Commentary - Ezra 7:1-10

Bird's-eye view

After a significant gap in the narrative of some sixty years, the book of Ezra pivots from the physical rebuilding of the temple to the spiritual rebuilding of the people. The first six chapters dealt with the return under Zerubbabel and the reconstruction of the house of God. Now, in chapter seven, we are introduced to the central figure of the second half of the book, Ezra himself. This passage establishes Ezra's credentials, outlines his mission, and, most importantly, identifies the ultimate source of his success. The repeated refrain is that "the hand of Yahweh his God was upon him." This is a story of divine providence orchestrating a second wave of restoration, this time focused on the law of God. Ezra is presented as a man prepared by God for a specific task, a man whose heart was wholly committed to the Word of God, not just as an academic subject, but as a rule for life and the foundation for national reformation.

Outline

Context In Ezra

Ezra 7 marks a major transition in the book. The events of Ezra 1-6 conclude around 516 B.C. with the dedication of the second temple. The events of this chapter begin in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, which is 458 B.C. This means there is a gap of nearly sixty years between chapters 6 and 7. During this time, the generation that rebuilt the temple has passed away, and a new generation has arisen. While the temple stands, the spiritual state of the people has languished. The initial zeal has cooled, and compromise with the surrounding pagan cultures has set in, as we will see in the subsequent chapters. God's response to this spiritual decay is not a new building project, but a man saturated in His Word. The first return was about restoring the place of worship; this second return is about restoring the Word of God to its rightful place in the lives of the worshippers.

Ezra Goes Up from Babylon to Jerusalem (7:1-10)

1 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.

The narrative resumes after a long silence, and the first thing we are given is a man's resume. But it is a resume of God's making. The history of redemption is not a history of abstract forces, but a story of God working through particular people in particular times. The mention of Artaxerxes grounds us in secular history, reminding us that God's plan unfolds on the stage of world empires. Then we have the man, Ezra. His name means "help," and he is God's appointed help for His people. The genealogy that follows is not just filler. It is a crucial statement of legitimacy. In a restoration community, where everything has to be rebuilt from the rubble, credentials matter. This list anchors Ezra firmly in the Aaronic priesthood, tracing his line back through key figures like Zadok, the faithful priest in David's time, and Phinehas, zealous for the Lord's honor. This isn't just a family tree; it is a declaration that Ezra has the authority to handle the holy things of God. He is no usurper, no self-appointed guru. He is a true priest, from the line God Himself established.

6 This Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses, which Yahweh, the God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all he requested because the hand of Yahweh his God was upon him.

Here we get to the heart of Ezra's qualifications. He "went up" from Babylon. This is exodus language. It is a pilgrimage, a holy ascent to the city of God. And who is this man making the journey? He is a "scribe skilled in the law of Moses." His priesthood was his by birth, but his skill in the law was his by discipline. A scribe was more than a mere copyist; he was a scholar, an expert, a master of the text. He had dedicated his life to the study of God's Word. Notice the source of this law: it is that which "Yahweh, the God of Israel had given." The authority rests not in Moses, but in the God who spoke through Moses. Ezra's expertise was in divine revelation. And then we see the engine behind the entire enterprise. Why did a powerful pagan king, Artaxerxes, grant Ezra everything he asked for? The text is plain: "because the hand of Yahweh his God was upon him." This is the central theme. God's invisible, sovereign hand moves the visible, powerful hand of a king. Providence is not a secondary doctrine; it is the explanation for everything. God wanted His people reformed, and so He moved in the heart of a Persian monarch to sign the checks and authorize the mission.

7 And some 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.

Ezra did not go alone. God was not just rebuilding one man, but a community. A contingent of Israelites, along with the full spectrum of temple personnel, joined him. This shows that the mission was comprehensive. It was about restoring the full life and worship of the covenant community. The priests were needed for sacrifice, the Levites for service and teaching, the singers for praise, the gatekeepers for order, and the temple servants for the practical support of the ministry. This was a miniature Israel, a seed of reformation, heading back to the land to revitalize the whole.

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.

We are given the specific timeline of the journey. It began on the first day of the first month, Nisan, the month of Passover and the original exodus. This is deliberate. Ezra's journey is a new exodus, a new act of redemption. The journey took four months, a significant and arduous trek of about 900 miles through dangerous territory. And the reason for his safe arrival is stated again, lest we miss it. He made it "because the good hand of his God was upon him." The first mention was of God's hand of providence in the king's court; this is God's hand of protection on the road. From the palace to the dusty trail, God's sovereignty was the shield and security of His people. Their success was not due to their clever planning or the size of their caravan, but to the simple fact of God's favor.

10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of Yahweh and to practice it, and to teach His statute and judgment in Israel.

This verse is the spiritual biography of Ezra and the theological center of the chapter. The word "For" connects it directly to the previous statement. Why was the good hand of God upon him? Because Ezra was a particular kind of man. God blesses the means of grace, and Ezra was a man wholly given over to those means. Notice the progression, for the order is non-negotiable for any true reformation. First, Ezra "had set his heart to study the law of Yahweh." The verb "set" or "prepared" indicates a firm, settled resolution. This was not a casual hobby. His life was oriented around the deep, diligent study of Scripture. He was a man of the Book. Second, he set his heart "to practice it." His study was not for the sake of accumulating knowledge or winning arguments. It was for obedience. The truth was to be lived. He knew that a teacher who does not embody his own teaching is a fraud and a clanging cymbal. The Word had to be worked into the fabric of his own life before he could commend it to others. Third, after study and practice, he set his heart "to teach His statute and judgment in Israel." The goal of his personal piety was public reformation. The overflow of his study and obedience was to be a blessing to the entire nation. He was to restore the rule of God's Word over the people of God. This three-fold cord, study, do, teach, is the divine pattern for all faithful ministry. It was true for Ezra, and it is true for us.