12
“Artaxerxes,אַרְתַּחְשַׁסְתְּאkingמֶלֶךְof kings,מַלְכַיָּאto Ezraלְעֶזְרָאthe priest,כָהֲנָאscribeסָפַרof the lawדָּתָאofדִּיthe Elahאֱלָהּof the heavens:שְׁמַיָּאcomplete peace.גְּמִירAnd now:וּכְעֶנֶת
Ezra 7:12
Study it in the app““Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the Elah of the heavens: complete peace. And now:”
With the Hebrew and Aramaic beneath
Ezra 7:12, word by word
- “Artaxerxesאַרְתַּחְשַׁסְתְּאartachshast
Artaxerxes
Artaxerxes: a name borne by several kings of Persia. In Ezra and Nehemiah, the king under whom the building was stopped and, later, the one who sent Ezra and Nehemiah.
Where else “artachshast” appears- kingמֶלֶךְmelech
king
King (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "melech".
Where else “melech” appears- to Ezraעֶזְרָאezra
Ezra
Ezra (the Aramaic form of the name): the priest and scribe to whom King Artaxerxes gave his letter.
Where else “ezra” appears- the priestכָהֲנָchahana
priest
Priest (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "kohen".
Where else “chahana” appears- scribeסָפַרsafar
scribe
Scribe (Aramaic): one who writes and keeps the documents; secretary.
Where else “safar” appears- of the lawדָּתָdata
law, decree
Law (Aramaic; a word of Persian origin): both the law of God and the law of the king.
Where else “data” appears- the Elahאֱלָהּelah
Elah, God, god
Elah: the Aramaic word for God, related to the Hebrew "Eloah" and "Elohim". In the parts of the Bible written in Aramaic (Ezra and Daniel) it is the God of Israel, the same one who in Hebrew is called Elohim; the text only changes language. The same word, also in the plural, is used for the gods of other peoples ("god", "gods"), and the passage itself shows who is meant.
Where else “elah” appears- of the heavensשְׁמַיָּshemaya
heavens
Heavens (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "shamayim". "The Elah of the heavens" is the God of Israel.
Where else “shemaya” appears- complete peaceגְּמִירgemir
complete
Complete, finished (Aramaic). In Ezra 7:12 it is part of the greeting of the letter and its sense is uncertain.
Where else “gemir” appears- And nowכְעֶנֶתcheenet
and now
"And now" (Aramaic): the formula with which letters passed from the greeting to the matter.
Where else “cheenet” appears
Translation note
The greeting is abbreviated: the Aramaic says only “complete”; the sense is uncertain.
The context
11And this is the copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a scribe of the words of the commandments of YHWH and of his statutes for Israel:
12 · This verse (above)
13by me an order is given that everyone in my kingdom from the people of Israel and its priests and the Levites who freely offers himself to go to Jerusalem with you may go.