Ezra
In 538 BC, Cyrus the Great announces freedom for Israelites in Babylon. Ezra chronicles their journey home and their rebuilding of the temple.
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, Seventy Years, Three Returns, Ezra proclaims a fast, Cyrus the Great
SUMMARY
Title
The title comes from the major person in the second half of the book.
Author
Though Ezra is not referred to in the book as the author, Hebrew tradition considers Ezra the author. And among Christians, Ezra has long been considered the book’s author.
Date
The most recent events described in the book took place about 450 BC. So it would not have been written earlier than that.
In general, the Book of Ezra covers two distinct time periods:
Chapters 1-6 cover the 23 years from the edict of Cyrus to the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem (538-515 BC).
Chapters 7-10 deal with the events after Ezra returned from Babylon in 458 BC.
Purpose
Ezra writes to encourage the exiles who had returned.
He calls them to be involved in true temple worship.
He calls them to fulfill their covenantal obligations because of the mercy of the LORD God.
And he calls them to depend on the LORD God.
OUTLINE
Cyrus the Great sets them Free
Ezra 1:1-4. Cyrus proclaims freedom
Ezra 1:5-11. The Persians give them gifts
Ezra 2:1-67. Fifty thousand exiles depart from Babylon
Ezra 2:68-70. After a 900-mile walk, they arrive in Jerusalem
Ezra 3:1-7. They rebuild the altar
Ezra 3:8-13. They rebuild the temple
Ezra 4:1-6. Adversaries arrive
Ezra 4:7-22. The adversaries deceive the king
Ezra 4:23-24. The rebuilding is halted
Ezra 5:1-5. They start rebuilding again
Ezra 5:6-17. The governor objects
Ezra 6:1-5. King Darius searches the archives
Ezra 6:6-15. Darius reauthorizes the temple project
Ezra 6:16-18. The Jewish people rededicate the temple
Ezra 6:19-22. The Jewish people celebrate the Passover
The Mission of Ezra
Ezra 7:1-10. Ezra is sent to Jerusalem
Ezra 7:11-26. The orders from king Artaxerxes
Ezra 7:27-28. Ezra praises the LORD God
Ezra 8:1-14. The people who return with Ezra
Ezra 8:15-20. Ezra asks Levites to join them
Ezra 8:21-23. Ezra proclaims a fast
Ezra 8:24-30. They guard the valuables
Ezra 8:31-36. They arrive in Jerusalem
Ezra 9:1-15. Many of them had intermarried
Ezra 10:1-17. They admit marrying unbelievers
Ezra 10:18-44. The list of offenders
MEMORIZE
Ezra 7:10. For Ezra had set his heart to seek the LORD’s law, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.
Great verses to memorize from the entire Bible
CYRUS THE GREAT
King Cyrus II of Persia is commonly known as “Cyrus the Great.” He founded the Achaemenid Persian Empire. He reigned from 550 to 530 BC.
2 Chronicles 36:22. Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the LORD’s word by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
Ezra 1:1. Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the LORD’s word by Jeremiah’s mouth might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
1 Esdras 2:1. In the first year of King Cyrus of the Persians, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremy might be accomplished,
EZRA
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, Seventy Years, Three Returns, Ezra proclaims a fast, Cyrus the Great
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.