The Book of Ezra is a book of the Hebrew Bible and describes how the Jews returned from the Babylonian captivity to re-establish the Temple in Jerusalem. The Persian King Cyrus allowed the Jews to return after conquering Babylon in 539 BC. The return and restoration of the Temple are also described in the books of Nehemiah and I and II Chronicles.
Ezra consists of two major parts- chapters 1-6, covering the period from the Cyrus’s edict in 538 BC allowing the Jews to return from exile to the dedication of the Second Temple in 515 BC; and chapters 7-10, covering Ezra’s return to Jerusalem in 458 BC with a group of exiles and his efforts to purify the community by dissolving pagan marriages.
Chapters 1-6: The Return under Zerubbabel
This section begins with King Cyrus allowing the Jews to return home after the Persian conquest of Babylon. Cyrus also returns the Temple vessels that had been taken by Nebuchadnezzar and orders the rebuilding of the Temple. Sheshbazzar is appointed governor and lays the foundations for the new Temple.
However, adversaries hinder the rebuilding efforts throughout the reigns of Cyrus and his successors Cambyses and Smerdis. It is not until the second year of Darius that the prophets Haggai and Zechariah motivate the Jews to resume work on the Temple.
Despite further opposition, they complete and dedicate the Temple in Darius’s sixth year (515 BC). They celebrate Passover, appoint Levites, and make provisions for maintaining regular Temple services.
Key Events:
- Cyrus’s edict allowing the Jews to return and rebuild the Temple (Ezra 1:1-4)
- List of returning exiles and Temple vessels (Ezra 1:5-11)
- Altar rebuilt and sacrifices resumed (Ezra 3:1-7)
- Temple foundations laid (Ezra 3:8-13)
- Adversaries hinder the work (Ezra 4:1-5)
- Rebuilding resumes under prophets Haggai and Zechariah (Ezra 5:1-2)
- Temple completed and dedicated (Ezra 6:15-18)
- Passover celebrated (Ezra 6:19-22)
Chapters 7-10: The Return under Ezra
More than 50 years after the completion of the Temple, Ezra leads a group of exiles back to Jerusalem. He is a priest and scribe, expert in the Law of Moses. Artaxerxes, king of Persia, commissions Ezra to evaluate the religious and spiritual state of Judah and Jerusalem.
Ezra gathers Levites and lay exiles for the journey back. He proclaims a fast and seeks God’s protection. He entrusts the Temple articles to the priests and delivers them to the Temple upon arrival. After resting, Ezra is dismayed to learn many Jews have intermarried with pagan peoples.
Ezra tears his garments, pulls hair from his head and beard, and sits appalled until the evening sacrifice. At the sacrifice he falls to his knees, spreads his hands in prayer, and confesses the sins of the returned exiles in an extensive prayer.
The people gather and agree to dissolve the pagan marriages. A proclamation is issued for all who have married foreign women to assemble in Jerusalem. Ezra sits in the open square by the Temple gate until all have assembled. The people agree to put away their foreign wives and children.
Key Events:
- Ezra’s pedigree and commission from Artaxerxes (Ezra 7:1-10)
- Ezra’s responsibility to teach the Law (Ezra 7:10)
- Artaxerxes’ decree and provisions for the journey (Ezra 7:11-26)
- Ezra assembles priests and Levites (Ezra 8:15-20)
- Ezra’s extensive prayer confessing the people’s sins (Ezra 9:6-15)
- The people agree to put away foreign wives (Ezra 10:10-12)
- Listing of those who had married foreign women (Ezra 10:18-43)
Major Themes
Some of the major themes in Ezra include:
- Return from exile: The return of the Jews from Babylon demonstrates God’s faithfulness in fulfilling His promise to restore His people to the land after a period of judgment.
- Rebuilding the Temple: The Temple represents God’s presence with His people. Its reconstruction shows that worshiping and relating rightly to God is central.
- Purity: Marrying pagan foreign women jeopardized Israel’s religious purity and witness. The dissolution of interfaith marriages was critical to preserving the community’s exclusive loyalty to God.
- The Law: Ezra’s expertise in the Law highlights its importance. Proper interpretation and teaching of the Law was vital for ordering the community’s life according to God’s standards.
- Leadership: Ezra and other leaders led spiritually by example. Their faithfulness was instrumental in guiding the people back to right relationship with God.
Key Figures
Here are some of the important figures in Ezra:
- Cyrus: Persian king whose decree allowed the Jewish exiles to return home and rebuild the Temple (Ezra 1:1-4).
- Sheshbazzar: Prince appointed by Cyrus as governor over Judah. He laid the Temple’s foundation (Ezra 1:8, 5:14-16).
- Zerubbabel: Leader of the first return of exiles and governor of Judah who helped rebuild the Temple (Ezra 2:2, 3:2).
- Jeshua: High priest who helped lead the first return and oversaw the sacrifices (Ezra 2:2, 3:2).
- Haggai & Zechariah: Prophets whose exhortations got the Temple rebuilding back on track (Ezra 5:1, 6:14).
- Artaxerxes: Persian king whose decree allowed Ezra’s return to Jerusalem to teach the Law (Ezra 7:1,11-26).
- Ezra: Priest and scribe sent by Artaxerxes to investigate Judah’s religious state. He led reforms and taught the Law (Ezra 7-10).
Key Places
The main locations mentioned in Ezra include:
- Babylon: Where the Jews were exiled after the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar (Ezra 1:1, 2:1).
- Jerusalem: The capital of Judah to which the Jews returned to rebuild the Temple (Ezra 1:3, 2:68).
- The Temple: The house of worship Solomon built that was destroyed by the Babylonians. Rebuilt under Zerubbabel (Ezra 3, 6).
- The Holy Land/Judah: The territory the Jews returned to after exile. Called Judah after the southern kingdom (Ezra 1:1, 5:8).
- River Ahava: Where Ezra proclaimed a fast before seeking God’s protection for the journey to Jerusalem (Ezra 8:15).
Outline
A broad outline of Ezra:
Chapters 1-6: First Return from Exile and Rebuilding the Temple
- Cyrus’s decree to allow the return and rebuild the Temple (Ch. 1)
- List of returning exiles (Ch. 2)
- Altar rebuilt and Temple foundations laid (Ch. 3)
- Opposition halts the work (Ch. 4)
- Prophets inspire resuming Temple construction (Ch. 5)
- Temple completed and dedicated (Ch. 6)
Chapters 7-10: Ezra’s Return to Teach the Law
- Ezra’s return authorized by Artaxerxes (Ch. 7)
- Ezra leads exiles back to Jerusalem (Ch. 8)
- Ezra finds Jews who married foreign women (Ch. 9)
- The people repent and put away foreign wives (Ch. 10)
Historical Context
Some key historical background related to Ezra includes:
- The northern kingdom of Israel fell to Assyria in 722 BC, and the Babylonians destroyed the southern kingdom of Judah in 586 BC.
- Babylon fell to the Persian king Cyrus in 539 BC, allowing him to issue an edict in 538 BC freeing the Jews to return home.
- Sheshbazzar laid the Temple foundation shortly after the first return c. 536 BC. The work was halted until 520 BC.
- The Temple was completed in 515 BC under Zerubbabel and Darius I of Persia.
- A second return of exiles occurred under Ezra in 458 BC authorized by Artaxerxes I.
Ezra highlights the Jews’ return to their homeland after 70 years of captivity in fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy (Jeremiah 25:11-12, 29:10). God moved the hearts of the Persian kings to allow His people to return and rebuild.
Purpose
Some key purposes of the Book of Ezra include:
- To recount how God fulfilled His promise to restore His people to their land after the Babylonian captivity.
- To describe the return of exiles under Zerubbabel to rebuild the Temple as the center of worship.
- To emphasize the importance of the Law and its proper observance in ordering the community’s religious and social life.
- To warn against intermarriage with neighboring peoples to maintain religious purity.
- To inspire hope that God will continue to work even after periods of judgment and exile.
Overall, Ezra demonstrates God’s faithfulness, sovereignty, and covenant love in keeping His promises to His people, even after judgment.
Theological Themes
Major theological themes in Ezra include:
- God’s Sovereignty: God moves the hearts of pagan kings to allow Israel’s return, demonstrating His supreme control over all nations and rulers.
- Covenant Faithfulness: God keeps His promises to restore Israel after exile, proving His steadfast covenant loyalty.
- Holiness: Marrying pagan foreigners would compromise Israel’s exclusive loyalty to God. Upholding God’s standards required removing foreign influences.
- The Temple: Reconstruction of the Temple facilitates restored worship and shows that proper relating to God is central.
- Purity:guarding Israel’s religious purity before God was critical. Even good things (marriage) should be avoided if detrimental.
Literary Features
Some key literary features in Ezra include:
- Genealogies of the returning exiles (Ezra 2, 8)
- Official royal documents and decrees (Ezra 1, 6, 7)
- Lists of Temple articles and vessels (Ezra 1, 8)
- Ezra’s first-person memoir (Ezra 7-10)
- Ezra’s extensive prayer of confession (Ezra 9:6-15)
- Narrative punctuated by lists and documents
- Thematic parallel between the two returns – first led by Zerubbabel to rebuild the Temple, the second by Ezra to renew the people
These features help convey the historical rootedness of Israel’s restoration and Ezra’s reliability as a leader and deft handler of historical documents and records.
Contribution to the Bible’s Central Themes
As part of the Old Testament historical narrative, Ezra contributes to the Bible’s central themes in important ways:
- God’s faithfulness and sovereignty in fulfilling His promises to restore His people after judgment.
- The constant need for spiritual renewal and moral/ethical purity among God’s people.
- God’s expectation that His people worship Him alone in undivided loyalty.
- How God uses ordinary people and events to accomplish His purposes.
- The value of wholeheartedly studying, obeying and teaching God’s Word.
- The pattern of sin, judgment, repentance, and restoration.
Ezra’s continuation of Israel’s story emphasizes central biblical themes of covenant, redemption, purity, and the revelation of God’s character through His acts in history.