Ezra 2:36

2:36 The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family ¹  of Jeshua): 973;

Ezra 7:5

7:5 who was the son of Abishua, who was the son of Phinehas, who was the son of Eleazar, who was the son of Aaron the chief priest.

Ezra 7:12

7:12 ² “Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, a scribe of the perfect law of the God of heaven:

Ezra 2:62

2:62 They ³  searched for their records in the genealogical materials, but did not find them. ⁴  They were therefore excluded ⁵  from the priesthood.

Ezra 6:20

6:20 The priests and the Levites had purified themselves, every last one, ⁶  and they all were ceremonially pure. They sacrificed the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their colleagues ⁷  the priests, and for themselves.

Ezra 8:24

8:24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, together with ⁸  Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers, ⁹ 

Ezra 2:63

2:63 The governor ¹⁰  instructed them not to eat any of the sacred food until there was a priest who could consult ¹¹  the Urim and Thummim.

Ezra 6:16

6:16 The people ¹²  of Israel – the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles ¹³  – observed the dedication of this temple of God with joy.

Ezra 7:11

Artaxerxes Gives Official Endorsement to Ezra’s Mission

7:11 What follows ¹⁴  is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priestly scribe. ¹⁵  Ezra was ¹⁶  a scribe in matters pertaining to the commandments of the Lord and his statutes over Israel:

Ezra 8:30

8:30 Then the priests and the Levites took charge of ¹⁷  the silver, the gold, and the vessels that had been weighed out, to transport them to Jerusalem to the temple of our God.

Ezra 7:7

7:7 In the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, Ezra brought ¹⁸  up to Jerusalem ¹⁹  some of the Israelites and some of the priests, the Levites, the attendants, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants.

Ezra 2:69

2:69 As they were able, ²⁰  they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 drachmas ²¹  of gold, 5,000 minas ²²  of silver, and 100 priestly robes. ²³ 

Ezra 6:18

6:18 They appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their divisions over the worship of God at Jerusalem, ²⁴  in accord with ²⁵  the book of Moses.

Ezra 7:13

7:13 I have now issued a decree ²⁶  that anyone in my kingdom from the people of Israel – even the priests and Levites – who wishes to do so may go up with you to Jerusalem. ²⁷ 

Ezra 7:16

7:16 along with all the silver and gold that you may collect ²⁸  throughout all the province of Babylon and the contributions of the people and the priests for the temple of their God which is in Jerusalem.

Ezra 8:29

8:29 Be careful with them and protect them, until you weigh them out before the leading priests and the Levites and the family leaders of Israel in Jerusalem, ²⁹  in the storerooms of the temple of the Lord.”

Ezra 10:5

10:5 So Ezra got up and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath to carry out this plan. ³⁰  And they all took a solemn oath.

Ezra 10:10

10:10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have behaved in an unfaithful manner by taking foreign wives! This has contributed to the guilt of Israel.

Ezra 2:61

2:61 And from among ³¹  the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai (who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that ³²  name).

Ezra 10:18

Those Who Had Taken Foreign Wives

10:18 It was determined ³³  that from the descendants of the priests, the following had taken foreign wives: from the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.

Ezra 7:21

7:21 “I, King Artaxerxes, hereby issue orders to all the treasurers of ³⁴  Trans-Euphrates, that you precisely execute all that Ezra the priestly scribe of the law of the God of heaven may request of you –

Ezra 1:5

The Exiles Prepare to Return to Jerusalem

1:5 Then the leaders ³⁵  of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and the Levites – all those whose mind God had stirred – got ready ³⁶  to go up in order to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. ³⁷ 

Ezra 7:24

7:24 Furthermore, be aware of the fact ³⁸  that you have no authority to impose tax, tribute, or toll on any of the priests, the Levites, the musicians, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or the attendants at the temple of this God.

Ezra 3:10

3:10 When the builders established the Lord’s temple, the priests, ceremonially attired and with their clarions, ³⁹  and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with their cymbals, stood to praise the Lord according to the instructions left by ⁴⁰  King David of Israel. ⁴¹ 

Ezra 10:16

10:16 So the exiles proceeded accordingly. Ezra the priest separated out ⁴²  by name men who were leaders in their family groups. ⁴³  They sat down to consider this matter on the first day of the tenth month,

Ezra 2:70

2:70 The priests, the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants lived in their towns, and all the rest of Israel lived in their towns.

Ezra 3:2

3:2 Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak ⁴⁴  and his priestly colleagues ⁴⁵  and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his colleagues ⁴⁶  started to build ⁴⁷  the altar of the God of Israel so they could offer burnt offerings on it as required by ⁴⁸  the law of Moses the man of God.

Ezra 3:12

3:12 Many of the priests, the Levites, and the leaders ⁴⁹  – older people who had seen with their own eyes the former temple while it was still established ⁵⁰  – were weeping loudly, ⁵¹  and many others raised their voice in a joyous shout.

Ezra 6:9

6:9 Whatever is needed – whether oxen or rams or lambs or burnt offerings for the God of heaven or wheat or salt or wine or oil, as required by ⁵²  the priests who are in Jerusalem – must be given to them daily without any neglect,

Ezra 8:15

The Exiles Travel to Jerusalem

8:15 I had them assemble ⁵³  at the canal ⁵⁴  that flows toward Ahava, and we camped there for three days. I observed that the people and the priests were present, but I found no Levites there.

Ezra 9:1

A Prayer of Ezra

9:1 Now when these things had been completed, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the local residents ⁵⁵  who practice detestable things similar to those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

Ezra 8:33

8:33 On the fourth day we weighed out the silver, the gold, and the vessels in the house of our God into the care ⁵⁶  of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest, and Eleazar son of Phinehas, who were accompanied by Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui, who were Levites.

Ezra 9:7

9:7 From the days of our fathers until this very day our guilt has been great. Because of our iniquities we, along with our kings and ⁵⁷  priests, have been delivered over by the local kings ⁵⁸  to sword, captivity, plunder, and embarrassment – right up to the present time.

Ezra 3:8

3:8 In the second year after they had come to the temple of God in Jerusalem, ⁵⁹  in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak initiated the work, ⁶⁰  along with the rest of their associates, ⁶¹  the priests and the Levites, and all those who were coming to Jerusalem from the exile. They appointed ⁶²  the Levites who were at least twenty years old ⁶³  to take charge of the work on the Lord’s temple.

Ezra 7:1

The Arrival of Ezra

7:1 Now after these things had happened, during the reign of King Artaxerxes ⁶⁴  of Persia, Ezra came up from Babylon. ⁶⁵  Ezra was the son of Seraiah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Hilkiah,

Ezra 3:6

3:6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. However, the Lord’s temple was not at that time established. ⁶⁶ 

Ezra 8:28

8:28 Then I said to them, “You are holy to the Lord, just as these vessels are holy. The silver and the gold are a voluntary offering to the Lord, the God of your fathers.

Ezra 7:6

7:6 This Ezra is the one who came up from Babylon. He was a scribe who was skilled in the law of Moses which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king supplied him with everything he requested, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.

Ezra 8:17

8:17 I sent them to Iddo, who was the leader in the place called Casiphia. I told them ⁶⁷  what to say to Iddo and his relatives, ⁶⁸  who were the temple servants in ⁶⁹  Casiphia, so they would bring us attendants for the temple of our God.

Ezra 8:25

8:25 and I weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the vessels intended for the temple of our God – items that the king, his advisers, his officials, and all Israel who were present had contributed.

[2:36]  ¹ tn Heb “the house of.”

[7:12]  ² sn Ezra 7:12-26 is written in Aramaic rather than Hebrew.

[2:62]  ³ tn Heb “these.”

[2:62]  ⁴ tn Heb “their records were searched for in the genealogical materials, but were not found.” This passive construction has been translated as active for stylistic reasons.

[2:62]  ⁵ tn Heb “they were desecrated.”

[6:20]  ⁶ tn Heb “as one.” The expression is best understood as referring to the unity shown by the religious leaders in preparing themselves for the observance of Passover. On the meaning of the Hebrew phrase see DCH 1:182 s.v. אֶחָד 3b. See also HALOT 30 s.v. אֶחָד 5.

[6:20]  ⁷ tn Heb “brothers.”

[8:24]  ⁸ tc The translation reads וַחֲשַׁבְיָה וְשֵׁרֵבְיָה (vÿsherevÿyah vakhashavyah, “and Sherebiah and Hashabiah”) rather than the reading חֲשַׁבְיָה לְשֵׁרֵבְיָה (lÿsherevyah khashavyah, “to Sherebiah Hashabiah”) of the MT.

[8:24]  ⁹ tn Or “relatives”; or “colleagues” (cf. NLT “ten other priests”).

[2:63]  ¹⁰ tn The Hebrew word תִּרְשָׁתָא (tirshata’) is an official title of the Persian governor in Judea, perhaps similar in meaning to “excellency” (BDB 1077 s.v.; HALOT 1798 s.v.; W. L. Holladay, Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, 395).

[2:63]  ¹¹ tn Heb “to stand.”

[6:16]  ¹² tn Aram “sons of.”

[6:16]  ¹³ tn Aram “sons of the exile.”

[7:11]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “this.”

[7:11]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “the priest, the scribe.” So also in v. 21.

[7:11]  ¹⁶ tn The words “Ezra was” are not in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for clarity.

[8:30]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “received.”

[7:7]  ¹⁸ tc The translation reads the Hiphil singular וַיַּעֲל (vayya’al, “he [Ezra] brought up”) rather than the Qal plural וַיַּעַלוּ (vayya’alu, “they came up”) of the MT.

[7:7]  tn Heb “he brought”; the referent (Ezra) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:7]  ¹⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:69]  ²⁰ tn Heb “according to their strength.”

[2:69]  ²¹ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word דַּרְכְּמוֹנִים (darkÿmonim, cf. Neh 7:69, 70, 71) is uncertain. It may be a Greek loanword meaning “drachmas” (the view adopted here and followed also by NAB, NASB, NIV) or a Persian loanword “daric,” referring to a Persian gold coin (BDB 204 s.v. דַּרְכְּמוֹן; HALOT 232 s.v. נִים(וֹ)דַּרְכְּמֹ; cf. ASV, NRSV). For further study, see R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 206-9.

[2:69]  ²² sn The מָנִים (manim, cf. Neh 7:71, 72) is a measuring weight for valuable metals, equal to 1/60 of a talent or 60 shekels (BDB 584 s.v. מָנֶה; HALOT 599 s.v. מָנֶה). For further study, see R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 203-6.

[2:69]  ²³ tn Or “garments.”

[6:18]  ²⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[6:18]  ²⁵ tn Aram “according to the writing of.”

[7:13]  ²⁶ tn Heb “from me is placed a decree.” So also in v. 21.

[7:13]  ²⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[7:16]  ²⁸ tn Aram “find.”

[8:29]  ²⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[10:5]  ³⁰ tn Heb “to do according to this plan.”

[2:61]  ³¹ tc The translation reads וּמִן (umin, “and from”) rather than the reading וּמִבּנֵי (umibbÿney, “and from the sons of”) found in the MT.

[2:61]  ³² tn Heb “their.”

[10:18]  ³³ tn Heb “found.”

[7:21]  ³⁴ tn Aram “who are in.”

[1:5]  ³⁵ tn Heb “the heads of the fathers.”

[1:5]  ³⁶ tn Heb “arose.”

[1:5]  ³⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[7:24]  ³⁸ tn Aram “we are making known to you.”

[3:10]  ³⁹ sn This was a long, straight, metallic instrument used for signal calls, rather than the traditional ram’s horn (both instruments are typically translated “trumpet” by English versions).

[3:10]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “according to the hands of.”

[3:10]  ⁴¹ sn See Ps 107:1; 118:1, 29; 136:1. Cf. 2 Chr 5:13; 7:3; 20:21.

[10:16]  ⁴² tc The translation reads the Hiphil singular וַיַּבְדֵּל לוֹ (vayyavdel lo, “separated for himself”) rather than the Niphal plural וַיִּבָּדְלוּ (vayyibbadÿlu, “were separated”) of the MT.

[10:16]  ⁴³ tn Heb “the heads of the fathers, to the house of their fathers, and all of them by name.”

[3:2]  ⁴⁴ sn Jozadak (also in 3:8) is a variant spelling of Jehozadak.

[3:2]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “his brothers the priests.”

[3:2]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “his brothers.”

[3:2]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “arose and built.”

[3:2]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “written in.” Cf. v. 4.

[3:12]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “the heads of the fathers.”

[3:12]  ⁵⁰ sn The temple had been destroyed some fifty years earlier by the Babylonians in 586 b.c.

[3:12]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “with a great voice.”

[6:9]  ⁵² tn Aram “according to the word of.”

[8:15]  ⁵³ tn Or “I gathered them.”

[8:15]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “river.” So also in vv. 21, 31.

[9:1]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.” So also in v. 2.

[8:33]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “upon the hand of.”

[9:7]  ⁵⁷ tc The MT lacks “and” here, but see the LXX and Vulgate.

[9:7]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “the kings of the lands.”

[3:8]  ⁵⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[3:8]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “began”; the phrase “the work” is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[3:8]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “their brothers.”

[3:8]  ⁶² tn Heb “stood.”

[3:8]  ⁶³ tn Heb “from twenty years and upward.”

[7:1]  ⁶⁴ sn If the Artaxerxes of Ezra 7:1 is Artaxerxes I Longimanus (ca. 464–423 B.C.), Ezra must have arrived in Jerusalem ca. 458 B.C., since Ezra 7:7-8 connects the time of his arrival to the seventh year of the king. The arrival of Nehemiah is then linked to the twentieth year of the king (Neh 1:1), or ca. 445 B.C. Some scholars, however, have suggested that Ezra 7:7 should be read as “the thirty-seventh year” rather than “the seventh year.” This would have Ezra coming to Jerusalem after, rather than before, the arrival of Nehemiah. Others have taken the seventh year of Ezra 7:7-8 to refer not to Artaxerxes I but to Artaxerxes II, who ruled ca. 404–358 B.C. In this understanding Ezra would have returned to Jerusalem ca. 398 B.C., a good many years after the return of Nehemiah. Neither of these views is certain, however, and it seems better to retain the traditional understanding of the chronological sequence of returns by Ezra and Nehemiah. With this understanding there is a gap of about fifty-eight years between chapter six, which describes the dedication of the temple in 516 b.c., and chapter seven, which opens with Ezra’s coming to Jerusalem in 458 b.c.

[7:1]  ⁶⁵ tn The words “came up from Babylon” do not appear in the Hebrew text until v. 6. They have been supplied here for the sake of clarity.

[3:6]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “the foundation of the LORD’s temple was not yet laid.

[8:17]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “I placed in their mouth words.”

[8:17]  ⁶⁸ tc The translation reads with the LXX and Vulgate וְאֶחָיו (vÿ’ekhayv, “and his brethren” = “relatives”; so NCV, NLT) rather than the reading אָחִיו (’akhiyv, “his brother”) of the MT.

[8:17]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “in the place called.” This phrase has not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.