‏ Ezra 7

Summary for Ezra 7:1-5: 7:1-5  ^a Ezra highlights his standing by listing his own genealogy through Zadok, priest under Solomon (1 Kgs 2:35  ^b), all the way back to Aaron the high priest, Moses’ brother. This list is clearly abbreviated: It has only sixteen generations from Aaron to eighty years after the Exile, while 1 Chr 6:3-15  ^c has twenty-three generations from Aaron to the Exile. 7:1  ^d Many years later: Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in 458 BC (7:7-8  ^e), about fifty-seven years after the dedication of the second Temple. Ezra has been recording events that occurred before his time, but now he begins to record his own history.

• son: In biblical genealogies, the Hebrew word translated son often means descendant.

• Seraiah was high priest under Zedekiah; he was executed by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC (2 Kgs 25:18-21  ^f).
7:6  ^g Ezra came from Babylon, where there was still a substantial and prosperous Jewish community.

• The Hebrew term translated scribe is sometimes translated as “secretary.” It describes an educated and reliable individual who transcribed and interpreted official documents. Accordingly, many scholars think that Ezra functioned like a “Secretary of State for Jewish Affairs” in the Persian government. Here, however, the emphasis is on his scribal role of studying and teaching from the five Books of Moses.
7:9  ^h Ezra and his entourage had arranged to leave Babylon on April 8 but did not actually leave until April 19, 458 BC (8:31  ⁱ). In those intervening eleven days, he organized the group and assembled it at the Ahava Canal, searched for more Levites, and proclaimed a fast.

• To make the 800-mile journey in four months, Ezra’s party would have walked an average of about ten miles per day, five days per week. Ezra knew that his success was attributable only to the gracious hand of his God (see also 7:6  ^j, 28  ^k; 8:22  ^l, 31  ^m).
7:10  ⁿ Ezra had three life goals: (1) to study God’s word, (2) to obey what God said, and (3) to teach ... the people of Israel. He allowed God’s word to transform his character and behavior so that he could influence the lives of others.
Summary for Ezra 7:11-26: 7:11-26  ^o In this letter, King Artaxerxes granted Ezra the power and responsibility to evaluate the situation in Jerusalem (7:14  ^p), present freewill offerings to God (7:15-20  ^q), obtain supplies and finances from local authorities (7:21-24  ^r), and institute judicial reforms (7:25-26  ^s).
7:14  ^t I and my council of seven: The Greek historian Xenophon knew of this council (Xenophon, Anabasis 1.6.4-5), and Esth 1:14  ^u lists the names of the seven princes of Xerxes, Artaxerxes’ father.

• your God’s law: The word translated law in this verse is the Aramaic word dath rather than the Hebrew torah (7:10  ^v), suggesting that a Persian wrote this letter (7:11-26  ^w).
7:15  ^x who lives in Jerusalem: God’s Temple was located there. Artaxerxes probably thought that he was helping rebuild the house of Jerusalem’s local deity (cp. 1 Kgs 8:27  ^y; Ps 24:1  ^z).
7:16  ^aa Like Cyrus (1:4  ^ab, 6  ^ac), Artaxerxes allowed Jews in Babylon to send freewill offerings to Jerusalem. A sizeable sum was collected from the king and his council as well as from Jewish contributors (8:25-27  ^ad).
Summary for Ezra 7:21-22: 7:21-22  ^ae The items listed were typically used as offerings in worship (cp. Exod 27:20  ^af; 29:2  ^ag; Lev 2:4  ^ah, 13  ^ai; 14:10  ^aj; Num 28:7  ^ak).
7:23  ^al the God of heaven: This is the title by which the Jews had referred to the Lord (5:11-12  ^am) and that Cyrus had used (1:2  ^an). The Persian king probably believed, like others in the ancient Near East, that each country’s god or gods controlled their territory. Artaxerxes did not want to risk bringing God’s anger against the realm of the king and undermine the peace of his empire by failing to provide for the God of Jerusalem (7:19  ^ao) the worship that he required.
7:24  ^ap The tax exemptions given to Temple personnel in Jerusalem were similar to the conciliatory gestures made to those in other nations.
Summary for Ezra 7:25-26: 7:25-26  ^aq Ezra was to teach God’s laws and govern the area occupied by the Jews in accordance with God’s laws and the law of the king—i.e., Persian civil law.

‏ Ezra 8

Summary for Ezra 8:1-14: 8:1-14  ^ar This list of the family leaders designates those who stepped out in faith and traveled with Ezra back to Jerusalem to join the Jewish community there. It lists fifteen families represented by 1,515 men. Including women and children, the total could have been around 5,000 people.
8:15  ^as The Ahava Canal came off the Euphrates River near Babylon.

• not one Levite had volunteered: Only a few Levites had come earlier with Sheshbazzar (2:40  ^at). It is unclear why so few Levites returned to Jerusalem.
Summary for Ezra 8:16-17: 8:16-17  ^au The Hebrew term translated men of discernment refers to those who could interpret and explain the Torah. These men were probably respected because of their expertise in Scripture (cp. Neh 8:8-9  ^av). Ezra commissioned them to use their influence to recruit more Levites.
8:18  ^aw the gracious hand of our God: Ezra, his leaders, and Iddo all took action to rectify the problem, but ultimately everything was accomplished because of God’s grace. Only thirty-eight Levites (including the leaders) and 220 Temple servants responded.
8:20  ^ax first instituted by King David and his officials: See 1 Chr 24–26  ^ay.
8:21  ^az fast and humble ourselves: Ezra recognized the need to look to God for the protection, safety, and health of 5,000 people going 800 miles on foot. Robbers might be hiding in the hills, there was danger in crossing rivers, and people could get sick.
8:22  ^ba ashamed: Ezra had openly proclaimed his faith in God’s ability to protect the Israelites on their journey. Asking the king for help now would suggest that Ezra did not really believe in God’s ability to provide.
8:23  ^bb fasted ... prayed: In the Old Testament, fasting often accompanied prayer as a demonstration of need before God (1 Kgs 21:9  ^bc; 2 Chr 20:3  ^bd; Neh 1:4  ^be; Dan 9:3  ^bf).
8:25  ^bg The items that the leaders were in charge of transporting included offerings for the Temple and sacrifices. Because these gifts belonged to God and were holy (8:28  ^bh), it was necessary that the priests care for them.
Summary for Ezra 8:26-27: 8:26-27  ^bi The Persians and supportive Jews had given an enormous amount of money. It was a huge risk to transport it without a royal escort.
Summary for Ezra 8:31-32: 8:31-32  ^bj We broke camp ... on April 19: It took twelve days to get organized, to encourage some Levites to join them, and to pray for God’s protection before Ezra could actually get the people moving toward Jerusalem (see 7:9  ^bk).
8:35  ^bl sacrificed burnt offerings: For many of the Jews who came to Jerusalem with Ezra, this was probably the first sacrifice they had ever offered. It would have been a moving spiritual experience for them to confess their sins and dedicate their lives to God in this way. For details on the burnt offering, see Lev 1  ^bm.

‏ Ezra 9

Summary for Ezra 9:1-10:44: 9:1–10:44  ^bn Ezra confronted the problem of intermarriage with idolatrous foreigners. The Jewish leaders had allowed this practice, though the early settlers had committed to keep separate from pagan influences (4:1-5  ^bo). Ezra interceded on behalf of the nation and helped those convicted of their sins to make things right.
Summary for Ezra 9:1-2: 9:1-2  ^bp The events that follow took place approximately four months after Ezra’s arrival (cp. 7:9  ^bq; 10:9  ^br).

• Intermarriage with pagan foreigners was dangerous because Israelites could end up worshiping other gods and accepting the detestable practices of other religions (cp. Ezra 4:1-5  ^bs; Deut 7:1-4  ^bt).

• the holy race has become polluted: Literally the holy seed has intermingled itself. Because Israel was a holy covenant nation (Exod 19:6  ^bu), it was not to be involved with pagan practices (Lev 19:2-4  ^bv; 20:6-8  ^bw, 22-26  ^bx). Therefore, the people were to avoid marriages with those who could influence Israelites to embrace such practices. When the religious and political leaders and officials intermarried with foreigners, they were in danger of leading others astray and destroying the unique identity of Israel as a holy people.
9:3  ^by utterly shocked: Cp. Gen 37:34  ^bz; 2 Kgs 22:11  ^ca; Job 1:20  ^cb.
9:4  ^cc The time of the evening sacrifice was around 3:00 pm.
9:5  ^cd Ezra’s inner humility before God was consistent with his falling on his knees. His outstretched hands demonstrated his pleading with God to intervene.
Summary for Ezra 9:6-15: 9:6-15  ^ce Ezra’s prayer provides a model for intercessory prayer (cp. Neh 1:5-11  ^cf; Dan 9:4-19  ^cg). It includes confessing sin (Ezra 9:6-7  ^ch), remembering God’s past grace (9:8-9  ^ci), admitting that the people have ignored God (9:10-12  ^cj), and recognizing their unworthiness (9:13-15  ^ck). 9:6  ^cl I am utterly ashamed ... our sins are piled higher than our heads: Although he was not one of the offending parties, Ezra personally identified with his people (see thematic note for Community Identity at end of chapter).
9:7  ^cm Ezra forthrightly summarizes Israel’s past history. The people and their leaders had sinned and were justly punished.

• just as we are today: The effects of Israel’s punishment were still evident in Jerusalem at this time.
Summary for Ezra 9:8-9: 9:8-9  ^cn God’s abundant grace and unfailing love should affect how people respond to him (cp. Deut 30:1-5  ^co). After all that God had done for the remnant, it was shameful that they were so ready to betray him.

• the kings of Persia to treat us favorably: Babylon and Assyria had tortured and exiled their enemies (2 Kgs 17  ^cp; 25  ^cq), but Persia treated exiled people kindly and returned them to their homelands (see Ezra 1:1-3  ^cr).

• protective wall: This phrase refers to God’s presence protecting the nation of Judah, not the physical walls of Jerusalem, which were rebuilt several years later by Nehemiah.
Summary for Ezra 9:11-12: 9:11-12  ^cs Your servants the prophets warned us: God had clearly revealed what he expected from his people (see Deut 7:3-4  ^ct; Mal 2:10-12  ^cu) and had promised great blessings if they followed his covenant stipulations (see Lev 26:1-13  ^cv; Deut 28:1-14  ^cw; Jer 32:36–33:18  ^cx; Ezek 37:15-28  ^cy; Hos 14:1-8  ^cz).
9:14  ^da Won’t your anger be enough to destroy us? The sin of intermarriage with non-believers was so serious that they had no hope of survival if they did not repent.
9:15  ^db you are just: God’s anger with sin is based on his justice and holiness.

Thematic note: Community Identity
In modern Western society, the individual is considered to be the primary social entity. In Israel, by contrast, an individual’s identity and significance were determined by his or her membership in the community. All Israelites were expected to partake of the common identity of the community as the “children of Israel” and to embody the characteristics that marked the whole.
In the Old Testament, the people are often referred to or addressed in the singular, emphasizing their oneness. The Decalogue (Exod 20:2-17  ^dc) and the blessing of Aaron (Num 6:24-26  ^dd), for example, are given in the singular. The individual could often represent the group, and the group could be referred to as an individual. Nehemiah, for example, asks forgiveness for the sins that caused the exile to Babylon as though he had been one of those transgressors (“we have sinned,” Neh 1:6-7  ^de). Nehemiah was governor of Judea from 445 to 433 BC, about 140 years after the destruction of Jerusalem (586 BC), so he did not participate in the sins leading to the Exile. Yet in his prayer, he identifies with his people in their sinfulness. In this same way, the high priest could represent the entire people on the Day of Atonement (see Lev 16  ^df). Because the individual Israelite was so strongly identified with the community, the sin of the individual would become the sin of the community if not addressed (see Lev 4:3-21  ^dg; 20:1-5  ^dh).
In like manner, the Christian community is described as the “body of Christ” (1 Cor 12:27  ^di; Eph 4:12  ^dj). The members partake of Christ’s identity through the Holy Spirit. That is, as the body of Christ they manifest Christ’s life in their lives, and as a unified whole they reveal him to the world. Paul exhorts the Galatians to share the burdens of others (Gal 6:2  ^dk) and so to model Christ’s example (Matt 11:28-30  ^dl).


Passages for Further Study
Exod 20:5-6  ^dm, 8-10  ^dn; Lev 4:3-21  ^do; 20:1-5  ^dp; Josh 7:1-26  ^dq; Neh 1:6-7  ^dr; 1 Cor 12:12-27  ^ds; Gal 6:2  ^dt; Eph 4:11-13  ^du

‏ Ezra 10

10:1  ^dv Ezra’s genuine mourning in response to his people’s sin moved many of them to join him.
10:2  ^dw Shecaniah was the first person brave enough to publicly admit that he had been unfaithful to God. Admission of guilt gives the hope of forgiveness for sin.
10:3  ^dx A covenant is a binding agreement, in this case specifically to divorce ... pagan wives that the people of Israel had inappropriately married. By taking this action, they would renew their commitment to the Sinai covenant.

• Women were generally given custody of their children when a marriage failed (cp. Hagar and Ishmael, Gen 21:14  ^dy).
10:4  ^dz it is your duty: As an expert in the law (see 7:10  ^ea), Ezra was responsible for leading the people to a God-honoring solution to the problem of intermarriage. Because the law of Moses did not contain explicit directions for divorcing pagan wives, Ezra needed to develop a plan consistent with the requirements of Scripture and fair to the participants.
10:5  ^eb The solemn oath involved both a promise to take action and a self-imposed curse for failure to do what was promised (see Ruth 1:16-17  ^ec; 1 Sam 14:24-28  ^ed).
10:8  ^ee if the leaders and elders so decided: It was reasonable for Ezra to add this exception clause because it might simply be impossible for some people to come to Jerusalem to participate in settling this matter.
10:9  ^ef on December 19 ... it was raining: The cold and wet weather made an outdoor meeting uncomfortable.
10:15  ^eg It is unclear why these four people opposed the plan. Perhaps they wanted a stricter penalty, or perhaps they or members of their families did not want to divorce their foreign wives. That there were only four dissenters shows the overwhelming support the policy had gained among the rest of the exiles. Sadly, a few years later, a similar problem of intermarriage with pagan wives created another crisis within the community (Neh 9–10  ^eh).
10:44  ^ei and some even had children by these wives: The couples who had children had probably married before Ezra came back to Jerusalem; even they were not excused from the decree.