Book Of Ezra
Holman Bible Dictionary [1]
1 Chronicles 4:17 Nehemiah 12:1 12:13 Nehemiah 12:32-33
The Book of Ezra is intimately connected with Chronicles and Nehemiah. The connection is so obvious that possibly one person wrote and compiled all three. This unknown person is referred to as the Chronicler.
Ezra and Nehemiah were actually one book in the ancient Hebrew and Greek Old Testament. Each book contains materials found in the other (e.g., the list in Ezra 2:1 is also in Nehemiah 7:1 ). Each book completes the other; Ezra's story is continued in Nehemiah ( Nehemiah 8-10 ). Both are necessary to the history of Israel. A whole century would be unknown (538-432 B.C.), historically, apart from Ezra and Nehemiah. They are the next chapter of the history recorded in Chronicles.
Ezra lived during the reign of Artaxerxes ( Ezra 7:1 ), king of Persia, but which one? Artaxerxes I (Longimanus), 465-425 B.C., or Artaxerxes II (Mnemon) 404-359 B.C.? If it is Longimanus, then “the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king” ( Ezra 7:7 ) was 458 B.C.; but if Mnemon, it was 398 B.C. Scripture possibly intimates that Nehemiah preceded Ezra to Jerusalem. For example, Ezra prayed as though walls were already in place in Jerusalem ( Ezra 9:9 ), yet they were built by Nehemiah. Also Nehemiah's reforms ( Nehemiah 13:1 ) seem to have preceded Ezra's teaching the law and his reforms. There are real problems either way, but it seems logical to stay with the biblical order and date Ezra's journey to Jerusalem in 458 B.C.
Ezra was a priest and a scribe. He descended from Aaron through Phinehas and later Zadok ( Ezra 7:1-5; 1 Chronicles 6:4-14 ).
Ezra's purpose for going to Jerusalem was “to study the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach the statutes and ordinances in Israel” ( Ezra 7:10 NRSV). He was well equipped for this task as a priest and scribe. Jerusalem needed the law of God. The permanence of the Jews was threatened by opposition from non-Jews and by the Jews' careless disregard for the things of God. Ezra's teaching was needed to give solidity and strength to the Jewish community struggling against pressures to surrender its ethnic and theological identity.
Ezra was written from this kind of perspective. A variety of sources was used, either by Ezra or by another who gave the book its present form. Jewish tradition is strong that Ezra was the actual author of the entire book, as well as Chronicles and Nehemiah. Vivid details and the use of the first person pronoun permit scholars to speak of the Ezra Memoirs ( Ezra 7:27-9:15 ).
The book has two major stories, that of Zerubbabel and the group of returnees who rebuilt the Temple ( Ezra 1-6 ), and that of Ezra ( Ezra 7-10 , completed in Nehemiah 8-10 ). Peculiarities in the book include the naming of Sheshbazzar ( Nehemiah 1:1 ) as the leader of the first group to return and not Zerubbabel. Two approaches are possible. One is that Sheshbazzar was a real historical person who actually led a small group of anxious Jews to Jerusalem. The other is that Sheshbazzar might have been another name for Zerubbabel. But it seems unlikely that a Jew would have two Babylonian names.
Another peculiarity, found in both Ezra and Nehemiah, is the use of lists. The list in Ezra 2:1 of those who returned with Zerubbabel is in Nehemiah 7:1 . Other lists include those who returned with Ezra ( Ezra 8:1-14 ); “the sons of the priests there were found who had taken strange wives” ( Ezra 10:18-43 ); those who helped rebuild Jerusalem's walls ( Nehemiah 3:1 ); signers of the covenant ( Nehemiah 10:1 ); residents in Jerusalem at the time of Nehemiah ( Nehemiah 11:1 ); and another list of “the priests and the Levites that went up with Zerubbabel” ( Nehemiah 12:1-26 ).
Another peculiarity is the Aramaic in Ezra. This was a widely used language of Ezra's era, related to Hebrew, used by Jews and Gentiles alike. Most of the book is written in Hebrew, but there are two large sections of Aramaic ( Ezra 4:7-6:18; Ezra 7:12-26 ). The Aramaic generally deals with official correspondence between Palestine and Persia.
The lists and the Aramiac show that the author was determined to use official documents where possible. Establishing the legitimacy of the Jews was an important objective, and these helped do that.
Ezra begins with the story of Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel and the first Jews to return to Jerusalem from captivity in 538 B.C. Their main objective was to rebuild the Temple. Its foundation was laid in 536 B.C. Then there was a long delay. Haggai and Zechariah ( Ezra 5:1 ) in 520 B.C. had encouraged the people to finish the project, which they did in 515 B.C. ( Ezra 6:14-15 ), and they “celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy” ( Ezra 6:16 NRSV).
Almost sixty years passed before Ezra went to Jerusalem (458 B.C.), six decades of silence. He left Persia with “the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe” ( Ezra 7:11 ), giving him unusual power and authority ( Ezra 7:12-26 ). As he “viewed the people, and the priests, and [he] found there none of the sons of Levi” ( Ezra 8:15 ). These were essential for his teaching program to implement the law of God in Jerusalem. During a three-day delay more than 200 “ministers for the house of our God” ( Ezra 8:17 ) were enlisted. Four months later the group, probably less than 2,000, arrived in the Holy City.
Soon Ezra was informed of the most glaring sin of the Jews, intermarriage with non-Jews, those not in covenant relation with Yahweh ( Ezra 9:2 ). Ezra was greatly upset ( Ezra 9:3-4 ). He prayed ( Ezra 9:6-15 ). In assembly people reached what must have been a heartrending decision: “Let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them” ( Ezra 10:3 ). The book concludes with the carrying out of this decision ( Ezra 10:1 ). Ezra's story reaches its climax in Nehemiah ( Nehemiah 8-10 ). There he read from “the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel” ( Nehemiah 8:1 ). A great revival resulted. Ezra is not heard of again.
Ezra's greatest contribution was his teaching, establishing, and implementing “the book of the law of the Lord” ( Nehemiah 9:3 ) among the Jews. Other things have been attributed to him. Jewish tradition says he authored Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah. Ancient rabbis said that if Moses had not received the law from God, Ezra would have. Ezra is often called “the father of Judaism,” though others offer a different opinion. This is because he did most to codify, emphasize, and sent up the law of Moses. Also, he is credited with initiating what became Jewish isolationism and separatism, seen graphically in the New Testament. He led Jews to divorce their foreign wives and send them and their children away.
Ezra evidenced strong theology. He believed in the sovereignty of God, who could use a Cyrus, an Artaxerxes, and a Darius to accomplish His purposes. He believed in the faithfulness of God, who brought home as many exiles as He could. He believed in the sacredness and practicality of the Scriptures; he read them to his people and insisted that their teachings be carried out. He was a person of prayer; note his long confessional prayers ( Ezra 9:5-15; Nehemiah 9:6-37 ). He was a preacher: he used a pulpit ( Nehemiah 8:4 ); he publicly read the Scriptures; and he helped to interpret them to his congregation ( Nehemiah 8:8 ).
The value of the contributions of Ezra to the Jews is immeasurable. What he did probably saved them from disintegration. His efforts helped guarantee the ethnic and theological continuance of descendants of Abraham. He might not have been the father of Judaism, but he contributed greatly to saving the Jews' identity as a people of God.
Outline
I. God's Worship Must Be Restored ( Ezra 1:1-6:22 )
A. God can use a pagan “to fulfill the word of the Lord.” ( Ezra 1:1-4 )
B. God's people respond to God's ways. ( Ezra 1:5-6 )
C. God will recover and reclaim His possessions. ( Ezra 1:7-11 )
D. God's people, by name and as individuals, are important. ( Ezra 2:1-67 )
E. God's people are generous givers for a good cause. ( Ezra 2:68-70 )
F. God's people worship, regardless of the circumstances. ( Ezra 3:1-6 )
G. God's people will give and organize to get a job done. ( Ezra 3:7-9 )
H. God's people praise Him in success or in disappointment. ( Ezra 3:10-13 )
I. God's people must reject some offers of help. ( Ezra 4:1-3 )
J. God's work can be opposed and stopped. ( Ezra 4:4-24 )
K. God's work and workers must be encouraged. ( Ezra 5:1-2 )
L. God's work and workers are in His watchcare. ( Ezra 5:3-5 )
M. God's work may get pagan authorization and support. ( Ezra 5:6-6:12 )
N. God's work must ultimately be completed. ( Ezra 6:13-15 )
O. God's work must be dedicated publicly with joyful celebration. ( Ezra 6:16-22 )
II. God's Word Must Be Followed. ( Ezra 7:1-10:44 )
A. God's Word needs skilled teachers and helpers. ( Ezra 7:1-7 )
B. God's Word elicits commitment. ( Ezra 7:8-10 )
C. God's work accepts all the help it can get from many different sources. ( Ezra 7:11-26 )
D. God blesses His workers and expects to be praised. ( Ezra 7:27-28 )
E. God's work warrants good records. ( Ezra 8:1-14 )
F. God's work must enlist trained workers. ( Ezra 8:15-20 )
G. God's work calls for faith, prayer, and humility. ( Ezra 8:21-23 )
H. God's work warrants division of responsibility. ( Ezra 8:24-30 )
I. God's work necessitates good stewardship and generous sacrifice. ( Ezra 8:31-36 )
J. Gross violations of God's Word must be acknowledged. ( Ezra 9:1-5 )
K. Acknowledged sin leads to prayer and confession with deep theological insights. ( Ezra 9:6-15 )
L. God's grace and human confession call for active commitment. ( Ezra 10:1-4 )
M. God's people must act unitedly. ( Ezra 10:5-9 )
N. God's call for the separated life must be made clear by God's leaders to God's people. ( Ezra 10:10-11 )
O. God's way utilizes practical solutions for difficult problems. ( Ezra 10:12-17 )
P. God's way expects “fruit in keeping with repentance” ( Matthew 3:8 ) from all who are guilty. ( Ezra 10:18-44 )
D. C. Martin
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible [2]
Ezra, Book Of . Our present Book of Ezra, which consists of 10 chapters, is really part of a composite work, Ezra-Nehemiah, which, again, is the continuation of Chronicles. The entire work Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah is a compilation made by the Chronicler. See, further, Nehemiah [Book of], § 1 .
1. Analysis of the book . The Book of Ezra falls into two main divisions: ( a ) chs. 1 6; ( b ) chs. 7 10.
( a ) Chs. 1 6 give an account of the Return and the re-building of the Temple. Ch. 1 tells how Cyrus, after the capture of Babylon in b.c. 538, issued an edict permitting the exiles to return; of the latter about 40,000 availed themselves of the opportunity and returned to Judæa under Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel, a member of the royal Davidic family, who was appointed governor ( pechah ) by Cyrus (b.c. 538 537). Ch. 2 contains a list of those who returned and their offerings for the building of the Temple. Ch. 3 describes how in October 537 the altar of burnt-offering was re-erected on its ancient site, the foundation-stone of the Temple laid (May 536), and the work of re-building begun. Ch. 4 tells that, owing to the unfriendly action of neighbouring populations, the building of the Temple was suspended during the rest of the reigns of Cyrus and Cambyses. It contains the correspondence between Rehum, Shimshai, and their companions, and king Artaxerxes. In Ezra 5:6-12 we are informed that, as a consequence of the earnest exhortations of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, the building of the Temple was energetically resumed in the second year of Darius I. (b.c. 520). In Ezra 5:6 to Ezra 6:12 we have the correspondence between the satrap Tattenai and Darius. We read in Ezra 6:13-22 of how the Temple was successfully completed on the 3rd March 515 b.c. [An interval of silence, lasting nearly sixty years, ensues, of which there seems to be little or no record elsewhere.]
( b ) Chs. 7 10 deal with Ezra’s personal work. In ch. 7 the silence of nearly sixty years is broken in the year b.c. 458, when Ezra, the teacher of the Law , at the head of a fresh band of exiles, leaves Babylonia bearing a commission from Artaxerxes I. to bring about a settlement in the religious condition of the Judæan community. Ch. 8 gives a list of the heads of families who journeyed with him, and tells of their arrival in Jerusalem. Ch. 9 describes the proceedings against the foreign wives, and contains Ezra’s penitential prayer. In ch. 10 we read that an assembly of the whole people, in December 458, appointed a commission to deal with the mixed marriages. The narrative abruptly breaks off with an enumeration of the men who had married strange women .
2. Sources of the book . In its present form the Book of Ezra-Nehemiah is, as has been pointed out, the work of the Chronicler. The compilation, however, embraces older material. The most important parts of this latter are undoubtedly the autobiographical sections, which have been taken partly from Ezra’s, partly from Nehemiah’s, personal memoirs.
( a ) Extracts from Ezra’s memoirs embodied in the Book of Ezra . The long passage Ezra 7:27 to Ezra 9:15 (except Ezra 8:35-36 ) is generally admitted to be an authentic extract from Ezra’s memoirs. The abrupt break which takes place at Ezra 9:15 must be due to a compiler. ‘The events of the next thirteen years were clearly of too dismal a character to make it desirable to perpetuate the memory of them’ (Cornill). [It is probable that an even larger excerpt from these memoirs is to be seen in Nehemiah 9:6 to Nehemiah 10:39 .]
It seems probable that these memoirs were not used by the Chronicler in their original form, but in a form adapted and arranged by a later hand, to which Ezra 10:1-44 is due. This latter narrative is of first-rate importance and rests upon extremely good information. It was probably written by the same hand that composed the main part of Nehemiah 8:1-18; Nehemiah 9:1-38; Nehemiah 10:1-39 (see Nehemiah [Book of], § 2 ).
The Imperial firman an Aramaic document ( Ezra 7:12-26 ) the essential authenticity of which has now been made certain is an extract from the memoirs preserved in the same compiler’s work, from which Ezra 2:1-70 (= Nehemiah 7:6-73 ) was also derived. The introductory verses ( Ezra 7:1-11 ) are apparently the work of the Chronicler.
( b ) Other sources of the book . The other most important source used by the Chronicler was an Aramaic one, written, perhaps, about b.c. 450, which contained a history of the building of the Temple, the city walls, etc., and cited original documents. From this authority come Ezra 4:8-22; Ezra 5:1 to Ezra 6:16 (cited verbally).
The Chronicler, however, partly misunderstood his Aramaic source. He has misconceived Ezra 4:6 , and assigned a false position to the document embodied in Ezra 4:7-23 .
( c ) Passages written by the Chronicler . The following passages bear clear marks of being the actual composition of the Chronicler: Ezra 1:1-11; Ezra 3:2 to Ezra 4:7; Ezra 4:24; Ezra 6:16 to Ezra 7:11; Ezra 8:35-36 .
3. Separation of Ezra from Chronicles . It would appear that after the great work of the Chronicler had been completed (1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah), the part which contained narratives of otherwise unrecorded events was first received into the Canon. Hence, in the Jewish Canon, Ezra-Nehemiah precedes the Books of Chronicles. In the process of separation certain verses are repeated ( Ezra 1:1-3 a = 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 ); 2 Chronicles 36:23 seems to have been added in 2 Chronicles 36:1-23 to avoid a dismal ending ( 2 Chronicles 36:21 ).
For the historical value of the book cf. what is said under Nehemiah [Book of], § 3 .
G. H. Box.
Morrish Bible Dictionary [3]
This is an historical book which follows the second book of Chronicles. The last two verses of Chronicles are almost word for word like the opening of Ezra. God had charged Cyrus to build Him a house at Jerusalem. A proclamation was made by the king, and the Spirit of God stirred up the people to go, resulting in nearly 50,000 returning to Jerusalem. The king gave up the sacred vessels, of which there were 5,400. Zerubbabel was leader in the undertaking: his Persian or Chaldean name was Sheshbazzar.
Ezra 3 . The altar was erected and sacrifices offered; but the foundation of the temple was not laid till the next year. On that occasion some of the aged men who had seen the magnificence of the former house wept, and others shouted for joy that the temple was being built.
Ezra 4 . Some asked to have fellowship in the building: they called themselves 'worshippers,' but God called them 'adversaries.' The refusal of the leaders to accept their help stirred up their hatred and antagonism. Apparently the Jews, losing faith in God, and being harassed by their enemies, neglected the building of the temple before they were stopped by authority. The opposition extended from the days of Cyrus until the reign of Darius, Ezra 4:5 . Two kings intervened between Cyrus and Darius. Ahasuerus (Cambyses) succeeded Cyrus. A letter was written to him ( Ezra 4:6 ), but no answer is recorded. Another was sent to Artaxerxes (Pseudo- Smerdis), and both the letter and the reply are recorded. A difficulty is presented in these, that the city only is mentioned, and nothing said of the temple. Apparently this was a ruse of the enemy (though Haggai 1 shows that the Jews were building their houses), for immediately the answer was obtained, the building of the temple was stopped, now by authority: Ezra 4:23,24 . Ezra 4:6-23 are a parenthesis.
Ezra 5 , Ezra 6 . The prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah come in here. The Jews were charged with saying "The time is not come for the house of the Lord to be built," whereas they were building their own houses. Their faith had failed; but it now revived and they re-commenced to build without permission; and when asked who commanded them to build the house of the Lord, they courageously answered, "We are the servants of the God of heaven." Their trust was now in God, and He blessed them. Darius being appealed to, the records were searched and the decree of Cyrus was found. Darius commanded his rulers in Palestine not only to let the work of the house alone, but to aid it by contributing to the expenses out of the king's revenues. He even asked prayer for himself and his sons. Thus through the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, under God, the house was built and dedicated; the Passover and the feast of unleavened bread were kept with joy; for "the Lord had made them joyful."
Ezra 7 , Ezra 8 . There is a long break, historically, of about sixty years, between Ezra 6 and Ezra 7 , to which period the Book of Esther belongs if the general opinion is correct that the Ahasuerus of Esther was the king Xerxes. Ezra 7 records what occurred in the reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus,and here Ezra, 'a ready scribe in the law of Moses' appears for the first time, and is God's agent for blessing: he is elsewhere spoken of as priest and scribe. Ezra made a request unto the king, and God so wrought upon his heart that he granted all that was asked,and was himself liberal in giving gold and silver for the service of the temple. The king also wrote a letter, stating what his will was, and that his treasurersin the land should help Ezra. Then follows a list of the chiefmen who went up from Babylon with Ezra, and the weights of the gold and silver that they carried with them. They had to cross the desert, and having spoken to the king of the power and goodness of God theywould not ask of the king an escort. The good hand of God was upon them and all arrived safely.
Ezra 9 , Ezra 10 . Ezra suffered deeply on finding that many even of the priests and princes had married 'strange' wives. A list of many of those who had thus transgressed is given. They agreed to confess their sin, and to separate themselves from their heathen wives and the children born of them.
The Book of Ezra is occupied with the house of God, whereas Nehemiah is concerning the city of God, Jerusalem. Both books may be considered as one, as they are regarded by the Jews, and stand as the last of the historical books. They foreshadow how God will in the future cause Gentile kings to favour Israel, and give of their wealth to them. For a list of the kings mentioned see PERSIA.
Easton's Bible Dictionary [4]
The book thus contains memorabilia connected with the Jews, from the decree of Cyrus (B.C. 536) to the reformation by Ezra (B.C. 456), extending over a period of about eighty years.
There is no quotation from this book in the New Testament, but there never has been any doubt about its being canonical. Ezra was probably the author of this book, at least of the greater part of it (comp 7:27,28; 8:1, etc.), as he was also of the Books of Chronicles, the close of which forms the opening passage of Ezra.
Copyright Statement These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., DD Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain.
Bibliography Information Easton, Matthew George. Entry for 'Ezra, Book of'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/e/ezra-book-of.html. 1897.
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature [5]
This is manifestly a continuation of the books of Chronicles, as, indeed, it is called by Hilary, bishop of Poitiers, Sermones dierum Esdrae (ap. Cosin's Canon of Script. page 51), and as was early conceded (Huetius, Dem. Evaen. 4:14, page 341). (See Chronicles (Books Of).)
I. Contents. — The book of Ezra contains Ἀπομνημονεὑματα , memorabilia, or records of events occurring about the termination of the Babylonian exile. It contains accounts of the favors bestowed upon the Jewms by the Persian kings; of the rebuilding of the Temple; of the mission of Ezra to Jerusalem, and in regulations and reforms. Such records forming the subject of the book of Ezra, we neust not be surprised that its parts are not so intimately connected with each other as we might have expected if the author had set forth his intention to furnish a complete history of his times (see Pebeble, Persian Monarchy, in his Storks, Lond. 1635, page 345). The events narraated. in thee book of Ezra are spread over the reigns of
|
Cyrus.................................... | Years. 7 | Months. 0 |
| Cambyses .............................. | 7 | 5 |
| Magums, or Pseudo-Sneerdis ........... | 0 | 17 |
| Darius Hystaspis .................... | 36 | 0 |
| Xerxes ............................. | 190 | 5 |
| Artaban................................ | 0 | 7 |
| Artaxerxes (in the eighth year of whose) | 8 |
|
| reign the records of Ezra tease). |
| 0 |
| Total ............................. | 79 | 0 |
The arrangement of the facts in the book of Ezra is chronological. The book may be divided into twoportions. Thefirst consists of chapters 1-6, and contains the history of the returning exiles and of their rebuilding of the Temple, and comprises the period from the first year of Cyrus, B.C. 536, to the sixth year of Darius Hystaspis, B.C. 515. The second portion contains the personal history of the migration of Ezra to Palestine, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes. This latter portion, embracing chapters 7-10, is an autobiography of Ezra during about twelve or thirteen months, in the seventh and eighth years of the reign of Artaxerxes Longimantis.
II. Plan. — The course of events recorded in these ten chapters appears to be as follows: First, the decree of king Cyrus, putting an end to the Babylonish captivity, and instructing the returning Israelites to rea build the Temple and restore the worship of Jehovah (Ezra 1). Second, the consequent proceedings of the people (Ezra 2, 3). Third, the hinderances to which they were exposed by the jealousy of the Persian government, stimulated as this was by the hatred of the neighbors of the Jews, until Darius discovered the original decree of Cyrus, and confirmed and, extended it, so that the Temple was fully rebuilt, and the worship restored according to the law (Ezra 4 :l-6). Fourth; the mission of Ezra, who was both a priest and a scribe, and was empowered by king Artaxerxes not only to maintain the prescribed worship; but, greatly more than that, to restore the entire theocratic administration only reserving the temporal supremacy of the Persian monarchy ( Ezra 7:7). Lastly, the reconstruction of this theocratic state, which Ezra effected so completely that he carried the people with him in remodelling the family relations by the law against intermarriage with certain races ( Ezra 9:10).
III. Utility. — This is a complete narrative in itself; and there is no room for the hypothesis that chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah, taken together, form one great historical work. The arguments for this hypothesis are of no weight in themselves for establishing the conclusion; but in so far as they are statement of fact, they are willingly put forward by us as circumstances worthy of consideration in themselves, and apart from the illogical purpose to which they have been applied.
1. The three books have a large number of words and phrases in common, which are parts of Scripture. This agrees well with their composition at a new epoch in the history of the Hebrew nation and its literature, by men who had been brought up together at the same Persian court, Ezra and Nehemiah being also most intimate friends and fellow workers. The opinion is also probable that the chronicles were a compied bu Ezra, as well as the book to which his own name has been given.
2. There is a redilection from genealogical details running through all these books. This seems to have been characteristic of the age; and it was probably necessary, considering the efforts to restore the old arrangements as to the holding of property, the administration of governing, all of which objects were likely to force genealogical questions upon the notice of men.
3. There is a similar prominence given to details about the priests and Levites. This is unavailable in any treatment of the people of Israel, unless their character as the church of God is to be overlooked. Especially, in whatever proportion must the greater attentuion have been given to its ecclestiastical arrangements.
IV. Authgorship. — A late ingeniuos writer (Reverend and Lord Hervey, in Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, s.v.) thus pronounces on this question: "Like the two books of Chronicles, it consists of the contemporary historical journals kept from time to time by the prophets, or other authorised persons, who were eye witnesses for the most part of what they record, and whose several narratives were afterward strung together, and either abridged or added to as the case required by a later hand. That later hand, in the book of Ezra, was doubtedly Ezra's as put together by him, yet strictly only the last four chapters are his original work. Nor will it be difficult to point out with tolerable certainty several of the writers of whose writings the first six chapters are composed. Accordingly, that writer, in limitation of any relationship proceeds to dissect the book for this purpose. He regards as a parenthetic addition made in the reign of Artaxerxes Ezra's own production. A still later critic (Dr. Davidson in the new edition of Kitto's Cyclopaedia of Bible Lit s.v.) is even bolder in distributing various portions to "the Chronist" as he designates the unkown interpolater after Ezra.
It is a sufficient refutation of all such attempts to note their extremely subjective character, depending chiefly upon the caprice or conjecture of the critic himself; for the peculiarities cited, when closely examined, are found to be too general and accidental to be relied uponas proofs of authorship, especially in view of the foregoing remarksrespecting the scheme of the book. Moreover, if all admit, Ezra did incorporateolder documents into his history (so even Mosesdoes in the Pentateuch), yet, as he moulded them into a homogenous narrative, this does not mitigate against his claim to be regarded as the proper author, and not simply as the editor of the book ythat bears his name. (See the Einleitungen of Havernick and Keil.) V. Personality of the Writer. — In the first six chapters the use of the third person predominates in the narrative, except in passages where, by synecdoche, occurs אמרנא , Hebrews אמרנו we said, or where the narrative contains abstracts from documents to which Ezra had access. In these abstracts the Aramiac or Chaldee language of the original documents has been preserved from Ezra 4:8 to Ezra 6:8 and Ezra 7:12-26. These portions exist in Kennicott's Cod page 240, in a collateral Hebrew translation, reprinted in Knnicott's edition of the Hebrew Bible, and separately in Chaldaicorum Danielis et Eraroe capitum interpretatio Hebraica (Ludovicus Schulze, Halae, 1782, 8vo). An argument has been raised against the opinion that Ezra wasd the author of the whole book that bears his name from the use of the first person pluralin the 4th verse of the 5th chapter, which would seem to imply that the narrative was present on the occasion described; but, setting aside other replies to this argument, it appears that the word we refers to Tatnai and his companions, and not at all to the Jews.Ezra speaks from Ezra 7:27, to Ezra 9:15, in the first person. "There is an essential difference between public events which a man recollects, though only as in a dream, to have heard of at the time when they occurred, and those which preceeded his birth. The former we think of with reference to ourselves, the latter are foreign to us. The epoch and duration of the former we measure by our own life; the latter belong to a period for which our imagination has no scale. Life and definiteness are imparted to all that we hear or read with respect to the events of our own life." (Niebuhr, On the distincton between Annals and History). These remarks, which Niebuhr made in reference to Tacitus, are in a great measure applicable also to Ezra. Instances of similar change of person are so frequent in ancient authors that rhewtorians have introduced it among the rhetorical figures under the name of enallages personarum. The prophetical writings of the Old Testament furnish examples of such Ἐναλλαγή . For instance, Ezekiel 1:1-3; Zechariah 1:1; Zechariah 6:1; Zechariah 7:1; Zechariah 4:8; Jeremiah 20:1 sq., comp. with Jeremiah 5:7 sq.; Jeremiah 21:1; Jeremiah 28:1-5; Jeremiah 32:1-8; Hosea 1:2-3; Hosea 3:1. So also in Habakkuk, Daniel, etc. The frequency of this Ἐναλλαγή especially in the prophetical parts of the Old Testament, arises from either the more objective or more subjective tendency of the style, which of course varies with the contents of the chapter. (See Fromman, Disq. Qua Orientis regibus plurium numero de se loque non inusitatum fuisse, probabiliter ostenditur, Cob. 1762). We express our opinion that even Havernick does not rightly set forth the truth of the matter when, in the Einleitung, he says that this Ἐναλλαγή arose from Ezra's imitationof the prophetic usage, and when he approvingly quotes Schirmer's Observationes exegeticoe et criticoe in librum Esdroem 2:8 (Vratisl. 1830). There was certainly as little imitation of the prophets if we change from the first to the third person in our own communications. Ε᾿Ναλλαγή never arises from imitation but only from imitation, but only from the more subjective or more objective turn of our mind, and from that vivacity of style which renders it incumbent upon the reader rather than upon the writer to supply that וִיּאֹמֶר , which, as in Jonah 2:3, forms the transition from the use of the third to the adoption of the first person.
VI. Date. — The reckless assertions of some writers that this composition as a whole must be referred to a period about a century later the Ezra, or more, need not be noticed, because they have not even a pretense of argument in their favor. One writer, Zunz ( Die Gottesdienstl. Vortrage Der Juden , 1832), has indeed alleged that there is some exaggeration about the sacred vessels said to have been restored by Cyrus; but his fellow- unbelievers have refused to agree with him, and have defended the historical credibility of the book throughout. Another critic, Bertheau, sees an evidence of the composition of Ezra 6:22 under the Greek successors of Alexander, because the king of Persia is called the king of Assyria; an argument which might have been left to its own weakness, even though we had been unable to give the parallels 2 Kings 23:29; Lamentations 5:6, as Keil has done.
On the contrary, critics who rely upon their internal arguments might have seen evidence in favor of its early composition in the fact that its chronology is clear and exact; while the accounts of Jewish affairs under the Persian monarchy, a given by Josephus from apocryphal writers and other sources unknown to us, present extreme confusion and some palpable mistakes. The book begins with the decree to rebuild the Temple, B.C. 536. It narrates the difficulties and hinderances before this was accomplished in the sixth year of Darius, the son of Hystaspes, about B.C. 516. It passes in silence over the rest of his reign, 31 years, and the whole of the reign of Xerxes, 21 years, proceeding directly to the work of Ezra, who received his commission in the seventh year of Artaxerxes Longimanus, B.C.459. If the whole of the events narrated in the closing chapter took place almost immediately, as is understood, we believe, by all commentators, then the extreme length of time embraced in the narrative is not above 80 years; and the order is strictly chronological, though it is not continuous, but leaves a blank of almost sixty years. (See Hilgenfeld, Ezra und Daniel, und ihre neueste Bearbeitungen, Halle, 1863.)
VII. Language. — The book is written partly in Hebrew and partly in Chaldee. The Chaldee begins at Ezra 4:8, and continues to the end of Ezra 6:18. The letter or decree of Artaxerxes, Ezra 7:12-26, is also given in the original Chaldee.
VIII. Canonicity. — There has never been any doubt about Ezra being canonical, although there is no quotation form it in the New Testament. Augustine styles Ezra "rather a writer of transactions than a prophet" (De Cix. Dei, 18:36).
IX. Apocryphal Additions. — We have spoken thus far of the canonical book of Ezra; there are, however, four books that have received this name, viz, the book noticed above, the only one which was received into the Hebrew canon under that name, the book of Nehemiah, and the two apocryphal books of Esdras, concerning which last (See Esdras).
X. Commentaries. — The following are special exegetical works on the entire book, the most important being denoted by an asterisk (*) prefixed: *Aben Ezra, פֵּרוּשׁ (in Buxtorfs Rabbinical Bible, Basle, 1618-19 fol.); Bede, Erposito (in Works, 8:360); *Rashi, פֵּרוּשׁ (Naples, 1487, 4to; Venice, 1517, fol.; in Latin, with other books, Goltha, 1714, 4to); *Kimchi, פֵּרוּשׁ (in Bomberg's Rabbinical Bible , Ven. 1549, fol.); Simeon, פֵּריּשׁ (in the Bible, Venice, 1518, fol.); Jachya, פֵּרוּשׁ (Bologna, 1538, fol.); Jaabez, חֶסֶד תּורָת (Belvedere, n.d. fol.); Trapp, Commentary (London, 1656, fol.); De Oliva, Commentarii (Leyden, 1564, 4to; 1679, 2 volumes, fol.); *Strigel, Commentarius (Tigur. 1570, 1584, fol.); also Scholia (Lips.1571); Wolphius, Commentarii (Tigur. 1584, fol.); Sanctius, Commentarii (Leyd. 1628, fol.); Lombard, Commentarius (Par. 1643, fol.); Jackson, Explanation (London, 1658, 4to); Lee, Discourse (London, 1722, 8vo); *Rambach, Notae (in Grotii et Clerici Adnot. in Hagiogri); *Schirmer, Observationes (Vratislav. 1817, 8vo; 1820, 450); *Keil, Apologet. Vers. etc. (Berl. 1833, 8vo); Kleinert, Enstehung, etc. (in the Dorpt. Beitr. 1:1-304; 2:1-232); Jeitteles, עֶזְרָא , etc. (Vienna, 1835, 8vo); *Bertheau, Erklar. (in the Kurzgef. Exeg. Hdb. Lpz. 1862, 8vo). 4. (Sept. ῎Εζρα v.r. ῎Εσδρας , Vulg. Esdras.) One of the chief Israelites who formed the first division that made the circuit of the walls of Jerusalem when reconstructed ( Nehemiah 12:33). B.C. 446.
