Ezra 7:11

This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest and scribe, an expert in the commandments and statutes of the LORD to Israel:

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — King Artaxerxes issues a written decree to Ezra the priest and scribe, introducing the official correspondence that immediately follows in Ezra 7:12.

The words — The Hebrew term פַּרְשְׁגַן (parShegen) means "copy" or "text" of an official document, paired with נָתַן (natan) for "gave," marking the passage as a transmitted royal record rather than a fresh composition.

The thread — This documentary formula appears in Ezra 4:11 and Ezra 5:6 to introduce administrative correspondence, while Ezra 7:6 merely describes Ezra’s journey and qualifications without using the phrase.

Why it lands — The verse directs attention to the authoritative source of Ezra’s mission, requiring the reader to verify the scribe’s credentials against the king’s written mandate before engaging with the decree’s contents.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְזֶ֣ה׀ve./Zehand/ this פַּרְשֶׁ֣גֶןpar.She.gen[is] [the] copy of הַֽנִּשְׁתְּוָ֗ןha./nish.te.Vanthe/ letter אֲשֶׁ֤ר'a.Sherwhich נָתַן֙na.Tanhe gave הַמֶּ֣לֶךְha./Me.lekhthe/ king אַרְתַּחְשַׁ֔סְתְּא'ar.tach.Shast'Artaxerxes לְעֶזְרָ֥אle./'ez.Ra'to/ Ezra הַכֹּהֵ֖ןha./ko.Henthe/ priest הַסֹּפֵ֑רha./so.Ferthe/ scribe סֹפֵ֞רso.Fer[the] scribe of דִּבְרֵ֧יdiv.Rei[the] matters of מִצְוֹת־mitz.vot-[the] commandments of יְהוָ֛הYah.wehYahweh וְחֻקָּ֖יוve./chu.Ka/vand/ statutes/ his עַל־'al-on יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ פYis.ra.'ElIsrael

King James Version

Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of his statutes to Israel.

Cross-references

Ezra 4:11 (This is the text of the letter they sent to him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants, the men west of the Euphrates:
Ezra 5:6 This is the text of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates, the officials in the region, sent to King Darius.
Ezra 7:6 this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.
Matthew 23:2 “The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.
Matthew 23:13 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.
Mark 7:1 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus,

People named

EzraArtaxerxes