Grow With MeBible
Grow With Me

Ezra

Old Testament · translated from the Hebrew

The return from Babylon: a first group comes back with Zerubbabel and rebuilds the temple, despite opposition. Years later Ezra, a teacher of the law, arrives and teaches the people the law of YHWH.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10

How it is laid out

  1. The return and the templechapters 1–6
  2. Ezra and the reformchapters 7–10

Key verses

  • Ezra 7:10 — Ezra had set his heart to seek the law of YHWH, to do it and to teach it
  • Ezra 3:11 — For he is good, for his loyal love is forever

Who wrote it

In chapters 7–9 Ezra sometimes speaks in the first person (7:28; 9:3). Jewish tradition attributes the book to him (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra 15a). Authorship is debated. One part (4:8–6:18; 7:12–26) is written in Aramaic.

When it was written

Probably around 450–400 BC. The events run from the decree of Cyrus (around 538 BC) to Ezra’s arrival (around 458 BC).

For whom, and in what situation

The Jews who had returned from Babylon to Judah, a province of the Persian empire. The book tells them how the temple was rebuilt and how Ezra taught the law of YHWH (7:10).

All the books

GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation