‏ Ezra 3

Summary for Ezra 3:1-4:5: 3:1–4:5  ^a After resettling in various towns in Judah, the community turned to restoring the worship of God at Jerusalem. They quickly rebuilt the altar and began regular sacrifices in time to celebrate the Jewish festivals (3:4  ^b), and then they began the more difficult task of rebuilding the Temple itself (3:8  ^c). Soon they faced opposition from local foreigners (4:1-5  ^d). 3:1  ^e Festivals in early autumn (literally in the seventh month) included the Festival of Trumpets (see Lev 23:23-25  ^f), the Day of Atonement (see Lev 16  ^g), and the Festival of Shelters (see Lev 23:34-36  ^h).
3:2  ⁱ Jeshua (Hag 1:1  ^j; Zech 3:1  ^k) was the high priest (Neh 12:1  ^l). However, Ezra never used this title (Ezra 2:2  ^m; 3:2  ⁿ; 4:3  ^o; 5:2  ^p), which suggests that the title was given after the Temple was completed (6:15  ^q).

• Zerubbabel served as the Persian-appointed governor of Judah (Hag 1:1  ^r), most likely after the death of Sheshbazzar (see study note on Ezra 1:8). He was the grandson of King Jehoiachin of Judah (1 Chr 3:17  ^s).
3:3  ^t The local residents were foreigners resettled from abroad by the Assyrian king Esarhaddon (680–669 BC) after the people of the northern kingdom of Israel were exiled in 722 BC (2 Kgs 17:24-40  ^u). Some had moved into the Jerusalem area during Judah’s seventy-year exile. A pagan altar might have been erected on the site, and it needed to be torn down before the new one, dedicated to the Lord, could be built.

• at its old site (Literally on its foundations): It was important to place the altar at the exact sacred spot where Solomon’s altar had been to connect with the authentic worship carried on before the Exile.

• Daily morning and evening sacrifices (see Exod 29:38-42  ^v; Num 28:3-8  ^w) dedicated the day to God.
3:4  ^x The seven-day Festival of Shelters ... prescribed in the Law (Lev 23:33-36  ^y; Num 29:12-38  ^z; Deut 16:13-16  ^aa) reminded the people of God’s guidance and care during the forty years the nation spent in tents during the wilderness journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. This festival was especially significant to those who had just experienced a similar journey from a foreign land, living in tents as they walked to the Promised Land.
Summary for Ezra 3:5-6: 3:5-6  ^ab The catalog of sacrifices, offered even before the Temple’s foundation was laid, showed the people’s enthusiasm for faithfully worshiping God at every opportunity. They did everything exactly as they were instructed in the law.

• The new moon celebrations took place on the first day of every Hebrew month; the sacrifices and blowing of trumpets reminded the people of God’s covenant with them (Num 10:10  ^ac; 28:11-15  ^ad).

• Voluntary offerings were such gifts as money for building the Temple (Exod 35:29  ^ae; 36:3  ^af). The Hebrew term can also refer to peace offerings of meat or bread that were eaten to celebrate fellowship with God (Lev 7:11-21  ^ag).
3:7  ^ah Tyre and Sidon: Few tall and straight trees grew in the dry climate of Judah, and those that had grown in Israel had already been cut down. Therefore, skilled laborers were hired in countries that had tall trees (see also 1 Chr 22:1-5  ^ai; 2 Chr 2:7-16  ^aj).
3:8  ^ak In midspring, the dry season was beginning and workers would not have to contend with mud.

• The second year after they arrived was probably 536 BC. The delay in rebuilding reflects the time it took to get wood from Lebanon to Jerusalem.

• The work force was made up of everyone: This showed the spirit of unity among the returned exiles. Putting the Levites ... in charge ensured that the work was done according to God’s specifications.
Summary for Ezra 3:10-11: 3:10-11  ^al The music at this dedication ceremony sounded similar to the singing when Solomon first brought the Ark into the Temple (2 Chr 5:12-13  ^am). Both events caused the worshipers to givesing praise and thanks ... to the Lord for his faithful covenant love and goodness.

• as King David had prescribed: See 1 Chr 25:1-7  ^an.
3:12  ^ao Those who wept aloud either were disappointed that the foundation of the Temple wasn’t as wonderful as the old one had been (cp. Hag 2:3  ^ap) or were deeply moved with joy at seeing the Temple of the Lord restored.

‏ Ezra 4

4:1  ^aq Judah and Benjamin: Most of the exiles who had returned were from these two tribes of Israel (1:5  ^ar).
4:2  ^as King Esarhaddon of Assyria (680–669 BC) had deported the people of Israel to foreign lands and had relocated other conquered peoples to the land of Israel during the reign of King Manasseh in Judah. These foreigners had learned about the Lord when they entered the land of Israel but had also continued to worship their old gods (2 Kgs 17:27-34  ^at, 40-41  ^au).
4:3  ^av The key political, religious, and tribal leaders spoke with a unified voice against the foreigners’ proposal, which would have opened the door for their idolatrous beliefs. The Jews did not want to make the same mistake as their ancestors, who were sent into exile as a result of worshiping the false gods of the Canaanites.

• as King Cyrus of Persia commanded us: See 1:2-4  ^aw.
4:4  ^ax Realizing that they would have no way to influence an established Jewish community (4:1-3  ^ay), the foreigners took hostile measures to neutralize the growing political power of the Israelites.
4:5  ^az The people paid a heavy price for their uncompromising commitment to holiness.

• King Cyrus reigned until 530 BC. Darius (Darius I) took the throne of Persia in 521 BC. Work on the Temple resumed in 520 BC and was finished in 515 BC (see 6:15  ^ba).
Summary for Ezra 4:6-23: 4:6-23  ^bb These verses are a parenthetical discussion of later opposition to Jewish rebuilding efforts. The account actually belongs with much later events in the reign of Xerxes (486–465 BC) and Artaxerxes I (465–424 BC), but it is included here because it fits with the theme of opposition. Chronologically, 4:6  ^bc fits between chs 6  ^bd and 7  ^be, while 4:7-23  ^bf fits before Neh 1  ^bg.
4:7  ^bh The exact date of these events is unknown, but they might have occurred around the same time as an Egyptian revolt in 448 BC (a few years before Artaxerxes I sent Nehemiah to Jerusalem in 445 BC). If so, the enemies of Judah and Artaxerxes probably thought that the Jews would revolt as the Egyptians had.

• Aramaic was the international diplomatic language of the Persian Empire.
4:9  ^bi Adding greetings from an assortment of key political figures and local ethnic leaders would give credibility to the letter’s accusations and ensure that the message would have maximum political weight.

• Judges were trusted court officials who knew the Persian laws.

• Having the support of people from the Mesopotamian cities of Babylon and Erech and the Persian city of Susa would make the case against the Jews more persuasive.
4:10  ^bj Ashurbanipal had deported people from other conquered lands into the lands of Israel and Aram (see 2 Kgs 17:24-41  ^bk).

• The city of Samaria was the former capital of the northern kingdom of Israel.

• The province west of the Euphrates River included Syria, Israel, and Judah.
Summary for Ezra 4:11-22: 4:11-22  ^bl Ezra includes a copy in Aramaic of the letter sent to Artaxerxes and his reply.
4:13  ^bm A tribute was an annual fixed tax, customs were probably sales taxes, and tolls were probably charges for using roads. Previous rulers had collected considerable revenue from the region (4:20  ^bn; cp. 1 Kgs 10:14-15  ^bo).
4:14  ^bp Since we are your loyal subjects: The Aramaic phrase we eat the salt of the palace was a metaphor for taking an oath of loyalty to the king.

• The letter’s authors claimed that their only interest was to preserve the honor of the king, but they were actually grasping for power and political advantage over the Jews.
Summary for Ezra 4:15-16: 4:15-16  ^bq The Persians had access to Babylonian records, which described Jerusalem’s revolts against Nebuchadnezzar (see 2 Kgs 24:1-7  ^br).

• The claim that the Persians would lose the whole province west of the Euphrates was an exaggeration: The Jews actually comprised a small minority in that province.
4:18  ^bs The letter was translated from Aramaic to Persian, the king’s native language.
Summary for Ezra 4:19-20: 4:19-20  ^bt King Jehoiakim (609–598 BC) had rebelled against Babylon in about 601 BC, and King Zedekiah (597–586 BC) had rebelled in about 588 BC (see 2 Kgs 25:2  ^bu).
4:21  ^bv except at my express command: Work on the walls remained stopped until 445 BC, when Nehemiah, Artaxerxes’ cup-bearer, gained his permission to resume reconstruction (see Neh 2:1-6  ^bw).
4:23  ^bx A military unit probably forced the Jews to stop building and enforced the king’s wishes. Part of the rebuilt wall might have been torn down at this time (cp. Neh 1:3  ^by).

• This verse ends the parenthetical section that began in Ezra 4:6  ^bz.
Summary for Ezra 4:24-5:5: 4:24–5:5  ^ca Ezra now returns to telling about the building of the Temple in 520–515 BC. 4:24  ^cb The events of the following verses occurred approximately sixteen years after the events up through 4:5  ^cc.

‏ Ezra 5

5:1  ^cd Haggai first prophesied on August 29, 520 BC (Hag 1:1  ^ce). Zechariah began prophesying about two months later (Zech 1:1  ^cf). The books of Haggai and Zechariah record their messages (see also Ezra 6:14  ^cg).
5:2  ^ch The Jewish leaders had not led by faith (see Hag 1:1  ^ci, 12  ^cj). Now God’s Spirit stirred them up (Hag 1:14  ^ck), and they obeyed by getting to work.

• Zerubbabel and Jeshua figure prominently in the books of Haggai and Zechariah.
5:3  ^cl Who gave you permission? Unlike the hostile opposition recorded in ch 4  ^cm, this seems to have been a routine inquiry to make sure that everything was done according to official requirements.
5:5  ^cn God was watching over them: All credit goes to God’s sovereign control of events, not to any human leader or prophet. God had promised that the ruins would be rebuilt (Isa 44:26  ^co).
Summary for Ezra 5:6-17: 5:6-17  ^cp Ezra includes a copy in Aramaic of Tattenai’s letter to King Darius. Unlike the letter of 4:11-16  ^cq, this letter was a straightforward inquiry into the validity of the Jews’ activity. 5:6  ^cr other officials: A Persian term for inspectors or investigators.
5:8  ^cs the great God: This title was a Persian way of referring to an important high deity; it does not indicate that the provincial authorities believed in Israel’s God.

• Following the pattern of Solomon’s Temple (1 Kgs 6:36  ^ct), after every three rows of prepared stones, a layer of timber was laid in its walls (see Ezra 6:4  ^cu) to reduce potential damage from earthquakes.
5:11  ^cv the God of heaven: This title would be understood by the Persians: He was the universal high God, not an insignificant local deity.

• a great king of Israel: Solomon (see 1 Kgs 5–8  ^cw).
5:12  ^cx destroyed this Temple and exiled the people: See 2 Kgs 25:9-17  ^cy.
5:13  ^cz a decree: See 1:1-4  ^da.
Summary for Ezra 5:14-15: 5:14-15  ^db The Jews provided detailed information that the Persians could check for accuracy (see 1:7-11  ^dc).
5:16  ^dd Most likely, Sheshbazzar began the work and Zerubbabel finished it (see study note on 1:8).

‏ Ezra 6

6:2  ^de The fortress at Ecbatana, the king’s summer home, was located about 300 miles northeast of Babylon. This suggests that Cyrus wrote the scroll in the summer of 538 BC.

• Media was a mountainous area north of Persia and east of Assyria. This area is now inhabited by the Kurds (descendants of the Medes).

• Texts introduced by the term Memorandum tended to be summaries that listed the main facts of an event for the royal archives (cp. 1:9-10  ^df).
6:3  ^dg This decree is recorded in Ezra 1:2-4  ^dh.

• The Temple’s height will be ninety feet, and its width will be ninety feet: The emendations given in the NLT textual note would make these measurements match those of Solomon’s Temple (1 Kgs 6:2  ^di, 17  ^dj, 20  ^dk). But the larger measurements given here might represent the maximum size that the Persians would fund.
6:4  ^dl All expenses will be paid by the royal treasury. Although it seems surprising that the Persians would do this, it was consistent with Persian practice elsewhere (e.g., at Sais and Elephantine in Egypt, and at Ur in Mesopotamia). Such generosity was designed to ensure loyalty to Persia.
6:8  ^dm You must pay the full construction costs: This command fulfilled God’s promise through Haggai (Hag 2:7  ^dn).
6:10  ^do pray for the welfare of the king and his sons: In the Cyrus Cylinder (a Persian account of Cyrus’s defeat of Babylon), King Cyrus requests, “May all the gods whom I have resettled in their sacred cities ask [the Babylonian gods] Bel and Nebo daily for a long life for me” (see 1:1-4  ^dp).
Summary for Ezra 6:11-12: 6:11-12  ^dq Those who violate this decree: Inscriptions and official decrees often included curses on those who opposed the will of the king (cp. Dan 2:5  ^dr).
6:15  ^ds Israel’s second Temple was finished approximately seventy years after its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. Herod the Great remodeled and expanded this Temple at the time of Christ. The Temple stood for approximately 585 years until the Roman army of Titus destroyed it in AD 70.
6:17  ^dt 12 male goats ... a sin offering: This blood sacrifice brought God’s forgiveness for unintentional sins, ceremonial uncleanness, or thoughtless wrong acts (Lev 4–5  ^du). Similar sacrifices were offered when Moses dedicated the Tabernacle (Num 7  ^dv) and when Solomon dedicated the first Temple (2 Chr 7:1  ^dw, 4  ^dx).

• for the twelve tribes of Israel: Although most returnees were from Judah and Benjamin (Ezra 1:5  ^dy; 4:1  ^dz), people from the priestly tribe of Levi are also mentioned (1:5  ^ea; 2:40  ^eb, 70  ^ec). It is also likely that there were returnees from some of the ten northern tribes of Israel. Even if all tribes were not physically represented, the twelve sacrifices emphasized the desire for God to maintain his covenant relationship with all Israel.
6:18  ^ed prescribed in the Book of Moses: See Exod 29  ^ee; Lev 8  ^ef; Num 3  ^eg. The Temple personnel operated according to the organization instituted by David (1 Chr 23–27  ^eh).

• This verse concludes the Aramaic section that began in Ezra 4:8  ^ei.
6:19  ^ej The Passover celebration commemorates God’s sparing of the firstborn of each family that put blood on the doorposts of their home (Exod 12–13  ^ek). This occasion was the first time any of these people had celebrated a joyous national festival.
6:20  ^el purified themselves: They acted in accord with the law of Moses (see Lev 9  ^em; Num 8  ^en; 2 Chr 29  ^eo).
6:21  ^ep and by the others in the land who had turned from their immoral customs: The exclusion of foreigners in 4:1-5  ^eq was due to their pagan religious practices, not their ethnicity (see also 9:1-2  ^er).
6:22  ^es Passover was the beginning of the seven-day Festival of Unleavened Bread (see Exod 12:15-20  ^et; Lev 23:6-8  ^eu), a time of feasting in remembrance of the unleavened bread eaten when Israel left Egypt.

• the Lord had caused: Although Darius I was the powerful king of a vast empire, God directed his heart to help rebuild the Temple of God.