Now after these things, in the reign of {a} Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,

(a) The Hebrews write that many of the kings of Persia were called by this name, as Pharaoh was a common name to the kings of Egypt and Caesar to the Romans emperors.

Wesley's Notes

7:1 Artaxerxes - The same of whom he speaks, chap.6:14. The son - His grand - son. Here are divers persons omitted for brevity sake, which may be supplied out of 1Chron 6:1 - 11:47. Ezra was not himself the high priest; but he was nearly related to him.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 7

Ezr 7:1-10. Ezra Goes Up to Jerusalem.

1, 2. in the reign of Artaxerxes-the Ahasuerus of Esther.

Ezra the son of Seraiah-that is, grandson or great-grandson. Seraiah was the high priest put to death by Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah (2Ki 25:18). A period of one hundred thirty years had elapsed between that catastrophe and the journey of Ezra to Jerusalem. As a grandson of Seraiah, namely, Jeshua, who held the office of high priest, had accompanied Zerubbabel in the first caravan of returning exiles, Ezra must have been in all probability a grandson, descended, too, from a younger son, the older branch being in possession of the pontificate.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

7:1-10 Ezra went from Babylon to Jerusalem, for the good of his country. The king was kind to him; he granted all his requests, whatever Ezra desired to enable him to serve his country. When he went, many went with him; he obtained favour from his king, by the Divine favour. Every creature is that to us, which God makes it to be. We must see the hand of God in the events that befal us, and acknowledge him with thankfulness.