BOOK OF EZRA - OVERVIEW
The Book of Ezra is a book of the Hebrew Bible that formerly included the Book of Nehemiah in a single book, commonly distinguished in scholarship as Ezra–Nehemiah. However, this teaching will include first the Book of Ezra and then the Book of Nehemiah as a separate lesson.
The main subject is the return to Jerusalem after 70 years following the close of the Babylonian captivity and the rebuilding of the Temple.
The Book of Ezra is divided into two parts:
---1. The first part is the story of the first return of exiles in the first year of Cyrus the Great and the completion and dedication of the new Temple in Jerusalem in the sixth year of Darius
---2. The second part is the story of the subsequent mission of Ezra to Jerusalem and his struggle to purify the Jews from marriage with non-Jews.
In the book's recurring narrative pattern, the God of Israel three times inspires a king of Persia to commission a leader from among the Jews to carry out a mission:
---1. the first to rebuild the Temple
---2. the second to purify the Jewish community
---3. the third to seal the holy city behind a wall. This third mission, that of Nehemiah, is not part of the Book of Ezra, but it will be covered in the Book of Nehemiah.
Structure
The Book of Ezra consists of ten chapters:
Chapters 1–6 include the exiles’ return and temple rebuilding. This section is told in the third person.
Chapters 7–10 include Ezra's journey from Babylon to Jerusalem and his rise to leadership. These chapters are told largely in the first person. About 60 years later, Ezra arrived in Jerusalem to teach the Torah and to rebuild the community.
What to look for in the Book of Ezra
---1. The return from exile: The book describes the return of the Jews from exile in Babylon.
---2. The rebuilding of the temple: The book describes the efforts to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem after the Babylonians destroyed it.
---3. Ezra's mission: The book describes Ezra's return to Jerusalem and his efforts to help the Jews keep the commandment to not marry outside of the covenant.
---4. Lists of families: The book lists families who returned from exile.
---5. Texts of decrees: The book includes the texts of the decrees under which the Jews returned.
---6. Several documents presented as historical inclusions, written in Aramaic, while the surrounding texts are in Hebrew (1:2–4, 4:8–16, 4:17–22, 5:7–17, 6:3–5, 6:6–12, 7:12–26)
---7. Dates: The book includes dates that are the number of years before the time of Jesus Christ, with the letters "BC" after each date.
Ezra picks up some sixty years later and tells of the return of some Israelites to Jerusalem and what happened when they rebuilt their lives and the city.
Key Leaders in the Book of Ezra
---1. Cyrus king of Persia
---2. Zerubbabel led a large group of people back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple
---3. Ezra arrived in Jerusalem to teach the Torah and rebuild the community
Key Themes
---1. God’s faithfulness to Israel
---2. Covenant renewal and the new covenant
---3. The exile and return from exile
---4. Reconstruction of Jerusalem and rededication to God
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