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Selected Verse: Ezra 7:14 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Ezr 7:14	Strong Concordance	Forasmuch [01768] [06903] as [03606] thou art sent [07972] of [04481] [06925] the king [04430], and of his seven [07655] counsellors [03272], to enquire [01240] concerning [05922] Judah [03061] and Jerusalem [03390], according to the law [01882] of thy God [0426] which is in thine hand [03028];
	King James	Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand;

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors--This was the fixed number of the privy council of the kings of Persia (Est 1:10, Est 1:14). The document describes, with great clearness and precision, the nature of Ezra's commission and the extent of power and prerogatives with which he was invested. It gave him authority, in the first place, to organize the colony in Judea and institute a regular government, according to the laws of the Hebrew people, and by magistrates and rulers of their own nation (Ezr 7:25-26), with power to punish offenders by fines, imprisonment, exile, or death, according to the degree of their criminality. Secondly, he was empowered to carry a large donation in money, partly from the royal treasury and partly raised by voluntary contributions among his countrymen, to create a fund out of which to make suitable provision for maintaining the regular worship of God in Jerusalem (Ezr 7:16-17). Thirdly, the Persian officers in Syria were commanded to afford him every assistance by gifts of money within a certain specified limit, in carrying out the objects of his patriotic mission (Ezr 7:21).

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors--This was the fixed number of the privy council of the kings of Persia (Est 1:10, Est 1:14). The document describes, with great clearness and precision, the nature of Ezra's commission and the extent of power and prerogatives with which he was invested. It gave him authority, in the first place, to organize the colony in Judea and institute a regular government, according to the laws of the Hebrew people, and by magistrates and rulers of their own nation (Ezr 7:25-26), with power to punish offenders by fines, imprisonment, exile, or death, according to the degree of their criminality. Secondly, he was empowered to carry a large donation in money, partly from the royal treasury and partly raised by voluntary contributions among his countrymen, to create a fund out of which to make suitable provision for maintaining the regular worship of God in Jerusalem (Ezr 7:16-17). Thirdly, the Persian officers in Syria were commanded to afford him every assistance by gifts of money within a certain specified limit, in carrying out the objects of his patriotic mission (Ezr 7:21).

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Seven counselors - Herodotus relates that there were seven families pre-eminent in Persia, those of the seven conspirators against the Pseudo-Smerdis (Ezr 4:7 note); and it is reasonable to suppose that the heads of these families formed the special council of the king; the "Achaemenidae," or royal family, being represented by the head of the branch next in succession to that of the reigning monarch (see the marginal reference).

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
According, &c. - To make inquiry into all abuses and deviations from your law, and to redress them. Which - Which is now and always in thine hand, being the matter of thy daily study.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
His seven counsellors - It is very likely that the privy counsel of the king consisted of seven persons simply. The names of these seven counsellors or chamberlains may be found in the book of Esther, Est 1:10.

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²¹ And I [04481], even I [0576] Artaxerxes [0783] the king [04430], do make [07761] a decree [02942] to all [03606] the treasurers [01490] which are beyond [05675] the river [05103], that whatsoever Ezra [05831] the priest [03549], the scribe [05613] of the law [01882] of the God [0426] of heaven [08065], shall require [07593] of you, it be done [05648] speedily [0629],

¹⁶ And all [03606] the silver [03702] and gold [01722] that thou canst find [07912] in all [03606] the province [04083] of Babylon [0895], with [05974] the freewill offering [05069] of the people [05972], and of the priests [03549], offering willingly [05069] for the house [01005] of their God [0426] which is in Jerusalem [03390]:
¹⁷ That [03606] [06903] thou mayest buy [07066] speedily [0629] with this [01836] money [03702] bullocks [08450], rams [01798], lambs [0563], with their meat offerings [04504] and their drink offerings [05261], and offer [07127] them [01994] upon [05922] the altar [04056] of the house [01005] of your God [0426] which is in Jerusalem [03390].

²⁵ And thou [0607], Ezra [05831], after the wisdom [02452] of thy God [0426], that is in thine hand [03028], set [04483] magistrates [08200] and judges [01782], which may judge [01934] [01778] all [03606] the people [05972] that are beyond [05675] the river [05103], all [03606] such as know [03046] the laws [01882] of thy God [0426]; and teach [03046] ye them that know [03046] them not [03809].
²⁶ And whosoever [03606] will not [03809] do [01934] [05648] the law [01882] of thy God [0426], and the law [01882] of the king [04430], let judgment [01780] be [01934] executed [05648] speedily [0629] upon him [04481], whether [02006] it be unto death [04193], or [02006] to banishment [08332], or [02006] to confiscation [06065] of goods [05232], or to imprisonment [0613].

¹⁴ And the next [07138] unto him was Carshena [03771], Shethar [08369], Admatha [0133], Tarshish [08659], Meres [04825], Marsena [04826], and Memucan [04462], the seven [07651] princes [08269] of Persia [06539] and Media [04074], which saw [07200] the king's [04428] face [06440], and which sat [03427] the first [07223] in the kingdom [04438];)

¹⁰ On the seventh [07637] day [03117], when the heart [03820] of the king [04428] was merry [02896] with wine [03196], he commanded [0559] Mehuman [04104], Biztha [0968], Harbona [02726], Bigtha [0903], and Abagtha [05], Zethar [02242], and Carcas [03752], the seven [07651] chamberlains [05631] that served [08334] in the presence [06440] of Ahasuerus [0325] the king [04428],

⁷ And in the days [03117] of Artaxerxes [0783] wrote [03789] Bishlam [01312], Mithredath [04990], Tabeel [02870], and the rest [07605] of their companions [03674], unto Artaxerxes [0783] king [04428] of Persia [06539]; and the writing [03791] of the letter [05406] was written [03789] in the Syrian tongue [0762], and interpreted [08638] in the Syrian tongue [0762].