An Overview of the Book of Ezra

God fulfills His promises to His people, even when His people are unfaithful. The book of Ezra shows us this. Want to learn more about this oft-overlooked book of the Bible? Read this overview of the book of Ezra.

Who Wrote the Book of Ezra and When Was It Written?

The work does not identify an author; however, Ezra was likely responsible for the so-called Ezra memoir, Ezr 7:28–9:15, written in the first person. A significant portion of canonical Ezra includes official documents and letters, which would indicate the work of a compiler; Ezra may well have been the editor of these documents (cf. Ezr 1:2-4; 4:11-16, 17-22; 5:7-17; 6:2b-5, 6-12; 7:12-16). All are written in Aramaic with the exception of Ezr 1:2-4. Some argue that the similarity of 2Ch 36:22-23 with Ezr 1:1-3 and the priestly perspective in both works point toward one person involved in the creation of both (cf. Joseph Blenkinsopp, Judaism, the First Phase: The Place of Ezra and Nehemiah in the Origins of Judaism [Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2009], 166; H. G. M. Williamson, Ezra, Nehemiah, WBC, vol. 16 [Waco, TX: Word Books, 1985], xxi-xxiii). The opening of Neh 1:1 indicates the separate literary creation of that work; however, the books of Ezra and Nehemiah were combined into one quite early on (cf. Josephus, Contra Apion 1.40; Baba Bathra 15a; Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. 4.26.14). Second Maccabees 2:13 provides a plausible scenario in which Ezra would have had access to the type of documents evident in Ezra-Nehemiah (e.g., the Nehemiah memoir in Neh 1:1–7:5). If one accepts this framework, then one may date the composition of Ezra, and by extension Nehemiah, to some time between 440 BC and 430 BC (cf. Neh 1:1; 8:2; 12:2; 13:6; Ezr 7:8).

Ezra offers the canonical retelling of the return of the Judeans from the Babylonian captivity. It comes after 2 Chronicles in the English Bible, but the Hebrew Bible places it before Chronicles. This raises the question, why is Ezra-Nehemiah canonically before Chronicles in the Hebrew Bible? Chronicles was probably written after the events narrated in Ezra and Nehemiah. The conditions were such that they continued to reflect exile rather than restoration (Ezr 9:6-15; Neh 9:32-36). So the question of Israel’s place in God’s plan and the continuing relevance of the promises made to David were significant communal concerns. Thus Chronicles provides an interpretation of Israel’s history that addresses the specific concerns of postexilic Israel. In this way, Ezra-Nehemiah serve as excellent canonical introductions to 1 and 2 Chronicles. As just alluded to, in the Hebrew Bible, Ezra forms one book with Nehemiah (Ezra-Nehemiah), as it does in the Septuagint, where it is called “Esdras B.” This is distinct from 1 Esdras, which is an apocryphal book that served as a source for Josephus in the writing of his Jewish Antiquities. Esdras is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name “Ezra.”

What Is the Theme and Purpose of the Book of Ezra?

The theme of the book of Ezra is the restoration of the covenant identity of Israel through God’s providence. The purposes of the book flow from this theme. (1) Ezra wrote because he wished to narrate the way God fulfilled His promises to restore His covenant people to the land of Judah after the Babylonian captivity. (2) He wrote to reveal God’s providential care of His children and illustrate the way imperial powers can be used to further God’s redemptive purposes. (3) He wrote so that the process of restoration involved in the rebuilding of political and religious structures necessary to secure the continuity of Judean covenantal identity during the Persian period would be remembered. (4) He wrote in order to detail the rebuilding of the temple and the reconstitution of the people of God living in accordance with the law of Moses. (5) Ezra wrote because he (and Ezra-Nehemiah combined) understands the return from captivity as a promise of an even greater return. That is to say, Ezra presents the return from the exile as a fulfillment of prophecy (Ezr 1:1-4), but the conclusion to Nehemiah shows how Israel had still not kept the Mosaic covenant. So, although the return from exile was part of God’s graciousness to Israel, it did not tell the entire story. Rather, it pointed to an eschatological day of fulfillment, when Messiah would fulfill all the promises God made to His people.

What Does the Book of Ezra Contribute to the Bible?

Ezra contributes to the biblical narrative in four ways. (1) It provides the narrative description of the return of the Judeans from the Babylonian captivity and thus continues the story that began in 1 and 2 Chronicles. (2) It explains the presence of the Judeans in Israel, and the religious and political events that took place for their resettlement in the promised land and the rebuilding of the temple. (3) It provides the historical context for the prophetic ministries of Haggai and Zechariah; without Ezra their prophetic oracles would lack significant context. (4) It reveals the origins of early Judaism and the contours of Jewish identity that are central to the later biblical-theological context.

Ezra is a historical narrative or chronicle that presents a theological interpretation of the events it narrates. This does not mean that the book is unhistorical; its events parallel quite nicely the inscriptional and archaeological records (e.g., Elephantine papyri, ANET, 491-92; Cyrus Cylinder, ANET, 315-16). It does mean that it provides its audience with a theological interpretation of salvation history. It includes sources from administrative documents, letters, lists, and genealogies; however, it lacks the prophetic discourse evident in Haggai and Zechariah, two works that describe similar postexilic circumstances.

What Is the Background of the Book of Ezra?

The events narrated in Ezra occurred during the Persian imperial period, and opened with Cyrus II, who reigned from 550 to 530 BC. He had overthrown the Neo-Babylonian king Nabonidus in 539 BC and then consolidated his power throughout Mesopotamia, reinforcing the political domination of the Achaemenid dynasty (named after Achaemenes, who ruled Persia from 705 to 675 BC, and founded the royal family of whom Cyrus was a member). Cyrus reversed the forced migration policies of the Babylonians and initiated a program of repatriation. The Judeans living in Babylon, as new citizens of the Persian Empire, benefited from this change in imperial policy. In 538 BC, Cyrus issued a proclamation that allowed the Judeans to return to the province of Judah for the purpose of rebuilding the temple and reinhabiting Jerusalem (Ezr 1:1-4; 6:3-5).

Cambyses, who ruled from 530 to 522 BC, is not mentioned in the narrative, but Darius I, who reigned from 522 to 486 BC, plays a significant role. He received a letter from a provincial official concerning the rebuilding of the temple (5:6-17), and after investigating Cyrus’ original proclamation, he decreed that the construction project should continue (6:1-12). The narrative also mentions complaints made to Xerxes, who reigned from 496 to 465 BC, concerning the Judeans (4:6). Artaxerxes I, who was emperor from 465 to 424 BC, ruled during the mission of Ezra. The nature of the opposition during this period related to the building of the walls rather than the temple, which had been completed during the reign of Darius I. The arguments of Rehum and Shimshai convinced Artaxerxes I, and he ordered the rebuilding of the walls to stop (4:8-23). He eventually reversed his decision and allowed Ezra to lead another group of exiles to Jerusalem in 458 BC. Though outside the narrative of Ezra, Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem 13 years later, in 445 BC, to inspect the walls (Neh 2:1) and returned again in 433 BC (Neh 5:14; 13:6). The combined narrative time of Ezra-Nehemiah is around 105 years and covers the reign of five Persian kings (Edwin M. Yamauchi, Persia and the Bible [Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1996], 395–6).