John Gill Commentary Ezra 7:12

"Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect and so forth." — Ezra 7:12 (ASV)

Artaxerxes, king of kings Having many kings and kingdoms subject and tributary to him; for this was not merely a proud haughty title which the eastern kings ^F16 assumed, particularly the Persians; for after Cyrus they were so in fact, who took this title also, and has it put on his sepulchral monument, ``Here I lie, Cyrus, king of kings ^F17 ;'' this title was given to Grecian kings, particularly Agamemnon is called king of kings ^F18 , he being general at the siege of Troy, under whom the rest of the kings fought; if this was Darius Hystaspis, of him Cyrus dreamed that he had wings on his shoulders, with one he covered Asia, and with the other Europe ^F19 :

unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven ; of which titles see (Ezra 7:11) :

perfect [peace], and at such a time ; the word "perfect" belongs to Ezra's title as a scribe, signifying that he was a most learned and complete scribe or teacher of the law of God; "peace" is not in the text, and the phrase "at such a time" respects the date of the letter, though not expressed, or is only an "et cetera", (See Gill on Ezra 4:10).

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FOOTNOTES:

• F16: See the Universal History, vol. 5. p. 16, 137. & vol. 11. p. 7, 8. margin, & p. 66.
• F17: Strabo, Geograph. l. 15. p. 502.
• F18: Vell. Patercul. Hist. Roman. l. 1. in initio.
• F19: Herodot. Clio, sive, l. 1. c. 209.