ה֤וּא עֶזְרָא֙ עָלָ֣ה מִבָּבֶ֔ל וְהֽוּא־סֹפֵ֤ר מָהִיר֙ בְּתוֹרַ֣ת מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥ן יהו֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיִּתֶּן־ל֣וֹ הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ כְּיַד־יהו֤ה אֱלֹהָיו֙ עָלָ֔יו כֹּ֖ל בַּקָּשָׁתֽוֹ׃ וַיַּֽעֲל֣וּ מִבְּנֵֽי־יִ֠שְׂרָאֵל וּמִן־הַכֹּהֲנִ֨ים וְהַלְוִיִּ֜ם וְהַמְשֹׁרְרִ֧ים וְהַשֹּׁעֲרִ֛ים וְהַנְּתִינִ֖ים אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם בִּשְׁנַת־שֶׁ֖בַע לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֥סְתְּא הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ וַיָּבֹ֥א יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַחֲמִישִׁ֑י הִ֛יא שְׁנַ֥ת הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖ית לַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ כִּ֗י בְּאֶחָד֙ לַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָרִאשֹׁ֔ון ה֣וּא יְסֻ֔ד הַֽמַּעֲלָ֖ה מִבָּבֶ֑ל וּבְאֶחָ֞ד לַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַחֲמִישִׁ֗י בָּ֚א אֶל־יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם כְּיַד־אֱלֹהָ֖יו הַטּוֹבָ֥ה עָלָֽיו׃ כִּ֤י עֶזְרָא֙ הֵכִ֣ין לְבָב֔וֹ לִדְר֛וֹשׁ אֶת־תֹּורַ֥ת יהו֖ה וְלַעֲשֹׂ֑ת וּלְלַמֵּ֥ד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל חֹ֥ק וּמִשְׁפָּֽט׃
הוּא עֶזְרָא עָלָה מִבָּבֶל ‖ See Waltke & O’Conner (An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax, §16.3.5.d) on the use of הוּא before a name in post-exilic Hebrew similar to Greek ὁ αὐτός before a name (“the same Michael” = ὁ αὐτὸς Μιχαήλ = הוּא מִיכָאֵל). The name עֶזְרָא is first seen in this chapter in verse 1, at which point the author gives Ezra’s pedigree, tracing him back to Moses’s brother Aaron, the chief priest, and demonstrating that he himself was a priest. In verse 6, after the genealogical verses, the author calls back to Ezra and opens with “the same Ezra came up from Babylon,” placing him in history as coming up from the exile with those who returned.וְהוּא־סֹפֵר מָהִיר בְּתוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה ‖ Distinguish biblical Hebrew מָהִיר “skilled, experienced” from modern Hebrew מָהִיר “fast, quick.” סֹפֵר is a participle acting as a noun, a “scribe.” We don’t know if there was a professional school of scribes before the babylonian exile who specifically copied the text of the Torah and the prophets’ writings, but someone must have been keeping the books somewhere. It is assumed that Ezra, the first one distinguished as an experienced scribe, transfered the writings of the Hebrew text into the Aramaic alphabet, as we have it today (the Assyrian writing [הַכְּתַב הָאַשּׁוּרִי]).
אֲשֶׁר־נָתַן יַהְוֶה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל ‖ It is called “the Torah of Moses” (Joshua 8:32; 23:6; 1 Kings 2:3; 2 Kings 23:25; Malachi 3:22; etc.), but the relative clause tells us that it was actually Yahweh God of Israel who gave it. Therefore, in other places (as in verse 10 below) it is called “the Torah of Yahweh” (Exodus 13:9; Isaiah 5:24; 30:9; Jeremiah 8:8; Amos 2:4; Psalm 1:2; Psalm 19:8; etc.).
וַיִּתֶּן־לוֹ הַמֶּ֫לֶךְ כְּיַד־יַהְוֶה אֱלֹהָיו עָלָיו כֹּל בַּקָּשָׁתוֹ ‖ The לוֹ here refers to Ezra, and the king is the king of Assyria, Artaxerxes, who was named in verse 7. The object of וַיִּתֵּן is כֹּל בַּקָּשָׁתוֹ—Artaxerxes gave Ezra his every request. The phrase כְּיַד־יהוה אֱלֹהָיו breaks up the verb from its object, telling us that it was by God’s hand upon Ezra that he was provided all of his needs from the king of Assyria.
וַיַּעֲלוּ... אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלִָ֫ם ‖ Because Jerusalem sits upon a mountain, it is most often stated that one goes up to Jerusalem. In this case, the subject intervenes between the verb and the place to which they were ascending. Note that יְרוּשָׁלִָ֫ם is the pausal form of יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, in which patach is lengthened to kamats.
מִבְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמִן־הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם וְהַמְשֹׁרְרִים וְהַשֹּׁעֲרִים וְהַנְּתִינִים ‖ This entire phrase is the subject of the verb וַיַּעֲלוּ. The מִן preposition here is used in the partitive sense. It means “some of the sons of Israel, and some of the priests and the Levites, etc.” The מְשׁוֹרְרִים were those who performed music in the temple service (contrast the meaning of poets or writers of songs in modern Hebrew, like Rachel the Poetess רָחֵל הַמְשׁוֹרֶ֫רֶת). The שׁוֹעֲרִים were those who protected the entrance to the temple (contrast the modern meaning of “goalkeepers” in soccer). The נְתִינִים were the servants who operated in the temple and assisted the priests.
בִּשְׁנַת־שֶׁ֫בַע לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁסְתְּא הַמֶּ֫לֶךְ ‖ This aliyah to Jerusalem took place in the seventh year of Artaxerxes. Note the construct of שְׁנַת being used with a cardinal number. Literally, it reads “in (the) year of seven to Artaxerxes.” This is a common expression in place of בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִית “in the seventh year.”
וַיָּבֹא יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם ‖ The verb לָבֹא can appear without a preposition, and it is often used for the concept of entering a city. In this case, the people were going up to Jerusalem (וַיַּעֲלוּ... אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם), and now we are told that Ezra entered Jerusalem (וַיָּבֹא יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם).
בַּחֹ֫דֶשׁ הַחֲמִישִׁי ‖ This tells us specifically when Ezra entered Jerusalem—in the fifth month. The fifth month of the biblical calendar is Av, the month in which the rabbis say that the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed twice (one recorded in the Bible at 2 Kings 25:8-10, and the other being after the close of the Hebrew canon). It is also the month in which Aaron, brother of Moses, died on Mount Hor (cf. Numbers 33:38).
הִיא שְׁנַת הַשְּׁבִיעִית לַמֶּ֫לֶךְ ‖ Here is a second way of expressing what we see above (שְׁנַת־שֶׁ֫בַע לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁסְתְּא). It is literally, “the year of the seventh.” There was a bit of flexibility for expressing years in ancient Hebrew. Again, it could also be expressed הַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִית. The lamed, as above, is one of possession. This is referring to the seventh year of the reign of King Artaxerxes.
כִּי בְּאֶחָד לַחֹ֫דֶשׁ הָרִאשֹׁון ‖ This is the time designation of the following sentence. It tells us that the king established the ascent from Babylon to Jerusalem on the first day of the first month, but they actually carried out their journey in the fifth month.
הוּא יְסֻד הַמַּעֲלָה מִבָּבֶל ‖ BHS says that we should read יִסַּד (a piel verb) here instead of יְסֻד as received from the Masoretes. Reading it according to the Masoretic tradition, we might understand it as “for on the first day of the first month was the foundation of the ascent from Babylon.” With the repointing of BHS, “... he appointed/set the ascent from Babylon,” but it was actually realized in the fifth month—as scene also in the next phrase.
וּבְאֶחָד לַחֹ֫דֶשׁ הַחֲמִישִׁי בָּא אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם ‖ Although the ascent to Jerusalem was ordered in the first day of the year, Ezra (and those with him) came to Jerusalem (and entered it) only in the fifth month. Notice the extent of the repetition in the text.
כְּיַד־אֱלֹהָיו הַטּוֹבָה עָלָיו ‖ This explains why things went well with Ezra, as God’s good hand or God’s power was upon him. This calls to mind Joseph in prison, in which we are told that he had success in all he did because God was with him.
כִּי עֶזְרָא הֵכִין לְבָבוֹ ‖ Here we are told why God’s good hand was upon Ezra. It is because (כִּי) he prepared his heart or set his heart toward a specific goal. That goal is listed in the next phrase.
לִדְרוֹשׁ אֶת־תּוֹרַת יַהְוֶה וְלַעֲשֹׂת ‖ This is what he directed his heart to do—to enquire of Yahweh. This was often used when the temple was standing to mean that you went to the temple to ask the priests what God’s will was. Once the text of the Bible was set, it was used to refer to searching the Scriptures to learn what God expected us to do. After it was determined what God’s will was, he also set his heart to carry it out. Again, notice that לִדְרוֹשׁ meant “to seek” in the Bible (for which we use לְחַפֵּשׁ today) whereas today it means “to demand, require.”
וּלְלַמֵּד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל חֹק וּמִשְׁפָּט ‖ Ezra set his heart to find out what Yahweh’s will was, to do it in his own life, and to teach Yahweh’s will in Israel. The phrase חֹק וּמִשְׁפָּט is appositional to תּוֹרַת יהוה since the Torah is made up of law and judgment. By teaching “law and judgment,” Ezra would be teaching “the Torah of Yahweh.” Also, notice the difference between the qal לִלְמֹד “to learn” and the piel לְלַמֵּד “to teach.”