Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect [peace], and at such a time.
Ver. 12. Artaxerxes, king of kings] This is a very high style for any mortal wight; yet ambitiously assumed by monarchs and emperors. It is indeed the proper title of Jesus Christ, who hath upon his vesture and upon his thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords; kings and captives, lords and lowlies, are all his underlings and vassals, as those good emperors, Constantine, Theodosius, and Valentinian usually called themselves (Socrates). This name of the Lord Christ is said to be written, 1. On his vesture, that all may see it and submit to it. 2. On his thigh, where hangs his sword, to show his absolute and unlimited empire, got out of the hands of his enemies with his sword and with his bow, Psalms 45:5. "By me king's reign," saith he, Proverbs 8:15. And Nebuchadnezzar is made to know as much, Daniel 4:35, who once vain gloriously vaunted that his princes were altogether kings, Isaiah 10:8. Maximilian, emperor of Germany, also said of himself, that he was a king of kings, but in another sense; for every one of my subjects (quoth he) will be a king; and say I what I can, they will do what they wish (Johan. Manl. loc. com. p. 586).
Of the God of heaven See Trapp on " Ezr 5:11 "