Tree of Life Version
Ezra 7:12
12“Artaxerxes, king of kings, “To Ezra the kohen, a scribe of the Law of the God of heaven.
Ezra 7:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time.
- New International Version (NIV)Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven. Peace. And now
- New King James Version (NKJV)Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, a scribe of the Law of the God of heaven: Perfect peace, and so forth.
Context of Ezra 7:12
10For Ezra had set his heart to seek the Torah of Adonai, to observe and to teach its statues and ordinances in Israel. 11Now this is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the kohen, the scribe, a teacher of matters pertaining to the mitzvot of Adonai and His statutes over Israel: “Artaxerxes, king of kings, “To Ezra the kohen, a scribe of the Law of the God of heaven. 13“I have now issued a decree that anyone in my kingdom from the people of Israel—even the kohanim and Levites—who wish to go up to Jerusalem with you may go. 14For you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand,
Read all of Ezra 7Ezra 7:12 word by word
אַ֨רְתַּחְשַׁ֔סְתְּא מֶ֖לֶךְ מַלְכַיָּ֑א לְעֶזְרָ֣א כָ֠הֲנָא סָפַ֨ר דָּתָ֜א דִּֽי־אֱלָ֧הּ שְׁמַיָּ֛א גְּמִ֖יר וּכְעֶֽנֶת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Artaxerxesאַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׂתְּא'artachshashtâ' 'artachshasht' · ArtaxerxesH783
- kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4430
- unto Ezraעֶזְרָא‛ezrâ' · EzraH5831
- the priestכָּהֵןkâhên · priestH3549
- a scribeסָפִרsâphêr · scribeH5613
- of the lawדָּתdâth · lawH1882
- of the Godאֱלָהּ'ĕlâhh · godH426
- of heavenשָׁמַ֫יִןshâmayin · heavenH8065
- perfectגְּמַרgemar · to completeH1585
- and at such a timeכְּעֶ֫נֶתke‛eneth ke‛eth · nowH3706
Cross-references for Ezra 7:12
- 1 Kings 20:1Now King Ben-Hadad of Aram gathered all his army. With him were 32 kings, along with horses and chariots. He marched up, besieged Samaria and attacked it.
- Isaiah 10:8For he says: “Aren’t all my princes kings?
- Ezekiel 26:7For thus says Adonai Elohim: “Behold, from the north I will bring against Tyre Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses, with chariots, with horsemen and a vast army of troops.
- Daniel 2:37You, O king, are the king of kings to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, might and glory.
- 1 Timothy 6:15This He will reveal in His own time—the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and the Lord of lords,
- Revelation 17:14They will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them—because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with Him are called and chosen and faithful.”
- Revelation 19:16On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “King of kings, and Lord of lords.”
- Ezra 4:10and the rest of the peoples whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and the rest of Trans-Euphrates. (Now
Commentaries on Ezra 7:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Artaxerxes, king of kings - This letter, from the beginning of this verse to the end of Ezra 7:26, is in the Aramitic or Chaldee language. This title of the king would, in Persian, run thus: Ardsheer shahinshah, or padshah, "Ardsheer, king of kings;" "great or supreme king, or emperor."Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12The title, “king of kings,” is assumed by almost all the persian monarchs in their inscriptions. Perfect peace - “Peace” is not in the original, and the word translated “perfect” occurs only in this place. Some prefer to take it as an adjective descriptive of Ezra (see margin); others (Septuagint) as the opening word of the first paragraph of the letter, and give it the meaning, “it is completed.”Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-26Verses 11-26 The liberality of heathen kings to support the worship of God, reproached the conduct of many kings of Judah, and will rise up in judgment against the covetousness of wealthy professed Christians, who will not promote the cause of God. But the weapons of Christian ministers are not carnal. Faithful preaching, holy lives, fervent prayers, and patient suffering when called to it, are the means to bring men into obedience to Christ.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11-26In this letter, King Artaxerxes gave Ezra the authority to assess the situation in Jerusalem (Ezra 7:14), offer voluntary gifts to God (7:15–20), acquire supplies and funds from local leaders (7:21–24), and implement legal reforms (7:25–26).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. 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…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezra 7:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ezra 7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
Tree of Life Version — © 2015 The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Commentaries