The Importance of Ezra to the Jews
The importance of Ezra for the creation and formation of what came to be known as rabbinic Judaism cannot be overestimated. According to the Bible, Ezra was the one who brought the Torah to the returning exiles, read and interpreted it publicly, and oversaw the people's solemn recommitment to its teachings (Neh. chapters 8-10). Thus Ezra is like a second Moses. The Rabbis imply this by stating: "Ezra was sufficiently worthy that the Torah could have been given through him if Moses had not preceded him" (t. Sanh. 4.4). A number of ordinances called the ten takanot (regulations) are attributed to Ezra, although they are nowhere mentioned in the text of Ezra-Nehemiah... Ezra is received and embraced by rabbinic Judaism. Ezra is both an authoritative scribe and priest, as well as a kind of proto-Rabbi who also has the authority of a prophet. His legal innovations are not seen as such, but are depicted as proper interpretation of eternally binding Mosaic law (see Ezra 7.10; Neh. 8.1). This principle is at the heart of rabbinic interpretation, and his authenticity is never called into question within rabbinic Judaism8
Ezra 1-2: The Exiles Return
1. Cyrus allows the Jewish exiles to return and restore the temple (Ezra 1.1-4).
2. Exiles prepare to return (Ezra 1.5-6).
3. Cyrus returns the temple vessels to the returnees (Ezra 1.7-11).
4. List of returnees who came up out of the captivity (Ezra 2.1-70).
a. Ezra identifies certain individuals who are prevented from exercising priesthood due to the lack of genealogical records (Ezra 2.62).
b. The Urim and Thummim is no longer with the returning Jews (Ezra 2.63).
Ezra 3: Jeshua and Zerubbabel Restore Temple Rituals
1. Temple sacrifice restored at Feast of Tabernacles (Ezra 3.1-7). a. “Jeshua and Zerubbabel” (Ezra 3.2).
2. Priests and Levites appointed supervisors (Ezra 3.8-9).
3. Temple Foundations Laid (Ezra 3.10-13).
a. “Many... wept with a loud voice” (Ezra 3.12).
b. “Many shouted for joy!” (Ezra 3.12).
Ezra 4: Conflict with the Adversaries of Judah and Benjamin, the people of the land
1. Locals offer to help with construction and are rejected (Ezra 4.1-3).
2. Locals try to undermine the construction of the temple restoration (Ezra 4.4-7).
1. “The people of the land troubled them...” (Ezra 4.4).
2. “written in the Syrian tongue” (Ezra 4.7).
3. The locals write a letter to Artaxerxes to halt construction (Ezra 4.8-16).
a. They tell the king that the Jews will not pay tribute if they are allowed to build the temple (Ezra 4.12-13).
4. Artaxerxes replies that construction should cease (Ezra 4.17-22).
5. Temple construction interrupted (Ezra 4.23-24).
6. Byrce’s list of the oppositional strategy of the enemies of Judah:
1. The enemies “weakened the hands of the people of Judah” (Ezra 4.4).
2. They “troubled them in building” (Ezra 4.4).
3. They wrote out an accusation to the leaders of Persia (Ezra 4.6).
4. They stated that the Jews would not pay their tribute (Ezra 4.13).
5. They stated that Jerusalem was “rebellious” and a “bad city” (Ezra 4.12).
6. The enemies mocked them (Nehemiah 2.19).
7. They were angry (Neh. 4.1).
8. They conspired against the Jews (Neh. 4.8).
9. They request the workers to come down (Neh. 6.2).
1. The Judean response: “I cannot come down!” (Neh. 6.3).
2. “Let us rise up and build” (Neh. 2.18).
3. “The God of heaven will prosper us” (Neh. 2.20).
4. “The people had a mind to work” (Neh. 4.6).
5. They set a watch day and night (Neh. 4.9).
6. “Be not afraid... remember the Lord” (Neh. 4.14).
7. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah get involved in the rebuilding effort (Ezra 5.1-2).
Ezra 5-6: The Temple Construction is Resumed and Completed
1. Temple restoration is resumed (Ezra 5.1-2) and Haggai and Zechariah prophesy. a. The work will go forward! – Joseph Smith.
2. Tattenai’s inquiry and God’s protection (Ezra 5.3-5).a. “Shethar-bozenai” (Ezra 5.3).
3. Tattenai’s letter to Darius (Ezra 5.6-17).
4. Darius finds Cyrus’ decree in Ecbatana (Ezra 6.1-2).
5. Letter from Darius to Tattenai ordering the Temple to be completed (Ezra 6.3-12).
6. Temple restoration is completed (Ezra 6.13-15).
7. The Temple dedication (Ezra 6.16-18).
8. The Celebration of the Passover (Ezra 6.19-22).
9. “The children of the captivity kept the Passover” (Ezra 6.19).
Ezra 6.21 “And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the Lord God of Israel, did eat.” (Ezra 6.21). This verse has some provocative possibilities regarding the visionaries like Isaiah and Lehi. It has been argued that there was a rift between two groups of people within the community at this time: the visionaries and hierocratic faction. This verse has been read to demonstrate that with the completion of the temple and with the approval of Haggai and Zechariah, that many of the visionaries switched over to the hierocratic faction, and that this text is a polemic against the visionaries of this time period.
Ezra 7-10: Ezra’s mission to Jerusalem
1. Ezra joins the returnees (Ezra 7.1-10). a. Ezra, a scribe “expert in the teaching of Moses” came up from Babylon (Ezra 7.6)b. The importance of the scribal tradition at this period of history.
2. Artaxerxes’ letter commissioning Ezra’s mission (Ezra 7.11-26).
3. Ezra’s memoir (Ezra 7.27-9.15).
4. Ezra’s prayer (Ezra 7.27-28). a. “Nethinims” ְנ ִתי ַנ ָיא (Ezra 7.24).
5. List of returnees who accompany Ezra (Ezra 8.1-14). Ezra’s preparations for the journey to Jerusalem (Ezra 8.15-30).
6. Ezra’s arrival in Jerusalem (Ezra 8.31-36).
8. The Intermarriage Crisis (Ezra 9.1-2).
9. Ezra’s public confession and prayer (Ezra 9.3-15).
10. The Jews covenant to renounce all intermarriages (Ezra 10.1-14). 11. List of returnees who have intermarried (Ezra 10.15-44).
Nehemiah 1-7: Nehemiah rebuilds the walls of Jerusalem
1. Nehemiah hears that the walls of Jerusalem have been destroyed (Neh. 1.1-3).
2. Nehemiah’s prayer (Neh. 1.4-11).
3. Artaxerxes authorizes Nehemiah to return to the land and rebuild the walls (Neh. 1.11-2.10).
4. Nehemiah inspects the walls at night (Neh. 2.11-15).
5. Nehemiah encourages the rebuilding of the walls (Neh. 2.16-18).
6. Nehemiah’s rebuilding is opposed by Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem (Neh. 2.19-20).
7. List of returnees who help with the construction of the walls (Neh. 3.1-32).
8. Sanballat tries to interfere with the rebuilding, but is unsuccessful (Neh. 3.33-38).
9. The faithful work on and guard the walls (Neh. 4.1-17).
a. George Q. Cannon on the construction of the temple, one hand on a weapon, the other on a tool.
10. Nehemiah works to resolve an economic crisis (Neh. 5.1-13).
a. “What you are doing is not right. You ought to act in a God-fearing way so as to not give
our enemies, the nations, room to reproach us.” (Neh. 5.9 JPS translation).
11. Nehemiah refrains from taking the governor’s allowance (Neh. 5.14-19).
12. Nehemiah avoids murderous plots to interfere with the completion of the walls (Neh. 6.1-14).
13. The walls are completed, despite Tobiah’s constant interference (Neh. 6.15-19).
14. Nehemiah appoints guardians for the gates of the city (Neh. 7.1-3).
15. Nehemiah plans for the repopulation of Jerusalem (Neh. 7.4-5).
16. List of those that have returned from Babylon (Neh. 7.6-72).
Nehemiah 8-10: Liturgical Practices of the Returnees to Jerusalem
1. Ezra reads from the Torah and the people celebrate (Neh. 8.1-12).
2. Celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles (Neh. 8.13-18).
3. Public confession of sins (Neh. 9.1-5).
4. Confessional prayer (Neh. 9.6-37).
5. Nehemiah’s covenant (Neh. 10.1-40).
Nehemiah 11-13: Legislative Acts of Nehemiah
1. List of settlers in Jerusalem (Neh. 11.1-24).
2. List of distribution of village settlers in Judah (Neh. 11.26-36).
3. List of priests, Levites, and gatekeepers of the Temple (Neh. 12.1-26).
4. The dedication of the wall (Neh. 12.27-43).
5. Support of the clergy through the tithes (Neh. 12.44-47).
6. Prohibition against intermarriage (Neh. 13.1-3).
7. Threat to the purity of the Temple is resolved by Nehemiah (Neh. 13.4-9).
8. Nehemiah reinstates the Temple tithes (Neh. 13.10-14).
9. Observance of the Sabbath laws (Neh. 13.15-22).
10. Prohibition of intermarriage (Neh. 13.23-27).
11. Purification of the returnees and prayer (Neh. 13.28-31).
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