The book could not have been completed earlier than about 450 bc the date of the events recorded in 10. The treatment of ezranehemiah as a single book by the earliest editors was undoubtedly due to the fact that in ancient times the two books were put under the one name, ezra. Both form the story of how god reestablishes israel in the land he promised to her. Ezra probably knew nehemiah though the bible doesnt specifically state this as fact. Ezra 2 is the sort of passage that expository preachers are tempted to skip. Ezra, the second moses, bases the renewal on the torah and spiritual reform. Now, with the release of the new daily study bible, a new generation will appreciate the wisdom of william barclay. Knowledge of ezra is derived from the biblical books of ezra and nehemiah, supplemented by the apocryphal not included in the jewish and protestant canons. The book features the carrying out of the decrees of cyrus, and other persian officials, which authorized the return of the exiles, the reformation of the jewish religious system, and the restoration of jerusalem. Study ezra using matthew henrys bible commentary concise to better understand scripture with full outline and verse meaning. The tradition is that the prophet ezra wrote the book of ezra. The oldest manuscripts of the septuagint the prechristian greek translation of the ot also treat ezra and nehemiah as one book. And god was with ezra because god had chosen him to teach the people. And you, ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your god, which you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of trans.
Listening to them discuss their approach to this hobby informed how i approached collecting. The book of ezra in the bible tells about the jewish peoples return back to jerusalem after they were exiled. The book of ezra opens with the same wording that closes the book of chronicles 2 chronicles 36. Ezra 1 niv cyrus helps the exiles to return in bible. Clicking on a chapter will show you the text of that chapter of ezra in the bible king james version. He returned to jerusalem with the second group of jews returning from captivity in ezra 7 around 458 bc. Ezra, bible prophet amazing bible timeline with world history. For all its usefulness in painting the historical picture, ezranehemiah presents. Ezranehemiah resumes where chronicles finishes, by telling the story of the return of the israelites from exile to the promised land. The canonical book of ezra and book of nehemiah are the oldest sources for the activity of ezra, whereas many of the other books ascribed to ezra first esdras, 36 ezra are later literary works dependent on the canonical books of ezra and nehemiah.
Daily study bible dsb paperback 9780664245832 by j. Summary ezra begins by seeing cyruss decree to release the exiles as the fulfillment of gods promise in jeremiah 29. Set in the persian empire, one of the greatest kingdoms the world has ever known, the stories contained in the books of ezra and nehemiah provide the most comprehensive scriptural account of the restored judean community after the babylonian exile. Ezra 1 new international version niv cyrus helps the exiles to return. The two became separated with the first printed rabbinic bibles of the early 16th century, following late medieval latin christian tradition. The book of ezra does not name its author, but jewish tradition says ezra wrote it as well as the books of nehemiah and chronicles. This summary of the book of ezra provides information about the title, author s, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of ezra. Books of ezra and nehemiah old testament britannica. Ezra records the first and second returns of the jews to the land of israel. Ezra was a scribe and priest sent with religious and political. Aug 04, 20 ezra and nehemiah the next book of the bible were originally considered two parts of one book.
Nehemiah focuses on rebuilding the city of jerusalem. Ezra 1 niv bible in the first year of cyrus king of. If we compare the last verses of 2 chronicles chap. For all its usefulness in painting the historical picture, ezranehemiah presents an exceedingly complex textual jigsaw puzzle. Ezra gathered the people of jerusalem and read before the assembly the book of the law of moses which the. May 18, 2009 in the first year that cyrus of persia was emporer, the lord made what he had said through the prophet jeremiah come true. You might find here some unique ideas for naming your baby gazzam 2. The opposing forces in ezras day were people with evil in their hearts. Nehemiah, the accomplished politician and diplomat, keeps the renewal alive with his deft administrative hand. So ezra had studied hard and he knew the law of god. The book of ezra the book of ezra the last four books of the hebrew canon are ezra, nehemiah, and 1 and 2 chronicles, in that order. Ezra, book of cyclopedia of biblical, theological and. Congratulations, so proud of you, for making it to the 15th book of the bible.
Ezra did the impossible, for the hand of the lord his god was on him ezra 7. Ezra introduction united states conference of catholic bishops. This 10 part expository study of ezra was preached at flagstaff christian fellowship in 2002. The book of ezra was originally combined with the book of nehemiah and served as a continuation of firstand secondchronicles.
The last four books of the hebrew canon are ezra, nehemiah, and 1 and 2 chronicles, in that order. When their king was dethroned and captured and the people exiled to babylon, judah as an independent nation ceased to exist. Interesting facts about ezra barnes bible charts meaning. Verses 610 god needed a special man to teach the people about gods law. Both men went back to jerusalem during the reign of artaxerxes.
What prophets prophesied during the time of the book of ezra note ezra 5. Composed in hebrew and aramaic, its subject is the return to zion following the close of the babylonian captivity, and it is divided into two parts, the first telling the story of the. Though the book does not specifically claim ezra as the author, the writing style changes from third person in chapters 16 to first person for the rest of the book. The book of ezra does not specifically name its author. The events in ezra are set in jerusalem and the surrounding area. Ezra is the author of the book and is also the main character in the story starting in chapter 7 ezra 7. The book of ezra also references other biblical prophets, namely haggai. The close style, approach, and verbal link between chronicles and ezra lead many to believe that ezra wrote chronicles as well. Books of ezra and nehemiah, two old testament books that together with the books of chronicles formed a single history of israel from the time of adam. Ezra, chapter 6 king james version christian answers webbible. Ezra was the second of three key leaders to leave babylon for the reconstruction of jerusalem. Aug 25, 2016 why study the books of ezra and nehemiah.
Modern hebrew bibles call the two books ezra and nehemiah, as do other modern bible translations. Ezra, chapter 3 king james version christian answers. For a few sundays we are going to talk about some of these small books. Book of ezra matthew henrys bible commentary concise. Feb 15, 2012 66 videos play all king james bible on audio edwardpf123 the holy bible book 01 genesis kjv dramatized audio duration. Ezra bible book with full chapters king james version. Audio and manuscripts are available for each lesson lesson 3 excepted, which does not have audio. Jun 06, 2012 ezra nehemiah resumes where chronicles finishes, by telling the story of the return of the israelites from exile to the promised land. Composed in hebrew and aramaic, its subject is the return to zion following the close. Jan 29, 2015 i have enjoyed studying the book of ezra. At one time, however, ezra and nehemiah followed 1 and 2 chronicles and were generally considered to be the work of one and the same author known as the chronicler. Ezra had learned how to copy the books that contained gods words. This language of gods hand being upon someone is a favorite of ezra, where it appears six times out of eight times in the whole bible ezra 7. Ezra was a direct descendant of the priestly family that included eleazar, phineas, zadok and aaron ezra 7.
The book of esther is also set in the persian period of israels history, although the concern is for a different co for almost fifty years and for. Ezra gathered the people of jerusalem and read before the assembly the book of the law of moses which the lord prescribed for israel nehemiah 8. The lord, the god of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at jerusalem in judah. Nov 27, 2012 ezra probably knew nehemiah though the bible doesnt specifically state this as fact. We are a team of christians creating a visual journey through the bible as a resource for teaching all ages available for free download by anyone, anywhere at any time. Ezra the scribe has been considered author of the book for ages. Ezra 1, new international version niv the bible app. Entry for ezra, book of cyclopedia of biblical, theological and ecclesiastical literature one of 8 bible encyclopedias freely available, this encyclopedia, with its nearly 50,000 entries and 17 millin words, dwarfs modern bible encyclopedias with the depth of knowledge.
But the way the bible goes about doing that is not at all similar to the method of modern selfhelp literature, even christian versions. Ezra 6, new international version niv the bible app. The book of ezra provides a muchneeded link in the historical record of the israelite people. The combined work ezranehemiah is our most important literary source for the formation of the jewish religious community in the province of judah after the babylonian exile. In the hebrew bible, the two books were considered one work, though some internal evidence suggests they were written separately and joined together in the. In the hebrew bible ezra and nehemiah are regarded as one book. The apocrypha the second book of esdras the ezra apocalypse when i worked for a comic book and used record store in high school, my bosses collected among other things movie posters and lobby cards. This is a guest post by kathleen nielson, author of ezra and nehemiah. The story of ezras life is revealed in chapter seven of the same book. Ezra, known as ezra the scribe in chazalic literature, is a highly respected figure in judaism.
What was the time period the book of ezra after nebuchadnezzar had destroyed jerusalem. It is interesting to note that once ezra appears on the scene in chapter 7, the author of the book of ezra switches from writing in the third person to first person. The book of ezra the name ezra meaning help therefore is the sequence to the chronicles in regard to history and in regard to contents. All the kingdoms of the earth the lord, the god of heaven, has. According to the hebrew bible he was a descendant of sraya the last high priest to serve in the first temple 2 kings 25. Ezra returns to jerusalem to encourage people to obey gods laws. Book of ezra overview insight for living ministries.
This is why the author uses the first person singular from chap. Ezra, bible prophet amazing bible timeline with world. Intro to ezra biblica the international bible society. Please read ezra 1,2 and answer the following questions. Ezra 710 picks up the story more than sixty years later, when ezra led the second group of exiles to israel 458 bc. Ezra was also a very good teacher so he could teach the people the law of god. Ezra took courage and acted on the kings order because, as he said, the hand of the lord my god was upon me ezra 7. In the first year that cyrus of persia was emporer, the lord made what he had said through the prophet jeremiah come true. From genesis to deuteronomy, god calls out israel as a special nation and teaches them his laws from joshua to 2 chronicles, god gives israel a land and a king, but israel loses both when they consistently disobey god from ezra to esther, god restores israel from exile in their own land again.
1284 640 807 993 871 127 642 1185 481 562 1009 408 134 1423 1484 1420 1104 1209 1267 736 703 846 1289 1333 384 1396 733 1480