1
Ezr 7:1-10.
繁體中文
英文原文
Ezr 7:1-10.
EZRA GOES UP TO JERUSALEM.
1, 2. in the reign of Artaxerxes--the Ahasuerus of Esther.
Ezra the son of Seraiah--that is, grandson or great-grandson. Seraiah was the high priest put to death by Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah
(2Ki 25:18).
A period of one hundred thirty years had elapsed between that catastrophe and the journey of Ezra to Jerusalem. As a grandson of Seraiah, namely, Jeshua, who held the office of high priest, had accompanied Zerubbabel in the first caravan of returning exiles, Ezra must have been in all probability a grandson, descended, too, from a younger son, the older branch being in possession of the pontificate.
6
無標題
繁體中文
6. 這以斯拉……是敏捷的文士，通達耶和華……的律法——「文士」一詞並非僅指會寫字的人，甚至也不僅指精通法律形式、擅長起草公文或私人文件的律師。他是拉比，即博士，精通摩西律法以及與希伯來人民民事和宗教政體風俗有關的一切。此等文士擁有極大的權威與影響力（參
Mt 23:25; Mr 12:28）。
王允准他一切所求的——他離開巴比倫時受託一項重要任務，要在耶路撒冷辦理。他獲得此職的經過在後續章節中有詳述。此處僅提及此事，並敬虔承認神的恩典與恩惠使王心傾向於以斯拉的愛國大業。利未人等當時並未同行，只是這裡預先提及。
英文原文
6. This Ezra . . . was a ready scribe in the law of Moses--The term "scribe" does not mean merely a penman, nor even an attorney well versed in forms of law and skilled in the method of preparing public or private deeds. He was a rabbi, or doctor, learned in the Mosaic law, and in all that related to the civil and ecclesiastical polity and customs of the Hebrew people. Scribes of this description possessed great authority and influence (compare
Mt 23:25; Mr 12:28).
the king granted him all his request--left Babylon entrusted with an important commission to be executed in Jerusalem. The manner in which he obtained this office is minutely related in a subsequent passage. Here it is noticed, but with a pious acknowledgment of the divine grace and goodness which disposed the royal mind in favor of Ezra's patriotic objects. The Levites, &c., did not go at that time, but are mentioned here by anticipation.
8
無標題
繁體中文
8. 他於第五個月到了耶路撒冷——相當於我們七月底或八月初。他於猶太新年
（Ezr 7:9）
離開巴比倫，則此行至少花了四個月之久（時間頗長），但他不得不以緩慢的步伐、取短而易行的路段行進，因為他要帶領一支龐大的貧民隊伍，其中包括婦孺及全部家什（參
Ezr 8:24）。
英文原文
8. he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month--that is, corresponding to the end of our July or beginning of our August. As he left Babylon on the Jewish New Year's Day
(Ezr 7:9),
the journey must have occupied not less than four months (a long period), but it was necessary to move at a slow pace and by short, easy stages, as he had to conduct a large caravan of poor people, including women, children, and all their household gear (see on
Ezr 8:24).
10
無標題
繁體中文
10. 以斯拉立志考究遵行耶和華的律法等——他素來的渴望就是研讀神的律法——其原則、制度、特權與要求；如今他出於愛與熱心，將教導、改革、建立他人作為一生的業務。
英文原文
10. Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, &c.--His reigning desire had been to study the divine law--its principles, institutions, privileges, and requirements; and now from love and zeal, he devoted himself, as the business of his life, to the work of instructing, reforming, and edifying others.
11
Ezr 7:11-26.
繁體中文
Ezr 7:11-26.
亞達薛西的恩詔
11. 這是亞達薛西王交給……詔書——這份文件所授權的措施及其所展現對猶太人的格外關切，極可能是出於以斯帖的影響；據認為她在以斯拉起程之前幾個月被高舉為后〔HALES〕。另一些採用不同紀年的學者則認為，此事更可能是以斯拉親自促使波斯朝廷注意此事，他像但以理一樣將預言指給王看；或是一些重要的猶太人在王即位時進言，他們看到所羅巴伯、約書亞、哈該、撒迦利亞相繼去世後殖民地動盪不寧的狀態，便建議設立一個委員會以革除弊端、平息混亂、嚴格執行律法。
英文原文
Ezr 7:11-26.
GRACIOUS COMMISSION OF ARTAXERXES.
11. 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 Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Haggai, and Zechariah, recommended the appointment of a commission to reform abuses, suppress disorder, and enforce the observance of the law.
12
無標題
繁體中文
12. 諸王之王亞達薛西——這個稱號他可以據為己有，因為字面上確屬真實——他帝國中許多屬國王子仍保有王的稱號和權柄。但這很可能只是一種東方語言的誇飾，指一位偉大有權勢的君王，正如「天上的天」指最高的天，「虛空的虛空」指最大的虛空一樣。這虛榮的稱號原為亞述諸王所用，後傳入波斯君主。上諭是寫給「天上神的律法文士祭司以斯拉」——以斯拉被任命擔當這項有影響力的使命，對希伯來民族具有重大意義，因為他們中大多數人已在很大程度上對其先祖的語言和制度變得陌生了。
英文原文
12. Artaxerxes, king of kings--That title might have been assumed as, with literal truth, applicable to him, since many of the tributary princes of his empire still retained the name and authority of kings. But it was a probably a mere Orientalism, denoting a great and powerful prince, as the heaven of heavens signified the highest heaven, and vanity of vanities, the greatest vanity. This vainglorious title was assumed by the kings of Assyria, from whom it passed to the sovereigns of Persia.
unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven--The appointment of Ezra to this influential mission was of the highest importance to the Hebrew people, as a large proportion of them were become, in a great measure, strangers both to the language and the institutions of their forefathers.
14
無標題
繁體中文
14. 我與王的七個謀士一同差遣你——這是波斯諸王樞密院的固定人數
（Es 1:10, 14）。
這文件十分清楚準確地描述了以斯拉所受使命的性質及所獲權力與特權的範圍。首先，它授予權柄按照希伯來人民的律法，由本族的官長和首領設立政府，組織猶大殖民地
（Ezr 7:25, 26），
並有權按罪行的輕重，以罰款、監禁、放逐、死刑懲罰犯者。其次，他獲授權攜帶一筆大額捐款，部分來自王庫，部分由同胞自願捐輸，作為在耶路撒冷維持神固定敬拜之用的基金
（Ezr 7:16, 17）。
第三，波斯駐敘利亞的官員奉命在指定的限額內以金錢資助，助他完成其愛國使命的目標
（Ezr 7:21）。
英文原文
14. sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors--This was the fixed number of the privy council of the kings of Persia
(Es 1:10, 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).
22
無標題
繁體中文
22-24. 銀子一百他連得——按巴比倫銀他連得的估值約合英金二萬二千鎊。第四，亞達薛西以王權認可設立神律，免除祭司利未人納稅進貢，並確立他們在聖所聖事中专一任職的特權。最後，王表示願神賜福給王及其政府
（Ezr 7:23），
由此可見在波斯朝廷中，由於希伯來民族之被擄，他們所敬拜之神的實存與治理之護理的信念何等強烈。然而當注意，這使命只論及重建聖殿——不是城牆。撒瑪利亞人
（Ezr 4:20-22）
以其所描繪加固一座居民暴亂成性、諸王威名遠播之城的危險，已成功使波斯朝廷驚恐。
英文原文
22-24. an hundred talents of silver--£22,000 according to the rate of the silver talent of Babylon. Fourthly, Artaxerxes gave his royal sanction in the establishment of the divine law, which exempted priests and Levites from taxation or tribute and confirmed to them the exclusive right to officiate in the sacred services of the sanctuary. And, finally, in the expression of the king's desire for the divine blessing upon the king and his government
(Ezr 7:23),
we see the strong persuasion which pervaded the Persian court, and had been produced by the captivity of the Hebrew people, as to the being and directing providence of the God they worshipped. It will be observed, however, that the commission related exclusively to the rebuilding of the temple--not of the walls. The Samaritans
(Ezr 4:20-22)
had succeeded in alarming the Persian court by their representations of the danger to the empire of fortifying a city notorious for the turbulent character of its inhabitants and the prowess of its kings.
27
Ezr 7:27, 28.
繁體中文
Ezr 7:27, 28.
以斯拉為這恩稱頌神
27. 我們列祖的神耶和華是應當稱頌的——這敬虔的感恩與以斯拉整個為人相稱；他在每一件事上都看出神的手，並總是樂意對神的恩典表達敬虔的讚美。
英文原文
Ezr 7:27, 28.
EZRA BLESSES GOD FOR THIS FAVOR.
27. Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers--This devout thanksgiving is in unison with the whole character of Ezra, who discerns the hand of God in every event, and is always ready to express a pious acknowledgment for the divine goodness.
Ezr 7:1-10.
以斯拉上耶路撒冷
1, 2. 亞達薛西年間——即以斯帖記中的亞哈隨魯。
西萊雅的兒子以斯拉——即孫子或曾孫。西萊雅是被尼布甲尼撒在利比拉處死的大祭司
（2Ki 25:18）。
從那場災難到以斯拉前往耶路撒冷，其間已過了一百三十年。西萊雅的孫子約書亞曾隨所羅巴伯率領的第一批回歸被擄之民同行，並擔任大祭司之職；由此可見，以斯拉極可能是西萊雅的孫子，而且出於其幼子一脈，因為長房已承襲了大祭司的職位。