Ezra
The exiles return from Babylon, rebuild the temple, and — under Ezra — renew the law.
Overview
Ezra tells how the Jewish exiles came home. When the Persian king Cyrus lets them return, a first group under Zerubbabel and the priest Jeshua rebuilds the altar and, despite opposition, finishes the temple. Decades later Ezra the scribe leads a second group back and calls the people to return to the law of Moses. It continues directly into the book of Nehemiah.
Book facts
- Author
- Traditionally EzraParts are in Ezra's first-person voice; it was likely compiled together with the book of Nehemiah.
- Date written
- c. 440–400 BCAfter the return from exile, in the Persian period.
- Original language
- Hebrew and AramaicMostly Hebrew, with several official Persian documents quoted in Aramaic.
- Setting
- Jerusalem after the exile (c. 538–458 BC)The first waves of exiles returning to rebuild the temple and the people.
How it came to be
Ezra is named as the book's central figure, and parts are written in his own first-person voice. It was once joined with Nehemiah as a single book, telling one continuous story of the return.
It quotes several Persian royal documents word for word, some of them in Aramaic.
The whole book, chapter by chapter
| Chapter | What happens | Who is in it | Where it takes place |
|---|---|---|---|
Rebuilding the temple — the first return under Zerubbabel, chapters 1–6 | |||
| Chapter 1Cyrus's decree | The Persian king Cyrus decrees that the exiles may return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. | , | |
| Chapter 2The returning exiles | A register of the first group of exiles who return under Zerubbabel. | , | |
| Chapter 3The altar rebuilt | The returned exiles rebuild the altar and lay the temple's foundation, amid weeping and joy. | , | |
| Chapter 4The opposition | Neighbouring peoples oppose the work and get it halted for a time. | ||
| Chapter 5The work resumed | Encouraged by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, the work resumes under Darius. | , , , | |
| Chapter 6The temple finished | King Darius confirms Cyrus's decree, and the temple is finished and dedicated. | ||
Ezra and the law — the second return under Ezra, chapters 7–10 | |||
| Chapter 7Ezra's journey | Ezra the scribe, skilled in the law, sets out from Babylon for Jerusalem with the king's blessing. | , | , |
| Chapter 8Ezra's company | Ezra gathers those who will go, and they travel safely with the temple's treasures. | ||
| Chapter 9Ezra's prayer | Ezra is appalled that many have married foreign wives, and prays in grief and confession. | ||
| Chapter 10The foreign wives | The people agree to put away their foreign wives, and a list is made. | ||
All 10 chapters. Start reading →