History · Old Testament
Ezra
c. 538–457 BC
- Section
- History · Old Testament
- Events span
- c. 538–457 BC
- Written
- c. 440 BC
- Author
- Ezra
Ezra tells of the Jews' return from Babylonian exile in two waves: first under Zerubbabel to rebuild the temple, then under Ezra the scribe to restore the law. It shows God stirring pagan kings to keep his promise to restore his people.
Historical setting: Returned from Babylonian exile under Persian rule, rebuilding the Second Temple, and restoring the law.
Key themes
- Return from exile
- Rebuilding the temple
- God's sovereignty over kings
- Restoring the law
- Covenant faithfulness
Key events
Rebuilding the Temple under Zerubbabel (Ezra 1–6)
- Cyrus of Persia decrees that the exiles may return and rebuild the temple
- About fifty thousand return under Zerubbabel and rebuild the altar
- Opposition from surrounding peoples halts the temple work for years
- Encouraged by Haggai and Zechariah, the people finish and dedicate the temple
Ezra's Return & Reforms (Ezra 7–10)
- Ezra the scribe leads a second group back to Jerusalem with the king's blessing
- Ezra leads the people to repent of intermarriage with the surrounding nations
Key lessons
- God rules the hearts of kings and the course of history to keep his promises; he stirs even pagan rulers like Cyrus to send his people home. Ezra 1:1
- God’s work almost always meets opposition, yet he sustains it to completion; the temple stalls for years before the people, stirred by the prophets, finish it. Ezra 5–6
- Genuine reform is costly and specific; Ezra leads the people to confront and turn from real compromises, not merely to celebrate their return. Ezra 9–10
“For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.”
Critical scholarship view
Where mainstream critical scholarship dates or attributes this book differently from the traditional view above.
- Written
- c. 400 BC
- Author
- The Chronicler / an anonymous compiler, c. 400 BC