;) but there is reason to suspect that the rank of the families was precedent to the conspiracy in question, certain families conspiring because they were great, and not becoming great because they conspired. At any rate, from the time of Darius I., there seem to have been seven great families, including that of the Achaemenidae, whose chiefs had the privilege of free communication with the monarch, and from which he was legally bound to choose his legitimate wives. The chiefs appear to have been known as ‘the seven princes,’ or the ‘ seven counsellors,’ of the king. Est 1:14. They sat next to him at public festivals; they were privileged to tender him their advice whenever they pleased, ( Herod., 3:84, 118;) they recommended important measures of state, and were, in part, responsible for them; they could demand admission to the monarch’s presence at any time, unless he were in the female apartments; they had precedence on all great occasions of ceremony, and enjoyed a rank altogether independent of office. Sometimes perhaps most commonly they held office; but they rather conferred a lustre on the position which they consented to fill, than derived any additional splendour from it.” RAWLINSON, Ancient Monarchies, vol. iii, p. 223.
To inquire concerning Judah It would seem that Ezra had received some intimation of irregularities among the Jews at Jerusalem, and of their ignorance and neglect of the law, and had asked authority from the king to go and inquire about the matter, and, if possible, rectify it.
In thine hand In thy possession. Compare Ezr 7:25, where the wisdom of God is spoken of as in the hand of Ezra.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The several features in this grant were all in favor of the church. And how strange would it seem did we not look deeper than the surface of the matter, and behold the Lord’s hand in the direction, to view an idolatrous heathen giving assistance to the church of Jesus. John saw a wonder in heaven when he saw the earth helping the woman. Rev 12:16 . And surely it is a wonder which grace only can explain, when men become the unwilling instruments of accomplishing the very reverse of what they intend. Witness the sons of Jacob in their intended ruin of Joseph. And yet infinitely higher and more important, and never to be lost sight of, when the Jews crucified the Lord of life and glory, how little did they consider what blessings they became the instruments to accomplish! I have to call upon the Reader to admire and adore the Lord God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, for the wonderful change which must have been wrought in the minds of Artaxerxes and his princes, to favor the cause of God so very highly. Not only giving Ezra authority to take with him all as many as felt inclined to go up to Jerusalem, but also to grant him money so liberally to do all that was in his heart. And to impose upon all his subjects an obedience to whatever Ezra should demand in favor of the cause he was engaged in. Surely no higher proof can be required that the hearts of all men are at the Lord’s disposal, and that like rivers of water he turneth them whithersoever he pleaseth. Pro 21:1 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Ezr 7:14 Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which [is] in thine hand;
Ver. 14. And of his seven counsellors ] Without whom the king did nothing of moment. This king was better affected to his council than his father Xerxes had been, of whom it is storied, that in his expedition against Greece he called his princes together, as if he would have been advised by them, but spoke to them to this purpose: Lest, saith he, I should seem to follow mine own counsel, I have assembled you. And now do you remember, that it becomes you rather to obey than advise. Valerius Maximus, l. 9. c. 5. ext. 2. 2:339
To inquire concerniny Judah
According to the law of thy God
Which is in thine hand
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
seven counsellors. Compare Est 1:10, Est 1:14.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
of the king: Chal, from before the king
seven counsellors: Seven princes of Persia having conspired against and slain the usurper Smerdis, and thus made way for the family of Darius, which afterwards filled the throne, the Persian kings of this race had always seven chief princes as their counsellors, who possessed peculiar privileges, were his chief assistants in the government, and by whose advice all the public affairs of the empire were transacted. The names of these counsellors are given in the parallel place of the book of Esther. Est 1:14
according: Ezr 7:25, Ezr 7:26, Deu 17:18, Deu 17:19, Isa 8:20
thy God: Ezr 1:3, Ezr 5:8, Ezr 6:12, Dan 2:47, Dan 6:20, Dan 6:26
Reciprocal: Ezr 7:28 – his counsellors Est 3:1 – above all the princes Zec 6:10 – which
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Ezr 7:14. And of his seven counsellors His chief nobles and officers of state; of whom see Est 1:10; Est 1:14. This decree, being made by their advice, had the greater authority. To inquire concerning Judah according to the law of thy God To make inquiry into all abuses and deviations from your law, and to redress them. Which is in thy hand With which thou art very conversant, and in which thou art well skilled. It may seem strange that the edict should be drawn up in this manner, as it is more in the style of a Jewish supreme governor than of a heathen king; but it is not improbable that Ezra, being in such favour in the Persian court, might get the edict drawn up in the manner and words which he thought would be most proper for the purposes for which he had obtained it.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
7:14 Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to {h} enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which [is] in {i} thine hand;
(h) To examine who lived according to the law.
(i) Of which you are an expert.