Ezra 7:11

“Now this is the copy of the letter that the King Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, etc.] This title relating to his office is justly given him, since he was the son of an high priest, and lineally descended from Aaron, as the above account of his pedigree shows: the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of his statutes to Israel; the doubling of the word “scribe”) shows that he was very wise and learned in the law, in the commandments and statutes of it the Lord gave to Israel; not only in the language of it in which it was written, but in the matter and substance of it, in the things contained in it; for yrbd “dibre”, signfiies “things” as well as…”

“GRACIOUS COMMISSION OF ARTAXERXES. (Ezra 7:11-26) this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave--The measure which this document authorized, and the remarkable interest in the Jews displayed in it, were most probably owing to the influence of Esther, who is thought to have been raised to the high position of queen a few months previous to the departure of Ezra [HALES]. According to others, who adopt a different chronology, it was more probably pressed upon the attention of the Persian court by Ezra, who, like Daniel, showed the prophecies to the king; or by some leading Jews on his accession, who, seeing the unsettled and disordered state of the colony after the deaths of…”

“Words - The phrase seems emphatical, noting that he explained both the words and the things: for the Jews in the land of their captivity had in a great measure lost both the language, and the knowledge of God's commands, and therefore Ezra and his companions instructed them in both. Ezra 7:14”

“7:11-26 In this letter, King Artaxerxes granted Ezra the power and responsibility to evaluate the situation in Jerusalem (7:14), present freewill offerings to God (7:15-20), obtain supplies and finances from local authorities (7:21-24), and institute judicial reforms (7:25-26).”

“the copy: Ezr 4:11, Ezr 5:6 a scribe: Ezr 7:6; Mat 23:2, Mat 23:13; Mar 7:1-13 Ezra 7:12”

“The commission given by Artachshasta to Ezra ( Ezr 7:11), with a short postscript by Ezra ( Ezr 7:27 and Ezr 7:28). \- Ezr 7:11 The introductory title, "This is the copy of the letter," On פּרשׁגן, comp. Ezr 4:11, and on נשׁתּון, Ezr 4:7. Ezra is here, as also in the letter itself, Ezr 7:12, Ezr 7:21, and in Neh 8:9; Neh 12:26, called only הסּופר הכּהן, the priest, the scribe; in other places we find merely one title or the other: either the priest, Neh 10:10, Neh 10:16, Neh 8:2; or the scribe, Neh 8:4, Neh 8:13; Neh 12:36. To designate him according to his rank, as the priest, seems to have subsequently become more customary; hence in the first book of Esdras he is constantly called ὁ…”