Ezra 7:23

Ezr 7:23 Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?

Ver. 23. For why should there be wrath] Heb. Boiling or foaming anger, great indignation, as it is rendered, and made the utmost degree of the Divine displeasure, Deu 29:28. Of all things God cannot endure to be slighted, and to have his service neglected; this blind nature saw, and was, therefore, sedulous herein to prevent wrath. Aristotle hath this divine precept, Pρωτα περι θειων επιμελει, Make religion thy first and chief care, that thou mayest prosper, &c. (Arist. Polit. l. 7. c. 8). Let our worship scorners look to it: Do they provoke the Lord to wrath? Are they stronger than he? Will they bring God’s vengeance upon us all?

Against the realm of the king and his sons] For God is higher than the highest, and will rain down indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doth evil, or that neglecteth to do good, Rom 2:8-9; for not serving of God, not sacrificing, is a sin, Mal 3:18 Ecc 9:2. And sin doth as naturally draw and suck judgments to it, both personal and public, as the lodestone doth iron, or turpentine fire.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Ezr_7:23

Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done.

The decree of Artaxerzes

It is remarkable that some of the richest effusions of poetry in the whole Scriptures proceeded from heathen monarchs, e.g., Darius and Nebuchadnezzar. Consider these words--

I. In reference to the Jewish church.

1. The state of the Jewish Church at this time is not unlike to that in which it was in the days of Ezra. It is impossible to behold them in their religious services, and not to see how thick s veil is yet upon their hearts. Nor do they manifest any respect for their own law in its sublimer precepts. Of real holiness of heart and life they are ignorant in the extreme.

2. But to us is given, no less than to Ezra, a command to advance their welfare.

3. In this work we should engage with all diligence (Rom_11:30-31).

II. In reference to the church which is amongst us.

1. We need to have Gods work advanced in our midst.

2. We ought to engage in this work with our whole hearts. Conclusion:

We ought to obey this imperial mandate--

1. In a way of personal reformation.

2. In a way of ministerial exertion. (C. Simeon, M. A.)

Christian missions

We may well sit at the feet of Artaxerxes and learn from heathen lips the extent of our duty and the nature of our obligations. We plead for missions.

I. To assign some reasons for active devotedness to the cause of God in the world.

1. From the Divine authority by which it is enjoined. It is commanded by the God of heaven. We love to see the estimate of Christian duties from the men of the world. They often take a just measure of our obligations. The law of love to the perishing heathen is clearly laid down. God makes man the medium of His blessings to man. The same God who bids us believe on the Lord Jesus Christ that we may be saved bids us go into all the world, etc. We should like to see inscribed over all our missionary institutions the law, Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.

2. From the urgent necessity which exists for your exertions.

3. From the fearful consequences of the neglect of this duty. For why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?

4. From the success which has attended the fulfilment of this duty.

II. To offer some suggestions as to the spirit and mode in which this work should be carried on.

1. Earnestly, without remissness. Let it be diligently done.

2. Prayerfully.

3. Speedily. (Samuel Thodey.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Ezr 7:23. Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done — Here Jacobus Capellus cries out in a kind of rapture, “O, words to be written upon the palaces of kings, in golden letters, and engraven on the minds of all, with a style of adamant! For they express an exceeding great sense of God, and of his supreme authority, and the regard due to him from the greatest kings and potentates.” It appears from this verse, that Ezra had informed Artaxerxes that the God of Israel had appointed and given his people certain laws, according to which he was to be worshipped, and therefore the edict enjoins these laws to be exactly observed. For why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons? — For the omission of any part of his worship, occasioned by my neglect. He discerned his duty in this matter, and the danger of incurring God’s displeasure if he neglected it, partly by the light of nature, and principally by the information of Ezra. The neglect and contempt of religion brings the judgments of God upon kings and kingdoms; and the likeliest expedient to turn away his wrath, when it is ready to break out against a people, is to support and encourage religion.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7:23 the God of heaven: This is the title by which the Jews had referred to the Lord (5:11-12) and that Cyrus had used (1:2). The Persian king probably believed, like others in the ancient Near East, that each country’s god or gods controlled their territory. Artaxerxes did not want to risk bringing God’s anger against the realm of the king and undermine the peace of his empire by failing to provide for the God of Jerusalem (7:19) the worship that he required.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

This declareth that the fear of God’s judgments causeth him to use this liberality, and not the love that he bare to God’s glory: or affection to his people.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 23. Why should there be wrath] As he believed he was appointed by the Almighty to do this work, he therefore wished to do it heartily, knowing that if he did not, God would be displeased, and that the kingdom would be cut off from him or his posterity.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(23) Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven.—The last is the strongest ground for such an ample authorisation. In the solemn and devout firman the phrase “the God of heaven” occurs twice, and the Persian prince deprecates His wrath. In this seventh year of Artaxerxes, B.C. 458, the tide of success turned for Persia against the Athenians in Egypt.

And his sons.—Though Artaxerxes Longimanus was young at this time, he is said to have left eighteen sons.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

23. Whatsoever is commanded &c.] literally, “Whatsoever is from the commandment”, same word as in Ezr_6:14.

let it be diligently done] R.V. Let it be done exactly. The word in the original ‘adrazda’, occurs only here; if, as is very probable, of Babylonian origin, it will mean “strenuously”, being compounded of two words ‘adar’ abundance or excellence, ‘azda’ strength or firmness. Others assign it a Persian origin.

The A.V. follows on the line of the Vulgate ‘tribuatur diligenter’.

The LXX. προσέχετε μή τις ἐπιχειρήση missed the meaning altogether.

for why should there be wrath &c.] Wrath ‘q’çaph’, like the Hebrew ‘qeçeph’, especially of Divine displeasure, cf. Jos_9:20; 1Ch_27:24; 2Ch_19:2; 2Ch_19:10; Zec_1:2; Zec_1:15.

It is natural to connect this allusion to the Divine displeasure with the disasters which had overtaken the Persian Empire since the days of Marathon, and more especially with the revolt of Egypt in the year 460 b.c. It was in this very year 458 that a Persian army was marched into Egypt to attempt its pacification.

The king desired to propitiate the wrath of the gods, and more especially to conciliate Divine favour upon the S.W. frontier.

the king and his sons] see note on Ezr_6:10. The reference is to the dynasty generally, but Artaxerxes left sons behind him, and they may have been born at this time.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand,.... Which he had a large share of from the Lord, and could readily make use of to good purpose; and this may be meant of the law of God made with the highest wisdom, and to know and observe which is an instance of wisdom in men, Deu 4:6,

set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; such as God, in his great wisdom, directed to in his wise law to be appointed over the people, to judge righteous judgment; to inform them in all matters of controversy that might arise among them, and decide them according to it; and lead them into a greater and better knowledge of it, Deu 16:18. Jarchi takes the word for "set" to be a comparative, and the sense to be, that the wisdom of Ezra was greater than the judges that judged the people, than them that knew the law:

and teach ye them that know them not; such people that were ignorant thereof; though the above writer interprets this of ignorant judges,"the judge that knows not to judge, make him know judgment to do it.''

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Literally, as in the margin, i. e., Whatsoever is commanded in the Law with respect to the temple service.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

For the omission of any part of his worship occasioned by my neglect. This danger and duty he discerned, partly by natural light, and principally by the information of Ezra, Ezr 8:22, who had the king’s ear and heart.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23. Why should there be wrath — From this remark it may be naturally inferred that the king had been led by words of Ezra, or of some other Jew, to fear the wrath of God against him if he did not favour these exiles. Perhaps he had been led to regard the troubles and rebellions that had recently taken place in his empire (see note on Ezr_7:1) as tokens of Divine anger against him. At any rate, he now seeks to avoid any further judgments of the kind by timely kindness toward the people of Jehovah.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Why should there be wrath against the realm? In the seventh year of Artaxerxes Longimanns there was "wrath against the realm" of Persia in a very dangerous quarter, viz., Egypt. Egypt had revolted from the Persians in B.C. 460, and in the following year, with the assistance of the Athenians, had driven the last Persian out of the country. A vain attempt was made by an embassy to Sparta, towards the close of B.C. 459, to force Athens to recall her troops. In B.C. 458, Artaxerxes" seventh year, it was resolved that a Persian force should attempt the recovery of the revolted country. Artaxerxes gives his firman to Ezra when this expedition is preparing to start, and partly alludes to the past "wrath," shown in the success of the rebels, partly deprecates any further visitation. Without pretending to penetrate the Divine counsels, it may be noticed that from the year B.C. 458 things went well for the Persians in Egypt. Memphis was recovered in that year or the next; and in B.C. 455 the Athenians were finally defeated, and the province recovered. The king and his sons. This mention of the "sons" of Artaxerxes has been regarded as a proof that the Artaxerxes of Esther was Mnemon, and not Longimanus (Patrick). But it is quite a gratuitous supposition that Longimanus, who had attained to manhood before he ascended the throne, had no sons in the seventh year of his reign. Ultimately he left behind him eighteen sons (Ctesias, "Exc. Pers.,"

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Whatever is with the authorization Whatever is with the authorization of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His command, shall be done with alacrity, with the seal of the king for the House of the Holy One, blessed be He.

with a seal Aram. אַדְרַזְדָּא, seal in Arabic.

for why should there be For why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons? Therefore, the treasurers shall provide all the needs of the House.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.