Ezra 7:9

began he to go up R.V. marg. Heb. that was the foundation of the going up. The R.V. and A.V. paraphrase the words.

The Hebrew text is intelligible; but (1) the word as here vocalized is very unusual, (2) the metaphor is ponderous and awkward, (3) the construction, shown in a literal translation "for upon the first day of the first month that (i.e. that month) was the foundation of the going up from Babylon and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem", is almost intolerably involved and harsh, especially as the verb -came" in the latter half of the verse has no subject expressed in the original, and presupposes the mention of a subject in an earlier clause.

The LXX. render "for upon the first day of the first month he (i.e. Ezra) laid the foundation of his going up" (αὐτὸς ἐθεμελίωσε τὴν ἀνάβασιν), treating the word rendered "foundation" as a simple verb (i.e. -yasad" for -y-sûd"), cf. Vulg. -cœpit adscendere".

Another method of explaining the verse makes Ezra the subject and reads the disputed word as if it were an intensive form (i.e. -yissêd") of the verb "to lay the foundation of", with the meaning -appoint", as in Esther 1:8 "the king had appointed". This gives a good sense, as follows;

-On the first day &c. he (i.e. Ezra) had appointed or determined to go up (the going up)".

The rendezvous apparently took place on the 9th day of the 1st month (Nisan), and the journey did not commence until the 12th day (see chap. Ezra 8:15; Ezra 8:31).

upon the firstday of the first month i.e. 1st of Nisan (Assyrian Nisanu), part of March and April.

on the firstday of the fifth month The journey lasted throughout 18 days of Nisan, and the three months Iyyar, Sivan, and Tammuz; in all about 108 days. As the crow flies, the distance from Babylon to Jerusalem is over 500 miles. But the road followed by Ezra's caravan made a long detour by Carchemish so as to avoid the desert, and could hardly have been less than 900 miles. As the march was taken in the height of summer (April August), the travellers probably moved only in the early morning and at night. A caravan with women and children and household effects would move more slowly than a trained and lightly equipped force. There is nothing therefore in the length of time spent in the march to cause any surprise. See on Ezra 8:32.

according to the good hand of his God&c. Cf. note on Ezra 7:6.