Ezra Chapter 5
5:1-5. This portion of text relates that the work was resumed after 15 years of inactivity under the impetus of the
powerful preaching of two great prophets of God. Haggai's ministry began on August 29, 520 B.C. (Hag. 1:1) and
Zechariah began his ministry October-November of 520 B.C. They began to build the house of God three weeks
after Haggai began preaching, which was September 20, 520 B.C. Zerubbabel is honored in Haggai 2:20-23 and in
Zechariah 4, while Jeshua is honored in Zechariah 3 and 6. Tatnai was the Persian governor responsible for the
territory west of the river (Euphrates) including the whole of Syria and Palestine. Shethar-Boznai seems to have
been his assistant. Both were subject to Ushtani the satrap of the Trans-Euphrates.
Ezra Chapter 6
6:1-12. The reference to rolls in verse 1 is to "archivers." The Achmetha of verse 2 is Ecbatana the capital of the
old Median Empire. The roll of verse 2 means a papyrus or leather scroll (a different Hebrew word) instead of the
usual clay tablet. Verses 6-12 contain a strongly worded decree from Darius which reinforced the original one from
Cyrus. The threat in verse 11 is heightened by Herodotus's account (III. 159), which states that Darius impaled
three thousand Babylonians after conquering their city.
6:12-22. In this section the temple is finished in the sixth year of the region of Darius (March 12, 515 B.C.). While it
was being built, the events of Zechariah 7 occurred. They kept the dedication of the house of God with joy. The
word for "dedication" is chenukah (Hanukkah) which was later to become the name of a festival in memory of the
temple's reconsecration in 165 B.C. after its profanation by Antiochus Epiphanes. Solomon had offered more than
two hundred times as many oxen and sheep at the dedication of his temple (1 Kin. 8:63, with 22,000 oxen and
120,000 sheep). Beginning with verse 19, the text is again in Hebrew. Verse 21 indicates two groups of people: (1)
those who had returned from exile; and (2) possibly a group of Jews who had not gone into captivity, or a group of
proselytes (cf. Ex. 12:44, 48). The reference to the king of Assyria is accurate because Darius was also the
sovereign of Assyria, so he could easily have been called king of Assyria. There is a similar use of the term in a
Babylonian king list which starts with the Assyrian Kandalanu, mentions the Chaldeans, Nabopolassar, and
Nebuchadnezzar, then refers to Cyrus, Cambyses, and Darius, and ends with the names of Seleucid kings.
Ezra Chapter 7
7:1-8:36 This section introduces Ezra and presents the scholar-priest, his family, his task,
and his expedition. Much of the account is his personal record, using I and we.
7:6 Ready scribe conveys the initial idea of “quick, prompt, skilled,” and pertains
to “rapid” in Psalm 45:1 and “prompt in justice” in Isaiah 16:5 (cf. Prov. 22:29). It suggests a quickness of grasp
and ease of movement amid some complex material, which was the fruit of the devoted study described in verse
10. Earlier, a scribe may have meant “secretary,” but by Jeremiah’s time scribes were already teachers of
Scripture (Jer. 8:8),
and that is the meaning here.
7:11-28 This section records a letter which Artaxerxes wrote in Aramaic to Ezra, granting him permission to take
Jewish volunteers, silver and gold, and temple vessels back to Jerusalem. He also made ample provision for
temple supplies and ministers, and gave Ezra authority to appoint magistrates and judges.
7:19 The vessels may have been some left behind, perhaps overlooked when restored by
Cyrus in 1:7-11; or they may have been a goodwill fight, newly presented.
7:22 Artaxerxes followed the examples of Cyrus and Darius (6:4, 8). The hundred
talents of silver amounted to about $100,000.
7:27,28. The Hebrew section of the book resumes at this point. Note his praise that
God had put such a thing as this in the king’s heart (6:22, Prov. 21:1). God had done this for Joseph (Gen. 39:21)
in a pagan land, and also for Daniel in much the same circumstances (Dan. 1:9, “favor”). Ezra was strengthened,
or “gained strength” as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me (cf. vv. 6, 9; 8:18, 22, 31; Neh. 2:8, 18).
Ezra Chapter 8
8:1. This chapter contains the account of the journey to Jerusalem. About 1,500 priests and heads of houses
started out with Ezra. In addition to these, he obtained some Levites and Nethinim from Casiphia (v. 17). They
arrived four months later.
8:2-14. In every instance but one, these groups are joining,at long last, the descendants of the pioneers from their
own family stock, who had been in the first party to return from Babylon 80 years before. All family names except
Joab in verse 9 can be found in 2:3-15. The names are of the families , not if individuals, living in the days of
Zerubbabel and Ezra. Some members of these families returned with Zerubbabel, but other members did not
return until Ezra’s day.
8:15. Ahava’s location is unknown; it may have been a canal. Ezra did not find any of the sons of Levi. Only 341
returned with Zerubbabel, compared with 4,289 priests (2:36-42). Perhaps this was due to the uprooting that all
the pilgrims faced, plus the drastic change from secular pursuits to the strict routines of the temple. It may also
have been due to their inferior status as compared to ministering priests.
8:17. The place Casiphia may be a reference to the fact that a sanctuary was there in the neighborhood of
Babylon in the same manner as the sanctuary of Yahu existed at Yeb (Elephantine) and in Deuteronomy 12:5 and
Jeremiah 7:3, 6, 7, where “the place” is used for a sanctuary. Some regard it as a place where a major
concentration of the Jewish population of Babylon lived.
8:21-23. Then I proclaimed a fast: There are other Old Testament examples of fasting to obtain answers to prayer
in Judges 20:26; 1 Samuel 7:6; 2 Chronicles 20:3; and Joel 1:14. No pillar of cloud led the pilgrims back to the Holy
Land, but the hand of their God was upon them. Ezra showed complete trust in the Lord by not asking for military
help in the form of an escort such as Nehemiah had later (Neh. 2:9). The phrase and he was entreated of us might
be rendered “and he answered our prayer.” Ezra looks back upon a safe and successful journey.
8:25-27. One talent weighed about 75 pounds. The silver, gold, and precious vessels were worth about
$20,000,000. Little wonder then that Ezra proclaimed a fast to seek God’s protection for the trip without an escort!
Drams were actually “darics” (cf. 2:69) and the daric was a thick gold Persian coin weighing 130 grams, or 4.55
ounces.
8:31. A comparison with 7:9 shows that all the preliminary preparations, including the fast, were completed in 12
days. The reference to such as lay in wait by the way is a singular noun, used as a collective in some instances,
and in this passage indicates they were saved from ambush on the way, in the sense of implying an absence of
such events rather than a series
Ezra Chapter 9
9:2. The real issue was that the Israelites had mingled themselves, the holy seed, with the people of those lands.
(Note Ex. 19:6; Ps. 106:35; Is. 6:13; Mal. 2:15; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1.) The sin had plagued Israel before (Judg. 3:5, 6)
and would reappear in the near future (Neh. 13:23-28; Mal. 2:11).
9:3-5. Ezra's response of rendering his garment (tearing it) and plucking off the hair of his head was a sign of
deep affliction (Lev. 10:6; Josh. 7:6) and an expression of violent wrath or moral indignation (Neh. 13:25; Is. 50:6).
Ezra was fully aware that such a grave sin might lead to another captivity or destruction of the nation.
9:4. Every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel indicates that a man's attitude toward God's Word is
one of the ultimate criteria of his spirituality (cf. 10:3; Ps. 119:120, 161; Is. 66:2, 5).
9:5-15. Compare Ezra's prayer and confession with Nehemiah 9:6-38 and Daniel 9:4-19. Ezra does not stand
apart from his people and coldly condemn them, but he identifies with them in their guilt and need, even though he
was personally guiltless. He could have protested his innocence, but like the suffering Servant in Isaiah 53:12, he
was impelled to reckon himself "numbered with the transgressors."
Ezra Chapter 10
10:2. Shechaniah was the spokesman for the offenders, even though he does not appear in the list of offenders
who had married foreign wives. He was of the family of Elam, mentioned in 2:7; 8:7; 10:26. The hope may have
been based on Deuteronomy 30:8-10.
10:6. The mention of Johanan does not prove that Ezra arrived after Nehemiah. The name was a common one,
and he may not have been the grandson of Eliashib, but may have been another son of Eliashib and a brother of
Joiada. Eliashib in verse 6 may not be the same one as in Nehemiah 12:22, 23. If Eliashib was the high priest, he
could have had a son Johanan (v. 6) and also a grandson of the same name, the one mentioned in Nehemiah 12:
22, 23.
10:18-44. The list includes 17 priests, 10 Levites, and 86 men of the congregation of Israel who were guilty, and
each divorced his foreign wife after offering a ram of the flock for their trespass (v. 19). Verse 18 reveals that all
four orders of priests were guilty, proving true statement of the princes in 9:1 (cf. 2:36-39). They entered into the
solemn agreement, and ratified it by pledging the right hand (2 Kin. 10:15; Prov. 6:1; Ezek. 17:18), that they would
divorce their foreign wives. The offering is depicted in Leviticus 5:14-16 as a command for the trespass offering.
The fact that some of them had children (v. 44) is mentioned to show how thoroughly the separation was carried
out. This would add grief to the parting from a wife. Meshullam (vv. 15, 29) gave up his foreign wife, though he
opposed the agreement. Certainly there was an adequate provision made for the repudiated wives and children,
according to the means and circumstances of each husband. Several things need to be kept in mind when
considering Ezra's actions: (1) The Old Testament explicitly prohibited intermarriage. (2) Marriage in Israel
involved a covenant before God. (3) The recent Babylonian captivity prompted Ezra's decision. (4) Even the
religious leaders were involved in the sin. (5) Ezra's concern was primarily religious, not nationalistic. (6) The will
of God had first been sought in the decision. (7) The decision did not damage Jewish respect for Ezra. (8) Finally
Ezra's action enforced the sovereignty of the law.
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