7:1-10 Ezra went from Babylon to Jerusalem, for the good of his country. The king was kind to him; he granted all his requests, whatever Ezra desired to enable him to serve his country. When he went, many went with him; he obtained favour from his king, by the Divine favour. Every creature is that to us, which God makes it to be. We must see the hand of God in the events that befal us, and acknowledge him with thankfulness.

Verses 2-4. - This portion of the genealogy agrees exactly with that of Jehozadak in 1 Chronicles 6:3-15, excepting in the omission, which has been already noticed, of six names between Azariah and Meraioth. We may gather from 1 Chronicles 9:11 that a Meraioth is also omitted between the Zadok and Ahitub of ver. 2. EZRA'S JOURNEY FROM BABYLON TO JERUSALEM, WITH DATES (Xerxes 7:6-10). In introducing himself, Ezra seems to regard it 25 of primary importance to state two things -

(1) who he was, and

(2) what place he had in a history of which the main object is to give an account of the return of Israel from captivity. In connection with the former point, he gives, first of all, his genealogy; and, secondly, the account of himself contained in vers. 6 and 10. He describes himself as "a ready scribe" - one who "had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it," and also "to teach in Israel statutes and judgments." In connection with the latter, he is careful to put before us at once the fact that he too, like Zerubbabel, "went up from Babylon" to Jerusalem by the permission of the Persian king, and, like Zerubbabel, was accompanied by priests, Levites, both singers and porters, Nethinim, and a number of the people (ver. 7). He adds an exact statement as to the date of both his departure and arrival, very natural in one who is his own biographer, and very interesting to the general historian. He also, without any parade of religious sentiment, acknowledges the baud of God as directing, helping, and sustaining him in all his proceedings, ascribing to the Divine favour, especially, Artaxerxes allowance of his journey, and his safe accomplishment of it within a moderate space of time (vers. 6, 9).

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