Ezra

Definition and Meaning

Ezra is the fifteenth of the thirty-nine books of the Protestant Old Testament and is classified among the historical books. It contains ten chapters. The book takes its name from Ezra, the priest and scribe of the Law who is the central figure of its second half. His name is generally understood to mean "help." In the tradition of the Hebrew Bible, Ezra was transmitted together with Nehemiah as a single book. Portions of the text (4:8–6:18; 7:12–26) are written in Aramaic, the common language of the Persian Empire at the time.

Biblical and Historical Background

The book continues the narrative from the closing section of 2 Chronicles and opens with the decree of the Persian king Cyrus permitting the exiles to return (Ezra 1:1–4). It falls into two main parts.

• Chapters 1–6: The first return, led by Zerubbabel and the high priest Jeshua, and the rebuilding of the temple. Work halts because of opposition from surrounding peoples, resumes through the encouragement of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, and is completed in the reign of King Darius.
• Chapters 7–10: Ezra's return during the reign of King Artaxerxes, his teaching of the Law of Moses, and the people's repentance over the issue of intermarriage with foreigners.

Jewish tradition has regarded Ezra as the author of the book, and conservative scholars tend to accept this tradition. Other scholars, however, propose different authorship and dates, and the question of whether Ezra or Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem first remains a matter of scholarly debate. Several decades separate the events of chapters 1–6 from those of chapter 7.

Use in Korean Churches

The verse most frequently cited in Korean churches is Ezra 7:10. The New Korean Revised Version renders it as a statement of Ezra's resolve to study the law of the Lord, to observe it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances to Israel; the KJV reads, "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." The verse is often used in Bible study groups, dedication services for Sunday school teachers, and sermons related to seminaries as a model for learning, practicing, and teaching the Word.

The account of the temple's rebuilding is frequently treated in sermons on church building projects or church dedications. The passage on intermarriage in chapters 9–10 is read as a text emphasizing the holiness and repentance of the community of faith. Interpretations differ, however, on how the sending away of foreign wives and their children should be applied today. Some read it as a measure limited to the circumstances of that time, while others read it as expressing a principle of preserving the purity of faith.

Differences in how the book is read and interpreted tend to follow theological orientation rather than denominational lines; it is not a book on which official denominational positions differ markedly.