Overview
Ezra, along with Nehemiah, recounts a series of homecomings. Although there is long-standing scholarly debate concerning the authorship of Ezra-Nehemiah and the relationship of those books to Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah has traditionally been viewed as a unified work, a position taken in this commentary.1 As such, Ezra-Nehemiah comprises three sections: Ezra 1:1–11; Ezra 2:1–Nehemiah 7:73a; and Nehemiah 7:73b–13:31. The short first section (Ezra 1:1–11) is an introduction narrating the initial authorization granted by Cyrus, king of Persia, for the Jewish exiles to return to the Promised Land. This occurs as the result of the divine decree from the “mouth of Jeremiah” (1:1).
The second section (Ezra 2:1–Neh. 7:73a), the largest, is framed by two nearly identical lists (Ezra 2:1–70; Neh. 7:6–73a).2 Generally speaking, this second section describes movements to Jerusalem that result in three different building projects, each with its own historical context. The first two of these projects are found in Ezra; the third will take place in Nehemiah (see below). More specifically, the second section begins with a large list of individual names and numbers (Ezra 2), followed by two movements (chs. 3–6; 7–10). The first begins by noting the people are “gathered as one man to Jerusalem” (3:1). Here, as a unified people, they begin altar and temple reconstruction under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Jeshua (ch. 3). Ongoing resistance to the building projects spans a wide chronological range throughout the reigns of several Persian kings. This results in cessation of the work (ch. 4). However, a prophetic call to restart temple reconstruction leads to a supportive decree from Darius and the successful completion of the temple (516 BC) and its resulting dedication (5:1–6:18). The first movement ends with a joyful Passover celebration (6:19–22).
The second movement (chs. 7–10) takes place fifty-seven years later and is described in two parts: (1) authorization and return (chs. 7–8); (2) conflict and resolution (chs. 9–10). After a brief introduction (7:1–10), Ezra the priest is granted authority to lead another return to Jerusalem and is given tasks by King Artaxerxes, especially the responsibility of instructing God’s people in the “laws of your God” (7:25–26). Preparations for the return are followed by a brief description of the journey itself, concluding with burnt offerings (ch. 8). Homecomings, however, are not always easy, and the joy of return is short-lived. An internal crisis arises with a report of serious “faithlessness” among returnees, as men have married “foreign wives.” In response, Ezra mourns and confesses (ch. 9). Proposals from within the community lead to the formation of a commission that investigates and promotes confession, repentance, and atonement (ch. 10). Resolution takes place within one year of the initial departure (7:9; 10:17), with a final list (10:18–44). The book of Nehemiah then recounts wall building—the third construction project (Nehemiah 1–7)—along with a conclusion (Nehemiah 8–13).
Title, Author, and Date of Writing
The titles for the books of Ezra and Nehemiah arise from the names of two main figures within them. When discussing the authorship and date of Ezra, we must keep Nehemiah in view, for multiple lines of evidence show their unified treatment.3 Division into two separate books was first attested by Origen (AD 185–254) and from there to the Vulgate of Jerome (AD 342–420). The author of Ezra is unknown. Within recent academic discussion, a number of proposals regarding authorship and composition have been made: (1) the persons Ezra and Nehemiah each authored the book bearing his name; (2) Ezra authored both Ezra-Nehemiah and Chronicles; (3) Ezra-Nehemiah was part of the same work as Chronicles but authored or edited by a person or persons other than Ezra (i.e., “the Chronicler”); and (4) Ezra-Nehemiah was the work of one or more authors/editors/compilers distinct from the Chronicler.
While unanimity is lacking, option 4 has displaced position 3 as the recent consensus. How and when the various sources evident in these books were joined to form the whole also continues to be a focus of scholarly discussion. A precise date for final composition of the whole is not possible. Most estimates for completion range from 400 to 300 BC. The first-person account of Ezra, the so-called Ezra Memoir underlying the narrative of Ezra 7–10, indicates the completion of at least some of the material closer to the timing of the reported events (see brief treatment under Genre and Literary Features).
Date of the Book’s Events; Occasion
The multiple temporal notices in Ezra, frequently tied to the reigns of Persian kings, enable reasonably precise dating for the events recounted within the book. The events in Ezra 1–6 took place from 538 to 516 BC. The Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar (605–562) captured Jerusalem in 586 (2 Kings 25). However, in 539, Babylon fell to the Persian king Cyrus the Great (559–530). By this reckoning, the “first year of Cyrus” (Ezra 1:1; 5:13; 6:3) is 538, the year of the first exilic return. It is during the “second year” (520; 4:24) of the reign of Darius (522–486) that temple rebuilding began again in earnest after external and internal factors brought rebuilding to a standstill. A second notice associated with Darius marked completion of the second temple on the “third day of the month of Adar” in Darius’s sixth year (516; 6:15). All of the events in Ezra 7–10 took place during a one-year period in 458, the seventh year of Artaxerxes I (464–423).
The occasion for the book’s writing may be inferred from key texts (6:14–18; 7:10; 9:8–9). In the aftermath of the chastening due to loss of home, land, temple, and king (i.e., exile), the author wanted readers to know that the covenant promise remains: God is still their God, and they are still his people. The book interprets the people’s very existence and the beneficence and cooperation of Persian kings during this time as evidence for the dogged, “steadfast” love of God (9:8–9). This people, to whom “belong the adoption” (Rom. 9:4; cf. Ex. 4:22–23), remained sons and daughters. As such, the old stories of the Law and the Prophets were still their stories, and their calling to be a distinctive people remained. Consequently, the book also exhorted its priests, as exemplified by Ezra, to pursue wholehearted study of the Word of God and to seek holiness—not only for themselves but also for their people (Ezra 7:10; 10:10–11; cf. Mal. 2:4–7).
Genre and Literary Features
With its companion, Nehemiah, which is followed by Esther in Protestant tradition, Ezra is part of the postexilic literature that concludes the Historical Books of the OT (Joshua–Esther).4 Like many of the Historical Books, Ezra is broadly identifiable as biblical historiography. That means that the book of Ezra provides a written account of past events. From numerous lines of inquiry that could have been pursued, the writer selected and ordered a range of sources to provide literary shape to the book for a purpose unashamedly theological in its presentation of events.
Those sources used in Ezra have their own particular generic identifications and perspectives worthy of study in themselves. Nowhere is the personal viewpoint so apparent than in the first-person accounts of events found in Ezra-Nehemiah, conveniently called “memoirs” by most scholars (Ezra 7–10).5 Beyond the first-person source, the book includes royal decrees (1:2–4; 6:3–5), letters in Aramaic to and edicts from kings (4:8–16; 4:17–22; 5:6–17; 6:6–12; 7:12–26), inventories of temple vessels (1:9–11; 8:25–27), lists and genealogies (2:1–63; 7:1–5; 8:1–14; 10:18–43), and prayer (9:6–15).6
Theology of Ezra
A Sovereign God Who Gathers a Chastised People
Through the experience of exile, God had chastised an unrepentant people. Yet in mercy he also granted those who remained (“a remnant”; 9:13) the privilege to return to Jerusalem and the land from which they had been expelled seventy years earlier. These events are viewed as the fulfillment of past prophecies, particularly that of Jeremiah (Ezra 1:1). In his sovereign power, God “stirred” kings (1:1–4; 6:14, 22; 7:27), other individuals (1:5–6; 5:1–2; 7:13), and families (2:1–63; 7:7; 8:1–14) to bring about a homecoming of “returned exiles” (2:1; 4:1; 6:16–21; 8:35; 9:4; 10:7, 16). God’s power is most evidenced in his “hand” that works through events (7:6, 9, 28; 8:18, 22, 31). Any good that comes to the people, whether protection from external threats (4:5–6; 5:3–5; 8:31) or the reversal of the policies of once-hostile rulers like Artaxerxes (4:7–22; cf. 7:6, 27–28), is viewed as the bounty and steadfast love of the divine King (3:11; 5:12–13; 9:8–9).
A Holy God Who Creates a Distinct People
Israel was separated out from the nations to be a holy and priestly nation (Ex. 19:5–6; Lev. 11:45). As God’s “son,” (Ex. 4:22–23) they were to serve and worship him in covenantal fidelity (Ezra 5:11). That task persists in Ezra. Like the first exodus community, this “second exodus” community requires an altar and temple in order to fulfill its priestly calling (1:2–4; 3:3–6; 5:15; 6:19–22; 8:35). To lead and instruct them in holiness, God provides “priests and Levites” (esp. 8:15–20), mentioned in nearly every chapter. When the conflict of mixed marriages threatens the “holy race” (i.e., “offspring”; cf. 9:2 ESV mg.) it is Ezra—the priest—who mediates in confession and repentance (ch. 9) in order to purify and preserve the “remnant” by calling them to separate from their foreign wives (10:10–11). Mixing with the “peoples of the land” is ritual impurity with the potential of leading them to return to the idolatry that characterized so much of the preexilic period and led to their demise in the first place (5:12; 9:7, 14). And yet this was no exclusivism based solely on ethnic or racial identity. As in the first exodus, any who separate themselves to worship the Lord may partake in the Passover (6:21; cf. Ex. 12:48).
A Faithful God Who Speaks to a Listening People
From the start, the question for Israel was “Did God actually say?” (cf. Gen. 3:1). The Israelites’ questioning of God’s word revealed itself throughout their history in their consistent disobedience to the voice of the Lord through his prophets (e.g., 1 Sam. 15:19). However, something has changed. The Israelites now see that there is a chance to get it right. In Ezra there is a renewed understanding that prospering comes by submission to the prophetic voice (5:1–2; 6:14–15). There is interest in performing according to the written “Law of Moses” (3:2; 6:18). There is submission to the leadership of Ezra the priest, steeped in his understanding of the law (7:6, 10; 10:3–4). There is awe and sorrow for sin rarely evident elsewhere in the Historical Books (9:4; 10:1, 9). Clearly, the fight with iniquity remains, “but even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this” (10:2).
Relationship to the Rest of the Bible and to Christ
In the book of Ezra, past history shapes the present portrait. God’s covenantal people are reenvisioned as
- Abraham’s offspring repeating his ancient journey from Mesopotamia to the Promised Land (Ezra 2:1–3:1; 8:31–32; cf. Gen. 12:1–3);
- chastised and restored to the land according to prophetic promise (Ezra 1:1; cf. Jer. 29:10–14; 30:3; 31:27–28);
- a people led out of Babylonia in a new exodus, with support provided by others (Ezra 1:5–11; 5:14–15; 7:20; 9:8–9; cf. Ex. 12:33–36);
- sacrificing and taught “according to the Law of Moses, with the renewal of the Feast of Booths (Ezra 3:2, 4; 7:10; cf. Josh. 23:6; 1 Kings 2:3; Lev. 23:33–36; Deut. 16:13–15) as well as Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, even for nonmembers of the community (Ezra 6:19–22; cf. Ex. 12:48–49; 13:3–10);
- heeding the call to separate themselves from the “peoples of the lands” (Ezra 9:1–2) upon reentering the land, as in Joshua’s day (Deut. 7:1–3);
- rebuilding the temple (Ezra 6:14–18) and restoring its treasures (Ezra 1:7–11; 7:19; 8:30; cf. 1 Kings 6:1–38; 7:51) with worship practices according to Davidic instruction (Ezra 3:10–11; cf. 1 Chron. 16:34, 37–42);
- threatened but saved from enemies seeking their demise (Ezra 4:1–3, 17–22; 8:31; cf. Judg. 2:14–16);
- breaking faith with the Lord, like Achan, and still needing to confess, repent, and atone for fear of God’s wrath against community impurity (Ezra 9:10–11; 10:14–15; cf. Josh. 7:1, 19).
No direct citations of Ezra-Nehemiah occur in the NT. However, the relationship to Christ is found in his roles as king, priest, and prophet, themes suggested in Theology of Ezra. When these roles are found in the text of Ezra, they provide bridges to Christ. Beyond this, the book offers a glimpse into fulfillment of the great prophetic promises of a final restoration (Isa. 60:19–21; Jer. 31:33; 32:37–44; Ezek. 36:33). The story of a gathered remnant of an elect nation in a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, still in need of ongoing purification, looks forward to the final ingathering by Jesus of his universal body, the church, the purified of all nations, worshiping God in the new Jerusalem. At that time the glory of all the kings of the earth shall enter the city of God.7
Preaching from Ezra
While the individual Response sections throughout the commentary offer further prompts for the development of sermon outlines and application, several wider principles may be kept in mind. First, if at all possible, one should preach through Ezra-Nehemiah as one unit. As noted already, these books have been traditionally viewed as one book and ideally would be best treated together in a sermon series. The climactic point of the book comes in the covenant renewal and final celebration (Nehemiah 8–12). If left out, Ezra is a story looking for an ending.
Next, one should keep in mind the several historical contexts. Early in a sermon series on Ezra-Nehemiah it may be necessary to address two things: (1) The varied historical settings of Ezra within the Persian period. Many people will never have read Ezra-Nehemiah and thus remain unware that Ezra 1–6 takes place well before Ezra the priest enters the scene in chapter 7. Congregants may also be helped to note the biblical interconnection with the prophets Haggai and Zechariah within the narrative (5:1–2; 6:14–16). (2) It may be helpful at some point to provide an overview of the Historical Books (Joshua–Esther), or at least 2 Kings 24–25, into which Ezra fits as the next part of the concluding chapters.
Finally, the preacher must focus on the congregation of the Lord in the book. While Ezra is an important figure, and the book presents important principles of leadership, Ezra is not first and foremost a book about leadership. It is not Ezra who is the main character; rather, God and his redeemed assembly take center stage. Once we make allowance for the changing historical contexts, the means of grace presented in Ezra—worship, atoning sacrifice, prayer, Passover, the Word of God, the gathered fellowship—remain relevant for the “Israel of God” (Gal. 6:16) in every age.
Interpretive Challenges
The Chronological Order of Ezra and Nehemiah
According to the biblical presentation, Ezra arrives in Jerusalem in 458 BC, the seventh year of Artaxerxes I (464–423; Ezra 7:7–8). Within the year (7:9; 10:17) Ezra deals with the problem of mixed marriages (chs. 9–10). His ministry and arrival occur thirteen years before Nehemiah, whose initial governorship is dated to Artaxerxes’s twentieth year (445; cf. Neh. 1:1). After wall completion, both Nehemiah and Ezra are present at the reading of the Law of Moses and the dedication of the wall that follow (Neh. 8:9; 12:26, 36, 38).
However, a long-standing debate concerns whether Ezra arrived not under Artaxerxes I in 458 but under Artaxerxes II (404–359), whose seventh year was 398. If so, this reverses the chronological order, such that Ezra would follow well after Nehemiah. The major arguments for the reversed order are as follows:8
First, if the activities of Ezra and Nehemiah overlap, why do they interact so little within the biblical text? Given Ezra’s calling to give instruction in the Law (Ezra 7:10), why does he not read the law publicly until some thirteen years after his initial arrival, when Nehemiah is also present (Neh. 8:9)? Otherwise, both men are found together only in the procession at the wall dedication (Neh. 12:31, 36, 38, 40).9 In response, the lack of interaction is not surprising, given the particular calling and purposes of each individual. In addition, the Torah instruction in Nehemiah 8 occurs as part of a “liturgical celebration by the revived community.”10 While the text of Ezra 9–10 offers no evidence of reading of the Law, Ezra does in fact apply the Law to the specific issue of mixed marriages. Whatever else happened prior to the arrival of Nehemiah is not deemed significant to the wider history being recounted.
With respect to the mixed marriage issue, why are Nehemiah’s later, milder attempts at reformation required (Neh. 13:23–27) if Ezra has previously successfully dealt with the crisis by overseeing divorces? In this view, Ezra actually fails in his reforms. Accordingly, some claim that Ezra’s harsher, legal actions requiring separation (Ezra 10:11) better fit sometime after Nehemiah’s initial milder attempts at reformation. However, Nehemiah’s approach to the problem seems to presuppose the prior interpretation and application of the law by Ezra (Ezra 9:12; Neh. 13:25).11
Finally, the most complex argument for the reversed order arises from the high-priestly succession. In Ezra 10:6, Ezra stays in the chamber of “Jehohanan [i.e., Johanan] the son of Eliashib.” The high priest who is a contemporary of Nehemiah is Eliashib (Neh. 3:1, 20; 13:28). Associated with Eliashib are multiple men with names comparable to Jehohanan: Jonathan (Neh. 12:10–11) and Johanan (Neh. 12:22–23). Following from these texts, some interpreters assume: (1) that Johanan was Eliashib’s grandson rather than his son, as explicitly stated in Ezra 10:6 and Nehemiah 12:22–23; (2) that Jonathan (Neh. 12:10–11) is a scribal mistake for Johanan; (3) that Eliashib, the high priest of Nehemiah’s day, is identical to Eliashib in Ezra 10:6. Furthermore, a letter among the extrabiblical Elephantine Papyri mentions Johanan as the high priest in 410 BC. It is therefore suggested that the Johanan of Nehemiah 12:22–23 is this same high priest whose chamber Ezra occupies, although he is not called “high priest” at Ezra 10:6. Since each of these points is built upon disputed assumptions, however, they are not strong support from which to argue that Ezra follows Nehemiah.
Overall, each of these and many other arguments in support of the reverse order have received cogent responses. Although an alternative date for Ezra’s arrival remains possible, none of the arguments demand adoption of any of the various proposals. Increasingly, scholars maintain the traditional view that Ezra precedes Nehemiah, a position assumed in this commentary.12
The Identity of Sheshbazzar
The name Sheshbazzar is found only in Ezra. Called “the prince of Judah,” he is one of the leaders of the initial return and is given responsibility by Cyrus for returning the original temple vessels (1:8, 11). Later, within the letter to Darius, two new pieces of information are given. We learn that Cyrus made Sheshbazzar “governor” (5:14) and that “this Sheshbazzar” laid the temple foundation (5:16). The problem is that the actual laying of the temple foundation (3:8, 10) that follows immediately from chapter 1 is attributed to Zerubbabel (2:2; 3:2, 8; 5:2; cf. Neh. 7:7; 12:1). Note also that in Haggai, Zerubbabel rather than Sheshbazzar consistently receives the title “governor” (Hag. 1:1, 14; 2:2, 21). What is the best way to explain these observations?
It has been suggested that Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel are the same person, with Sheshbazzar functioning as his official name and Zerubbabel his personal name. If so, it is odd that the significance of these alternative names is never explained, as might be expected (cf. Dan. 1:6–7). Likewise, it is likely that both names are Babylonian. Having two names is not unusual, but Daniel, for example, has both a Hebrew and Babylonian name. Most importantly, in Tattenai’s letter to Darius, the elders (Ezra 5:9–10) and Zerubbabel (5:1–5) describe the work of Sheshbazzar using phrases that make Sheshbazzar active in a prior time and clearly distinct from Zerubbabel (5:14–16).
A more probable position sees the two as separate individuals with different functions and importance at various points in the period of early return (i.e., 538–516 BC). Sheshbazzar is granted an official appointment as governor by Cyrus (cf. 2:63) and tasked with leading the initial returnees and building the temple. Given this official responsibility and in royal correspondence with Darius, he is then highlighted for his role in laying the temple foundation as required by Cyrus. At some point prior to the temple restart in 520 he disappears from the scene. For the returnees, Zerubbabel is the more prominent leader, taking the lead with the altar and temple construction attributed to him in Ezra 3 and Haggai.
Outline
I. The Lord and Cyrus Issue Decrees and the Community Responds (1:1–11)
A. The Decrees of the Lord and Cyrus (1:1–4)
1. Temporal and Prophetic Notice of the Decrees (1:1)
2. Cyrus’s Decree (1:2–4)
B. The Exiles Respond and Return with Treasures (1:5–11)
1. Report of Treasures to Returnees from “All Who Were about Them” (1:5–6)
2. Report of Treasures to Returnees from Cyrus (1:7–8)
3. Specifics of Treasures Brought Up by Sheshbazzar (1:9–11)
II. The Community Rebuilds Temple, Torah, and Wall according to the Decrees (Ezra 2:1–Neh. 7:73a)
A. The List of Exiles Returning (Ezra 2:1–70)
1. Introduction to People and Leaders Who Came Up out of the Captivity (2:1–2a)
2. The Number of the Men of the People of Israel (2:2b–35)
3. The Temple Personnel (2:36–58)
4. Those Who Could Not Prove Their Descent (2:59–63)
5. Summary Statements (2:64–70)
B. First Movement: Altar, Opposition, and Temple (3:1–6:22)
1. Rebuilding Begins: Altar and Temple Foundation (3:1–13)
2. Opposition Tries to End the Reconstruction Projects (4:1–24)
3. Prophetic Restart to Reconstruction Yields Epistolary Support with Temple Completion (5:1–6:18)
4. Temple Completed with Festal Celebrations (6:19–6:22)
C. Second Movement: Ezra Reconstitutes the People under Torah (7:1–10:44)
1. Ezra Receives a Decree and Leads Another Return to Jerusalem (7:1–8:36)
a. Ezra Receives a Decree from Artaxerxes (7:1–28)
b. Ezra and Exiles Journey from Babylonia to Jerusalem (8:1–36)
2. Mixed Marriages: Crisis and Resolution (9:1–10:44)
a. Crisis: Report Leads to Ezra’s Mourning and Confession (9:1–15)
b. Resolution: Confession and Repentance of the People (10:1–44)
D. Third Movement: Nehemiah’s Ministry Commences (Neh. 1:1–7:4)
E. List of Exiles Repeated (Neh. 7:5–73a)
III. The Community Rejoices: Covenant Renewal and Community Reconstitution (Neh. 7:73b–13:31)
A. Covenant Renewal (Neh. 7:73b–10:39)
B. Habitation of Jerusalem and Its Villages; a List of Priests and Levites (Neh. 11:1–12:26)
C. Wall Dedication and Events “On That Day” (Neh. 12:27–13:3)
D. Nehemiah’s Reforms: Temple, Sabbath, Separation (Neh. 13:4–31)