Ezra 4:6

Official Complaints Are Lodged Against the Jews

4:6 ¹ At the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus ²  they filed an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. ³ 

Ezra 6:15

6:15 They finished this temple on the third day of the month Adar, which is the sixth ⁴  year of the reign of King Darius.

Ezra 4:21

4:21 Now give orders that these men cease their work and that this city not be rebuilt until such time as I so instruct. ⁵ 

Ezra 7:1

The Arrival of Ezra

7:1 Now after these things had happened, during the reign of King Artaxerxes ⁶  of Persia, Ezra came up from Babylon. ⁷  Ezra was the son of Seraiah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Hilkiah,

Ezra 4:24

4:24 So the work on the temple of God in Jerusalem came to a halt. It remained halted until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia. ⁸ 

Ezra 8:1

The Leaders Who Returned with Ezra

8:1 These are the leaders ⁹  and those enrolled with them by genealogy who were coming up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:

Ezra 9:10

9:10 “And now what are we able to say after this, our God? For we have forsaken your commandments

Ezra 4:5

4:5 They were hiring advisers to oppose them, so as to frustrate their plans, throughout the time ¹⁰  of King Cyrus of Persia until the reign of King Darius ¹¹  of Persia. ¹² 

Ezra 7:11

Artaxerxes Gives Official Endorsement to Ezra’s Mission

7:11 What follows ¹³  is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priestly scribe. ¹⁴  Ezra was ¹⁵  a scribe in matters pertaining to the commandments of the Lord and his statutes over Israel:

Ezra 5:9

5:9 We inquired of those elders, asking them, ‘Who gave you the authority to rebuild this temple and to complete this structure?’

Ezra 9:14

9:14 Shall we once again break your commandments and intermarry with these abominable peoples? Would you not be so angered by us that you would wipe us out, with no survivor or remnant?

Ezra 10:3

10:3 Therefore let us enact ¹⁶  a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in keeping with your counsel, my lord, ¹⁷  and that of those who respect ¹⁸  the commandments of our God. And let it be done according to the law.

Ezra 4:3

4:3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the leaders of Israel said to them, “You have no right ¹⁹  to help us build the temple of our God. We will build it by ourselves for the Lord God of Israel, just as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us.”

Ezra 5:3

5:3 At that time Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, and their colleagues came to them and asked, “Who gave you authority ²⁰  to rebuild this temple and to complete this structure?” ²¹ 

Ezra 9:11

9:11 which you commanded us through your servants the prophets with these words: ²²  ‘The land that you are entering to possess is a land defiled by the impurities of the local residents! ²³  With their abominations they have filled it from one end to the other with their filthiness.

Ezra 7:23

7:23 Everything that the God of heaven has required should be precisely done for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should there be wrath ²⁴  against the empire of the king and his sons?

Ezra 5:13

5:13 But in the first year of King Cyrus of Babylon, ²⁵  King Cyrus enacted a decree to rebuild this temple of God.

Ezra 6:13

The Temple Is Finally Dedicated

6:13 Then Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, and their colleagues acted accordingly – with precision, just as Darius the king had given instructions. ²⁶ 

Ezra 6:1

Darius Issues a Decree

6:1 So Darius the king issued orders, and they searched in the archives ²⁷  of the treasury which were deposited there in Babylon.

Ezra 4:20

4:20 Powerful kings have been over Jerusalem who ruled throughout the entire Trans-Euphrates ²⁸  and who were the beneficiaries of ²⁹  tribute, custom, and toll.

Ezra 6:14

6:14 The elders of the Jews continued building and prospering, while at the same time ³⁰  Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo continued prophesying. They built and brought it to completion by the command of the God of Israel and by the command of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

Ezra 4:19

4:19 So I gave orders, ³¹  and it was determined ³²  that this city from long ago has been engaging in insurrection against kings. It has continually engaged in ³³  rebellion and revolt.

Ezra 6:11

6:11 “I hereby give orders that if anyone changes this directive a beam is to be pulled out from his house and he is to be raised up and impaled ³⁴  on it, and his house is to be reduced ³⁵  to a rubbish heap ³⁶  for this indiscretion. ³⁷ 

Ezra 6:3

6:3 In the first year of his reign, ³⁸  King Cyrus gave orders concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem: ³⁹  ‘Let the temple be rebuilt as a place where sacrifices are offered. Let its foundations be set in place. ⁴⁰  Its height is to be ninety feet and its width ninety ⁴¹  feet, ⁴² 

Ezra 6:12

6:12 May God who makes his name to reside there overthrow any king or nation ⁴³  who reaches out ⁴⁴  to cause such change so as to destroy this temple of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have given orders. Let them be carried out with precision!”

Ezra 4:7

4:7 And during the reign ⁴⁵  of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, ⁴⁶  Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their colleagues ⁴⁷  wrote to King Artaxerxes ⁴⁸  of Persia. This letter ⁴⁹  was first written in Aramaic but then translated.

[Aramaic:] ⁵⁰ 

Ezra 5:15

5:15 He said to him, “Take these vessels and go deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt in its proper location.” ⁵¹ 

Ezra 7:13

7:13 I have now issued a decree ⁵²  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. ⁵³ 

Ezra 8:36

8:36 Then they presented the decrees of the king to the king’s satraps and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, who gave help to the people and to the temple of God.

Ezra 2:58

2:58 All the temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon: 392.

Ezra 5:7

5:7 The report they sent to him was written as follows: ⁵⁴ 

“To King Darius: All greetings! ⁵⁵ 

Ezra 1:1

The Decree of Cyrus

1:1 ⁵⁶ In the first ⁵⁷  year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to fulfill the Lord’s message ⁵⁸  spoken through ⁵⁹  Jeremiah, ⁶⁰  the Lord stirred the mind ⁶¹  of King Cyrus of Persia. He disseminated ⁶²  a proclamation ⁶³  throughout his entire kingdom, announcing in a written edict ⁶⁴  the following: ⁶⁵ 

Ezra 7:21

7:21 “I, King Artaxerxes, hereby issue orders to all the treasurers of ⁶⁶  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 7:25

7:25 “Now you, Ezra, in keeping with the wisdom of your God which you possess, ⁶⁷  appoint judges ⁶⁸  and court officials who can arbitrate cases on behalf of all the people who are in Trans-Euphrates who know the laws of your God. Those who do not know this law should be taught.

Ezra 1:8

1:8 King Cyrus of Persia entrusted ⁶⁹  them to ⁷⁰  Mithredath ⁷¹  the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar ⁷²  the leader of the Judahite exiles. ⁷³ 

Ezra 2:55

2:55 The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, the descendants of Hassophereth, the descendants of Peruda,

Ezra 4:4

4:4 Then the local people ⁷⁴  began to discourage ⁷⁵  the people of Judah and to dishearten them from building.

Ezra 4:22

4:22 Exercise appropriate caution so that there is no negligence in this matter. Why should danger increase to the point that kings sustain damage?”

Ezra 6:7

6:7 Leave the work on this temple of God alone. ⁷⁶  Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this temple of God in its proper place.

Ezra 6:10

6:10 so that they may be offering incense to the God of heaven and may be praying for the good fortune of the king and his family. ⁷⁷ 

Ezra 7:12

7:12 ⁷⁸ “Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, a scribe of the perfect law of the God of heaven:

Ezra 1:2

1:2 “Thus says King Cyrus of Persia:

“‘The Lord God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has instructed me to build a temple ⁷⁹  for him in Jerusalem, ⁸⁰  which is in Judah.

Ezra 3:9-10

3:9 So Jeshua appointed both his sons and his relatives, ⁸¹  Kadmiel and his sons (the sons of Yehudah ⁸² ), to take charge of the workers in the temple of God, along with the sons of Henadad, their sons, and their relatives ⁸³  the Levites. 3:10 When the builders established the Lord’s temple, the priests, ceremonially attired and with their clarions, ⁸⁴  and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with their cymbals, stood to praise the Lord according to the instructions left by ⁸⁵  King David of Israel. ⁸⁶ 

Ezra 5:17

5:17 “Now if the king is so inclined, ⁸⁷  let a search be conducted in the royal archives ⁸⁸  there in Babylon in order to determine whether King Cyrus did in fact issue orders for this temple of God to be rebuilt in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us a decision concerning this matter.”

Ezra 6:8

6:8 “I also hereby issue orders as to what you are to do with those elders of the Jews in order to rebuild this temple of God. From the royal treasury, from the taxes of Trans-Euphrates the complete costs are to be given to these men, so that there may be no interruption of the work. ⁸⁹ 

Ezra 4:8-9

4:8 Rehum the commander ⁹⁰  and Shimshai the scribe ⁹¹  wrote a letter concerning ⁹²  Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows: 4:9 From ⁹³  Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues – the judges, the rulers, the officials, the secretaries, the Erechites, the Babylonians, the people of Susa (that is, ⁹⁴  the Elamites),

Ezra 4:17

4:17 The king sent the following response:

“To Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues who live in Samaria and other parts of Trans-Euphrates: Greetings! ⁹⁵ 

Ezra 6:6

6:6 “Now Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar Bozenai, and their colleagues, the officials of Trans-Euphrates – all of you stay far away from there!

Ezra 7:7

7:7 In the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, Ezra brought ⁹⁶  up to Jerusalem ⁹⁷  some of the Israelites and some of the priests, the Levites, the attendants, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants.

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. ⁹⁸  And they all took a solemn oath.

Ezra 10:11

10:11 Now give praise to the Lord God of your fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the local residents ⁹⁹  and from these foreign wives.”

Ezra 3:8

3:8 In the second year after they had come to the temple of God in Jerusalem, ¹⁰⁰  in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak initiated the work, ¹⁰¹  along with the rest of their associates, ¹⁰²  the priests and the Levites, and all those who were coming to Jerusalem from the exile. They appointed ¹⁰³  the Levites who were at least twenty years old ¹⁰⁴  to take charge of the work on the Lord’s temple.

Ezra 3:2

3:2 Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak ¹⁰⁵  and his priestly colleagues ¹⁰⁶  and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his colleagues ¹⁰⁷  started to build ¹⁰⁸  the altar of the God of Israel so they could offer burnt offerings on it as required by ¹⁰⁹  the law of Moses the man of God.

Ezra 5:11-12

5:11 They responded to us in the following way: ‘We are servants of the God of heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the temple which was previously built many years ago. A great king ¹¹⁰  of Israel built it and completed it. 5:12 But after our ancestors ¹¹¹  angered the God of heaven, he delivered them into the hands ¹¹²  of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and exiled the people to Babylon. ¹¹³ 

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 ¹¹⁴  the priests who are in Jerusalem – must be given to them daily without any neglect,

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 9:12

9:12 Therefore do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons, and do not take their daughters in marriage for your sons. Do not ever seek their peace or welfare, so that you may be strong and may eat the good of the land and may leave it as an inheritance for your children ¹¹⁵  forever.’

Ezra 5:14

5:14 Even the gold and silver vessels of the temple of God that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and had brought to the palace ¹¹⁶  of Babylon – even those things King Cyrus brought from the palace of Babylon and presented ¹¹⁷  to a man by the name of Sheshbazzar whom he had appointed as governor.

[4:6]  ¹ sn The chronological problems of Ezra 4:6-24 are well known and have been the subject of extensive discussion since ancient times. Both v. 5 and v. 24 describe the reign of Darius I Hystaspes, who ruled Persia ca. 522–486 b.c. and in whose time the rebuilt temple was finished. The material in between is from later times (v. 16 describes the rebuilding of the walls, not the temple), and so appear to be a digression. Even recognizing this, there are still questions, such as why Cambyses (530-522 b.c.) is not mentioned at all, and why events from the time of Xerxes (486-465 b.c.) and Artaxerxes (464-423 b.c.) are included here if the author was discussing opposition to the building of the temple, which was finished in 516 b.c. Theories to explain these difficulties are too numerous to mention here, but have existed since ancient times: Josephus, the first century Jewish historian, rearranged the account to put Cambyses before Xerxes and replacing Artaxerxes with Xerxes (for further discussion of Josephus’ rearrangement see L. L. Grabbe, “Josephus and the Reconstruction of the Judean Restoration” JBL 106 [1987]: 231-46). In brief, it seems best to view the author’s primary concern here as thematic (the theme of opposition to the Jewish resettlement in Jerusalem, including the rebuilding of the temple and restoration of Jerusalem’s walls) rather than purely chronological. In the previous verses the author had shown how the Jews had rejected an offer of assistance from surrounding peoples and how these people in turn harassed them. The inserted account shows how, in light of the unremitting opposition the Jews experienced (even extending down to more recent times), this refusal of help had been fully justified. Some of the documents the author employed show how this opposition continued even after the temple was rebuilt. (The failure to mention Cambyses may simply mean the author had no documents available from that period.) For detailed discussion of the difficulties presented by the passage and the various theories advanced to explain them, see H. G. M. Williamson, Ezra, Nehemiah (WBC), 56-60.

[4:6]  ² sn Ahasuerus, otherwise known as Xerxes I, ruled ca. 486-464 b.c.

[4:6]  ³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[6:15]  ⁴ sn The sixth year of the reign of Darius would be ca. 516 B.C.

[4:21]  ⁵ tn Aram “until a command is issued from me.”

[7:1]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ 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.

[4:24]  ⁸ sn Darius I Hystaspes ruled Persia ca. 522–486 b.c.

[8:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “the heads of their families.”

[4:5]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “all the days of.”

[4:5]  ¹¹ sn Darius ruled Persia ca. 522-486 B.C.

[4:5]  ¹² sn The purpose of the opening verses of this chapter is to summarize why the Jews returning from the exile were unable to complete the rebuilding of the temple more quickly than they did. The delay was due not to disinterest on their part but to the repeated obstacles that had been placed in their path by determined foes.

[7:11]  ¹³ tn Heb “this.”

[7:11]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the priest, the scribe.” So also in v. 21.

[7:11]  ¹⁵ tn The words “Ezra was” are not in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for clarity.

[10:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “cut.”

[10:3]  ¹⁷ tn The MT vocalizes this word as a plural, which could be understood as a reference to God. But the context seems to suggest that a human lord is intended. The apparatus of BHS suggests repointing the word as a singular (“my lord”), but this is unnecessary. The plural (“my lords”) can be understood in an honorific sense even when a human being is in view. Most English versions regard this as a reference to Ezra, so the present translation supplies “your” before “counsel” to make this clear.

[10:3]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “who tremble at”; NAB, NIV “who fear.”

[4:3]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “not to you and to us.”

[5:3]  ²⁰ tn Aram “who placed to you a command?” So also v. 9.

[5:3]  ²¹ tn The exact meaning of the Aramaic word אֻשַּׁרְנָא (’ussarna’) here and in v. 9 is uncertain (BDB 1083 s.v.). The LXX and Vulgate understand it to mean “wall.” Here it is used in collocation with בַּיְתָא (bayta’, “house” as the temple of God), while in 5:3, 9 it is used in parallelism with this term. It might be related to the Assyrian noun ashurru (“wall”) or ashru (“sanctuary”; so BDB). F. Rosenthal, who translates the word “furnishings,” thinks that it probably enters Aramaic from Persian (Grammar, 62-63, §189).

[9:11]  ²² tn Heb “through your servants the prophets, saying.”

[9:11]  ²³ tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”

[7:23]  ²⁴ tn The Aramaic word used here for “wrath” (קְצַף, qÿtsaf; cf. Heb קָצַף, qatsaf) is usually used in the Hebrew Bible for God’s anger as opposed to human anger (but contra Eccl 5:17 [MT 5:16]; Esth 1:18; 2 Kgs 3:27). The fact that this word is used in v. 23 may have theological significance, pointing to the possibility of divine judgment if the responsible parties should fail to make available these provisions for the temple.

[5:13]  ²⁵ sn Cyrus was actually a Persian king, but when he conquered Babylon in 539 b.c. he apparently appropriated to himself the additional title “king of Babylon.” The Syriac Peshitta substitutes “Persia” for “Babylon” here, but this is probably a hyper-correction.

[6:13]  ²⁶ tn Aram “sent.”

[6:1]  ²⁷ tn Aram “the house of the archives.”

[4:20]  ²⁸ sn The statement that prior Jewish kings ruled over the entire Trans-Euphrates is an overstatement. Not even in the days of David and Solomon did the kingdom of Israel extend its borders to such an extent.

[4:20]  ²⁹ tn Aram “were being given to them.”

[6:14]  ³⁰ tn Aram “in” or “by,” in the sense of accompaniment.

[4:19]  ³¹ tn Aram “from me was placed a decree.”

[4:19]  ³² tn Aram “and they searched and found.”

[4:19]  ³³ tn Aram “are being done.”

[6:11]  ³⁴ sn The practice referred to in v. 11 has been understood in various ways: hanging (cf. 1 Esd 6:32 and KJV); flogging (cf. NEB, NLT); impalement (BDB 1091 s.v. זְקַף; HALOT 1914 s.v. מחא hitpe; cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV). The latter seems the most likely.

[6:11]  ³⁵ tn Aram “made.”

[6:11]  ³⁶ tn Aram “a dunghill.”

[6:11]  ³⁷ tn Aram “for this.”

[6:3]  ³⁸ tn Aram “In the first year of Cyrus the king.”

[6:3]  ³⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[6:3]  ⁴⁰ tn Aram “raised”; or perhaps “retained” (so NASB; cf. NLT), referring to the original foundations of Solomon’s temple.

[6:3]  ⁴¹ tc The Syriac Peshitta reads “twenty cubits” here, a measurement probably derived from dimensions given elsewhere for Solomon’s temple. According to 1 Kgs 6:2 the dimensions of the Solomonic temple were as follows: length, 60 cubits; width, 20 cubits; height, 30 cubits. Since one would expect the dimensions cited in Ezra 6:3 to correspond to those of Solomon’s temple, it is odd that no dimension for length is provided. The Syriac has apparently harmonized the width dimension provided here (“twenty cubits”) to that given in 1 Kgs 6:2.

[6:3]  ⁴² tn Aram “Its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits.” The standard cubit in the OT is assumed by most authorities to be about eighteen inches (45 cm) long.

[6:12]  ⁴³ tn Aram “people.”

[6:12]  ⁴⁴ tn Aram “who sends forth his hand.”

[4:7]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “And in the days.”

[4:7]  ⁴⁶ tn The LXX understands this word as a prepositional phrase (“in peace”) rather than as a proper name (“Bishlam”). Taken this way it would suggest that Mithredath was “in agreement with” the contents of Tabeel’s letter. Some scholars regard the word in the MT to be a corruption of either “in Jerusalem” (i.e., “in the matter of Jerusalem”) or “in the name of Jerusalem.” The translation adopted above follows the traditional understanding of the word as a name.

[4:7]  ⁴⁷ tc The translation reads the plural with the Qere rather than the singular found in the MT Kethib.

[4:7]  ⁴⁸ sn Artaxerxes I ruled in Persia from ca. 465–425 b.c.

[4:7]  ⁴⁹ tc It is preferable to delete the MT’s וּכְתָב (ukhÿtav) here.

[4:7]  ⁵⁰ sn The double reference in v. 7 to the Aramaic language is difficult. It would not make sense to say that the letter was written in Aramaic and then translated into Aramaic. Some interpreters understand the verse to mean that the letter was written in the Aramaic script and in the Aramaic language, but this does not seem to give sufficient attention to the participle “translated” at the end of the verse. The second reference to Aramaic in the verse is more probably a gloss that calls attention to the fact that the following verses retain the Aramaic language of the letter in its original linguistic form. A similar reference to Aramaic occurs in Dan 2:4b, where the language of that book shifts from Hebrew to Aramaic. Ezra 4:8–6:18 and 7:12-26 are written in Aramaic, whereas the rest of the book is written in Hebrew.

[5:15]  ⁵¹ tn Aram “upon its place.”

[7:13]  ⁵² tn Heb “from me is placed a decree.” So also in v. 21.

[7:13]  ⁵³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[5:7]  ⁵⁴ tn Aram “and it was written in its midst.”

[5:7]  ⁵⁵ tn Aram “all peace.”

[1:1]  ⁵⁶ sn In addition to the canonical books of Ezra and Nehemiah, there are two deuterocanonical books that are also called “Ezra.” Exactly how these books are designated varies in ancient literature. In the Septuagint (LXX) canonical Ezra is called Second Esdras, but in the Latin Vulgate it is called First Esdras. Our Nehemiah is called Third Esdras in some manuscripts of the LXX, but it is known as Second Esdras in the Latin Vulgate. (In the earliest LXX manuscripts Ezra and Nehemiah were regarded as one book, as they were in some Hebrew manuscripts.) The deuterocanonical books of Ezra are called First and Fourth Esdras in the LXX, but Third and Fourth Esdras in the Latin Vulgate. The titles for the so-called books of Ezra are thus rather confusing, a fact that one must keep in mind when consulting this material.

[1:1]  ⁵⁷ sn The first year of Cyrus would be ca. 539 B.C. Cyrus reigned in Persia from ca. 539-530 B.C.

[1:1]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “the word of the Lord.”

[1:1]  ⁵⁹ tc The MT reads מִפִּי (mippi, “from the mouth of”), but this should probably be emended to בְּפִי (bÿfi, “by the mouth of”), which is the way the parallel passage in 2 Chr 36:22 reads. This is also reflected in the LXX, which is either reflecting an alternate textual tradition of בְּפִי or is attempting to harmonize Ezra 1:1 in light of 2 Chronicles.

[1:1]  tn Heb “from the mouth of.”

[1:1]  ⁶⁰ sn Cf. Jer 29:10; 25:11-14. Jeremiah had prophesied that after a time of seventy years the Jews would return “to this place.” How these seventy years are to be reckoned is a matter of debate among scholars. Some understand the period to refer to the approximate length of Babylon’s ascendancy as a world power, beginning either with the fall of Nineveh (612 b.c.) or with Nebuchadnezzar’s coronation (605 b.c.) and continuing till the fall of Babylon to the Persians in 539 b.c. Others take the seventy years to refer to the period from the destruction of the temple in 586 b.c. till its rebuilding in 516 b.c.

[1:1]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “spirit.” The Hebrew noun רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) has a broad range of meanings (see BDB 924-26 s.v.). Here, it probably refers to (1) “mind” as the seat of mental acts (e.g., Exod 28:3; Deut 34:9; Isa 29:24; 40:13; Ezek 11:5; 20:32; 1 Chr 28:12; cf. BDB 925 s.v. 6) or (2) “will” as the seat of volitional decisions (e.g., Exod 35:5, 22; Pss 51:12, 14; 57:8; 2 Chr 29:31; cf. BDB 925 s.v. 7). So also in v. 5.

[1:1]  ⁶² tn Heb “caused to pass.”

[1:1]  ⁶³ tn Heb “a voice.” The Hebrew noun קוֹל (qol, “voice, sound”) has a broad range of meanings, including the metonymical (cause – effect) nuance “proclamation” (e.g., Exod 36:6; 2 Chr 24:9; 30:5; 36:22; Ezra 1:1; 10:7; Neh 8:15). See BDB 877 s.v. 3.a.2.

[1:1]  ⁶⁴ sn For an interesting extrabiblical parallel to this edict see the Cyrus cylinder (ANET 315-16).

[1:1]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “in writing, saying.”

[7:21]  ⁶⁶ tn Aram “who are in.”

[7:25]  ⁶⁷ tn Aram “in your hand.”

[7:25]  ⁶⁸ tc For the MT reading שָׁפְטִין (shoftim, “judges”) the LXX uses the noun γραμματεῖς (grammatei", “scribes”).

[1:8]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “brought them forth.”

[1:8]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “upon the hand of.”

[1:8]  ⁷¹ sn A Persian name meaning “gift of Mithras.” See HALOT 656 s.v. מִתְרְדָת.

[1:8]  ⁷² sn A Babylonian name with the probable meaning “Shamash protect the father.” See HALOT 1664-65 s.v. שֵׁשְׁבַּצַּר.

[1:8]  ⁷³ tn Heb “Sheshbazzar the prince to Judah”; TEV, CEV “the governor of Judah.”

[4:4]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “the people of the land.” Elsewhere this expression sometimes has a negative connotation, referring to a lay population that was less zealous for Judaism than it should have been. Here, however, it seems to refer to the resident population of the area without any negative connotation.

[4:4]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “were making slack the hands of.”

[6:7]  ⁷⁶ tc For the MT reading “the work on this temple of God” the LXX reads “the servant of the Lord Zurababel” [= Zerubbabel].

[6:10]  ⁷⁷ tn Aram “for the life of the king and his sons.”

[7:12]  ⁷⁸ sn Ezra 7:12-26 is written in Aramaic rather than Hebrew.

[1:2]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “house.” The Hebrew noun בַּיִת (bayit, “house”) is often used in reference to the temple of Yahweh (BDB 108 s.v. 1.a). This is also frequent elsewhere in Ezra and Nehemiah (e.g., Ezra 1:3, 4, 5, 7; 2:68; 3:8, 9, 11, 12; 4:3; 6:22; 7:27; 8:17, 25, 29, 30, 33, 36; 9:9; 10:1, 6, 9).

[1:2]  ⁸⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[3:9]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “brothers.”

[3:9]  ⁸² sn The name יְהוּדָה (Yehudah; cf. KJV, ASV, NASB “Judah”) is probably a variant of Hodaviah (see Ezra 2:40; cf. NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).

[3:9]  ⁸³ tn Heb “brothers.”

[3:10]  ⁸⁴ 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]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “according to the hands of.”

[3:10]  ⁸⁶ sn See Ps 107:1; 118:1, 29; 136:1. Cf. 2 Chr 5:13; 7:3; 20:21.

[5:17]  ⁸⁷ tn Aram “if upon the king it is good.”

[5:17]  ⁸⁸ tn Aram “the house of the treasures of the king.”

[6:8]  ⁸⁹ tn The words “of the work” are not in the Aramaic, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[4:8]  ⁹⁰ tn Aram “lord of the command.” So also in vv. 9, 17.

[4:8]  ⁹¹ sn Like Rehum, Shimshai was apparently a fairly high-ranking official charged with overseeing Persian interests in this part of the empire. His title was “scribe” or “secretary,” but in a more elevated political sense than that word sometimes has elsewhere. American governmental titles such as “Secretary of State” perhaps provide an analogy in that the word “secretary” can have a broad range of meaning.

[4:8]  ⁹² tn Or perhaps “against.”

[4:9]  ⁹³ tn Aram “then.” What follows in v. 9 seems to be the preface of the letter, serving to identify the senders of the letter. The word “from” is not in the Aramaic text but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[4:9]  ⁹⁴ tn For the qere of the MT (דֶּהָיֵא, dehaye’, a proper name) it seems better to retain the Kethib דִּהוּא (dihu’, “that is”). See F. Rosenthal, Grammar, 25, §35; E. Vogt, Lexicon linguae aramaicae, 36.

[4:17]  ⁹⁵ tn Aram “peace.”

[7:7]  ⁹⁶ 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]  ⁹⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[10:5]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “to do according to this plan.”

[10:11]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “the peoples of the land.”

[3:8]  ¹⁰⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[3:8]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “began”; the phrase “the work” is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[3:8]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “their brothers.”

[3:8]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “stood.”

[3:8]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “from twenty years and upward.”

[3:2]  ¹⁰⁵ sn Jozadak (also in 3:8) is a variant spelling of Jehozadak.

[3:2]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “his brothers the priests.”

[3:2]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “his brothers.”

[3:2]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “arose and built.”

[3:2]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “written in.” Cf. v. 4.

[5:11]  ¹¹⁰ sn This great king of Israel would, of course, be Solomon.

[5:12]  ¹¹¹ tn Aram “fathers.”

[5:12]  ¹¹² tn Aram “hand” (singular).

[5:12]  ¹¹³ sn A reference to the catastrophic events of 586 b.c.

[6:9]  ¹¹⁴ tn Aram “according to the word of.”

[9:12]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “sons”; cf. KJV, NAB, NIV, NLT “children”; NCV, TEV “descendants.”

[5:14]  ¹¹⁶ tn Or “temple.”

[5:14]  ¹¹⁷ tn Aram “they were given.”