Ezra 7:16 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezra 7:11-26

We have here the commission which the Persian emperor granted to Ezra, giving him authority to act for the good of the Jews; and it is very ample and full, and beyond what could have been expected. The commission runs, we suppose, in the usual form: Artaxerxes, King of kings. This however is too high a title for any mortal man to assume; he was indeed king of some kings, but to speak as if he were king of all kings was to usurp his prerogative who hath all power both in heaven and in earth. He... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 7:16

And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon ,.... Not that he might take it wherever he found it, whether the owners of it were willing he should have it or not; but whatever was freely offered by them, as Jarchi, that he was allowed to take, whatever he could get in that way: with the freewill offering of the people ; of the people of the Jews, who thought fit to continue in the province: and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezra 7:16

And all the silver and gold - The king and his counsellors had already made a present to the house of the God of Israel; and Ezra is now empowered to receive any contribution which any of the inhabitants of the province of Babylon may think proper to give. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezra 7:11-26

The reformer's commission. The insertion here of this decree of Artaxerxes at length, and in its original Chaldee form, is in more or less close keeping with the earlier parts of this book ( Ezra 1:2-4 ; Ezra 4:11-16 , Ezra 4:17-22 ; Ezra 5:6-17 ; Ezra 6:3-12 ); and furnishes an argument, therefore, strongly in favour of the unity of authorship of the whole book. It is also in keeping with the character of Ezra himself. As a special student of God's written law, he would... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezra 7:11-26

Pagan piety. It is certainly a striking fact that a second Persian monarch should have shown so right a feeling toward the people and the cause of God. We have in this Artaxerxes another illustration of pagan piety. We see— I. ITS FAITH . "Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done," etc. ( Ezra 7:23 ). Evidently Artaxerxes thoroughly believed in the existence and the power of Jehovah. It is noteworthy that he speaks of him not as the God of Judaea or... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezra 7:11-26

Ezra's commission from Artaxerxes. After giving a general account of the exodus of Israel from Babylon under his leadership, Ezra transcribes the letter of the king of Persia containing his commission. In considering this very remarkable document, we notice— I. THE GREETING . 1. The monarch announces himself. "Artaxerxes king of kings." 2. He addresses his letter : II. THE FAVOURS . Verse 13, etc. The particulars are— 1. Permission to go up to Jerusalem. ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezra 7:11-28

1. the permission accorded to all Persian subjects of Israelite descent to accompany Ezra to Jerusalem (verse 13); 2. the commission to Ezra to convey to Jerusalem certain offerings made by the king and his chief courtiers to the God of Israel (verses 15, 19); 3. the permission given him to convey to Jerusalem the free-will offerings of Jews and others resident in Babylonia (verse 16); 4. permission to Ezra to draw on the royal treasury to the amount of a hundred talents of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezra 7:16

All the silver and gold that thou canst find. Rather, "that thou canst obtain"— " all that thou canst get my other subjects to give thee." Compare the proclamation of Cyrus ( Ezra 1:4 , Ezra 1:6 ). read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Ezra 7:15-16

Ezra 7:15-16. Which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel This shows that they had a high opinion of the God of Israel, and were desirous of his favour. And all the silver and gold that thou canst find That is, procure, as שׁכח , shechach, often signifies. Whatsoever thou canst get of my subjects, by way of free gift. With the free-will-offering of the people Namely, of Israel. read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Ezra 7:1-28

7:1-8:36 RETURN UNDER EZRAThe temple was completed in 516 BC. Ezra’s return was in 458 BC, the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes I (see 7:1,7). There is therefore a gap of about sixty years between Chapters 6 and 7. By the time of Ezra, former leaders such as Zerubbabel, Joshua, Haggai and Zechariah had died. Without their leadership, Israel’s religious life became weak and its community life disordered. The only detailed information that the Bible gives of events during these years is... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezra 7:11-26

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 7:16

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezra 7:16

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezra 7:11-26

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezra 7:11-26

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezra 7:11-26

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezra 7:11-28

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezra 7:16

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Ezra 7:15-16

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Ezra 7:1-28

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