Esur (אֱסוּר, Aramaic H613) is the Aramaic equivalent of Hebrew H612, meaning a bond, fetter, or imprisonment. It appears in Ezra 7:26 in Artaxerxes' decree granting Ezra authority to enforce law, including "imprisonment, confiscation of property, or death" for those who disobey. It also appears in Daniel 4:15 as the metal band binding a tree stump.
The Aramaic esur in Ezra 7:26 appears in a remarkable document: a pagan king granting divine law enforcement authority. God used Artaxerxes' imperial decree to protect and restore covenant worship in Jerusalem. Even the threat of bonds and imprisonment served God's redemptive purposes. Daniel's "band of iron and bronze" (Daniel 4:15) around the tree stump carries prophetic weight — Nebuchadnezzar will be humbled but preserved, as a stump preserved for restoration.