Ezra

What makes Ezra special?

Ezra and the next book in the Bible, Nehemiah, were originally one book. Together they make up the most important source for the history of 538 to 430 b.c. This period saw the formation of the Jewish religious community following the Babylonian exile. Ezra the priest, as the main religious leader of this time, and Nehemiah, as appointed governor, were largely responsible for the shape this community was to take.

Why was Ezra written?

Ezra was written to help the Jewish community in Jerusalem understand who they were as God's people. It does this by remembering how the community began and by describing how some of them returned home to Judah and struggled to obey the Law of Moses, rebuild the city and the temple, and keep themselves pure in the midst of foreign peoples.

What's the story behind the scene?

A number of historical and literary questions surround Ezra and Nehemiah. The traditional view sees Ezra beginning his mission in the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes I (458 b.c.; Ezra 7.8) and Nehemiah arriving thirteen years later in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes' reign (445 b.c.; Neh 1.1). Others suggest the opposite order is more accurate, because it better explains certain difficulties in the text. In this view, Nehemiah still arrives at Jerusalem in 445 b.c., but Ezra comes later, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes II (398 b.c.). Still others place Ezra's arrival before Nehemiah's but insist that their ministries overlapped. This view must change the text of Ezra 7.8-9 from “seventh” to either “twenty-seventh” or “thirty-seventh.” There is no agreement as to which order is most accurate.

The author of Ezra and Nehemiah probably used several different sources in writing these books. The most important ones are the first-person accounts called the “Memoirs of Ezra” that form the basis of Ezra 8–10 and Nehemiah 8,9, and the “Memoirs of Nehemiah” which lie behind Nehemiah 1–7; 11.1,2; 12.31-43; and 13.4-31. The author also draws upon a number of Persian documents written in Aramaic (Ezra 1.2-4; 4.8—6.18; 7.12-28), and many lists of people.

How is Ezra constructed?

Originally, Ezra and Nehemiah were one book that told the story of God restoring the Jewish people to their homeland in Israel. It is structured around the decrees of two Persian kings, Cyrus and Artaxerxes. Cyrus' decree that allowed the Jews to return home and rebuild the temple (Ezra 1.2-4) is followed by the story of their homecoming and the rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 1–6). In Ezra 7.12-26, Artaxerxes calls for all Jews to obey the Law of Moses. This is followed by Ezra's mission. His reading of the Law to the people becomes the basis for several changes he makes in response to various problems he finds in the community (Ezra 7–10; Neh. 8–10, 13). Artaxerxes also authorizes Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem (Neh 2) to rebuild and dedicate the city's walls (Neh. 2–7, 12).

Ezra can be outlined in the following way: