Original Word: אַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׁתָּא
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Artachshashta'
Pronunciation: ar-takh-shash-tuh
Phonetic Spelling: (ar-takh-shash-taw')
KJV: Artaxerxes
Word Origin: [of foreign origin]

1. Artachshasta (or Artaxerxes), a title (rather than name) of several Persian kings

Artaxerxes

Or Artachshasht {ar-takh- shasht'}; or by permutation Artachshactu {ar-takh-shast'}; of foreign origin; Artachshasta (or Artaxerxes), a title (rather than name) of several Persian kings -- Artaxerxes.

אַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׂתָּא proper name, masculine Artaxerxes (Persian Artakhshatrâ, Spieg^{APK 68, 207} ᵐ5 Ἀρταξερξης, compare BeRy on Ezra 4:23; Ezra 7:1f.; Nehemiah 1:1) ׳א Ezra 4:7 see BD¹⁰²; אַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׂתְּא Ezra 4:7, אַרְתַּחְשַׁסְתְּא Ezra 7:1,11; Ezra 8:1; Nehemiah 2:1; Nehemiah 5:14; Nehemiah 13:6; Artaxerxes I, or Longimanus, son & successor of Xerxes, reigned B.C. 465-424.

אַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׂתְּא proper name, masculine of king, Ezra 4:8,11,23; Ezra 6:14 = שַׁסְתְּא- Ezra 7:12,21 (Biblical Hebrew שַׁשְׂתָּא-; Egyptian Aramaic ארתחשסש RES⁴³⁸, S-C^B2+; see also Andr^{M 54*} Scheft^{i. 79}); — Αρσαρθα, Α(ρ)σαθαθα, Αρθασαθα; ᵐ5^L Αρταξερξης.

Identification within Persian History

The form אַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׁתָּא corresponds to the throne-name “Artaxerxes,” borne by several Achaemenid monarchs. In the biblical record the title chiefly designates Artaxerxes I Longimanus (465–424 BC), under whom Ezra (seventh year, 458/457 BC) and Nehemiah (twentieth–thirty-second years, 445–433 BC) carried out their Jerusalem ministries. Ezra 4:7–23 recounts an earlier exchange during the same reign that temporarily halted construction; Ezra 6:14 lists Artaxerxes alongside Cyrus and Darius as Persian patrons of the Second Temple, showing a continuum of imperial support across successive kings.

Occurrences and Narrative Setting

1. Ezra 4:7-23 – Adversaries of Judah petition Artaxerxes to stop the rebuilding; the work is suspended “until the second year of the reign of Darius.”
2. Ezra 6:14 – Artaxerxes named among benefactors of the Temple, emphasizing God’s unbroken oversight from Cyrus to later reigns.
3. Ezra 7:1-26 – The king commissions Ezra to teach the Law and regulate worship.
4. Ezra 8:1 – Expedition list traces its authority to Artaxerxes’ decree.
5. Nehemiah 2:1-8; 5:14; 13:6 – Nehemiah, cupbearer turned governor, receives royal favor, returns with the king’s backing, and later must appear again at court.

Key Imperial Decrees

• Authorization of Ezra (Ezra 7:12-26).

“I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers beyond the River: Whatever Ezra the priest, a scribe skilled in the Law of the God of heaven, may request of you, it must be provided in full” (Ezra 7:21).

The letter grants freewill offerings, tax exemptions (verse 24), and judicial authority (verse 25), illustrating the Lord’s ability to move a pagan ruler’s heart for covenant purposes.

• Provision for Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2:6-8).

“The king granted me the requests, because the gracious hand of my God was upon me” (Nehemiah 2:8).

Timber, military escorts, and official letters underscore how Artaxerxes’ realm supplied the very resources needed to rebuild the walls that had once been a Persian-conquered city.

• Injunction to Halt Work (Ezra 4:21).

Royal power could also be wielded against the community when misinformation reached the throne. The reversal that followed highlights divine sovereignty over imperial edicts.

Historical and Ministry Significance

1. Restoration of Worship and Law

Ezra’s mission, enabled by Artaxerxes, re-established Mosaic teaching in Judah. The resulting public reading of Scripture (Nehemiah 8) depended on the earlier decree, showing how Gentile sponsorship advanced covenant renewal.

2. Rebuilding of Jerusalem’s Fortifications

Artaxerxes’ letters to governors and foresters provided the legal framework and materials for Nehemiah’s wall-building. The successful completion in fifty-two days (Nehemiah 6:15) vindicated the legitimacy of the king’s authorization against local opposition.

3. Anchor for Daniel’s Seventy Weeks

Conservative chronology often identifies the “word to restore and rebuild Jerusalem” (Daniel 9:25) with Artaxerxes’ decree to either Ezra (457 BC) or Nehemiah (445 BC). From this starting point the prophetic timetable leads to the advent and atoning work of Jesus Christ, demonstrating the integral role Artaxerxes plays in salvation history.

4. Illustration of God’s Sovereign Rule over Nations

The accounts show no contradiction between divine sovereignty and human agency. Artaxerxes acts from political motives, yet Scripture affirms that “the king’s heart is a watercourse in the hand of the LORD; He directs it wherever He pleases” (Proverbs 21:1). The cooperation of a pagan king with the purposes of Yahweh exemplifies this truth.

Theological Lessons

• Providence: Opposition (Ezra 4) and assistance (Ezra 7; Nehemiah 2) alike are instruments in God’s redemptive plan.
• Faith in Action: Ezra and Nehemiah took bold steps only after prayer, yet their confidence rested in Artaxerxes’ signed authority—an interplay of spiritual dependence and practical obedience.
• Covenant Community under Gentile Rule: The post-exilic experience shows how God preserves His people without national sovereignty, foreshadowing the Church’s witness amid diverse cultures.

Summary

אַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׁתָּא (Artaxerxes) stands as a pivotal figure through whom God advanced the restoration of Judah after exile. His decrees halted and then hastened the rebuilding, funded Temple worship, empowered Torah instruction, and set chronological markers that point forward to Messiah. The fifteen Old Testament references collectively testify that the Lord of Israel is also “the God of heaven” (Ezra 7:12), who governs the mightiest empires for the sake of His covenant and the unfolding of redemptive history.

אַ֨רְתַּחְשַׁ֔סְתְּא אַרְתַּחְשַׁ֔סְתְּא אַרְתַּחְשַׁ֖שְׂתְּא אַרְתַּחְשַׁ֗שְׂתָּא אַרְתַּחְשַׁ֣סְתְּא אַרְתַּחְשַׁ֤סְתְּא אַרְתַּחְשַׁ֥סְתְּא אַרְתַּחְשַׁ֖שְׂתְּ אַרְתַּחְשַׁ֣שְׂתְּ ארתחשסתא ארתחששת ארתחששתא וְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֖שְׂתְּא וארתחששתא לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֣סְתְּא לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֤סְתְּא לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֥סְתְּא לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֥שְׂתְּא לארתחשסתא לארתחששתא ’ar·taḥ·šaś·tā ’ar·taḥ·šast ’ar·taḥ·šaśt ’artaḥšast ’artaḥšaśt ’artaḥšaśtā artachShast artachShasta lə’artaḥšast lə’artaḥšaśt lə·’ar·taḥ·šast lə·’ar·taḥ·šaśt leartachShast veartachShast wə’artaḥšaśt wə·’ar·taḥ·šaśtInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts