King Artaxerxes had a surname that translates to “Longimanus” in Latin, supposedly because he had a right hand that was noticeably longer than his left hand.
Artaxerxes, ruler of Persia, displayed compassion that amazed the prophet Ezra, who gave praise to God for putting it in the king’s heart to be merciful to him and to the Jewish people.
The king commissioned Ezra to return to Jerusalem, taking with him as many people as wanted to return, and to continue work on the temple of God. He even gave Ezra generous gifts of silver and gold for the temple and advised him to buy many offerings to sacrifice to God. He told him to take from the king’s treasury anything else he might need to help with the temple, and he gave Ezra the power to collect from his treasurers “beyond the river.” He also advised him and empowered him to enforce the law of God and the law of the king and to teach anyone in his region who didn’t know the law.
This was all quite astonishing; apparently God had blessed this heathen king with wisdom from above. Artaxerxes recognized the supreme authority of God and didn’t hesitant to bow to that authority, even in front of his counselors and princes. Because of his respect for the true God, the people of the Lord were greatly blessed.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem: Ezra 7:27
And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me. Ezra 7:28