Ezr 7:15-20 | TNotes | STEP | 7:15 who lives in Jerusalem: God’s Temple was located there. Artaxerxes probably thought that he was helping rebuild the house of Jerusalem’s local deity (cp. 1 Kgs 8:27 ; Ps 24:1 ).

b1 Kgs 8:27►

cPs 24:1►

g8:25-27►

‏ Ezra 7:15-20

7:15 ^a who lives in Jerusalem: God’s Temple was located there. Artaxerxes probably thought that he was helping rebuild the house of Jerusalem’s local deity (cp. 1 Kgs 8:27 ^b; Ps 24:1 ^c).
7:16 ^d Like Cyrus (1:4 ^e, 6 ^f), Artaxerxes allowed Jews in Babylon to send freewill offerings to Jerusalem. A sizeable sum was collected from the king and his council as well as from Jewish contributors (8:25-27 ^g).