Ezra 7:14

"I make a decree that all those of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my realm, who intend of their own free will to go to Jerusalem, go with you."

Key Reflection

This decree by Artaxerxes allows for voluntary pilgrimage to Jerusalem, symbolizing a return to spiritual roots and religious duty. It underscores the personal choice and willingness of individuals to engage in religious observance despite external pressures or obligations.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Seven counselors -Herodotus relates that there were seven families pre-eminent in Persia, those of the seven conspirators against the Pseudo-Smerdis (Ezra 4:7note); 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).

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