Jump to: Hitchcock's • Smith's • ATS • ISBE • Easton's • Concordance • Thesaurus • Greek • Hebrew • Library • Subtopics • Terms Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary EzraSmith's Bible Dictionary Ezra(help), called ESDRAS in the Apocrypha, the famous scribe and priest. He was a learned and pious priest residing at Babylon in the time of Artaxerxes Longimanus. The origin of his influence with the king does not appear, but in the seventh year of his reign he obtained leave to go to Jerusalem, and to take with him a company of Israelites. (B.C. 457.) The journey from Babylon to Jerusalem took just four months; and the company brought with them a large freewill offering of gold and silver, and silver vessels. It appears that Ezra's great design was to effect a religious reformation among the Palestine Jews. His first step was to enforce separation upon all who had married foreign wives. (Ezra 10:1) ... This was effected in little more than six months after his arrival at Jerusalem. With the detailed account of this important transaction Ezra's autobiography ends abruptly, and we hear nothing more of him till, thirteen years afterwards, in the twentieth of Artaxerxes, we find him again at Jerusalem with Nehemiah. It seems probable that after effecting the above reformations he returned to the king of Persia. The functions he executed under Nehemiah's government were purely of a priestly and ecclesiastical character. The date of his death is uncertain. There was a Jewish tradition that he was buried in Persia. The principal works ascribed to him by the Jews are--
ATS Bible Dictionary EzraA celebrated priest and leader of the Jewish nation. He was "a ready scribe in the law," a learned, able, and faithful man, and appears to have enjoyed great consideration in the Persian court. During the eighty years embraced in his narrative, most of the reign of Cyrus passed, and the whole reign of Cambyses, Smerdis, Darius Hystaspis, Xerxes, and eight years of Artaxerxes Longimanus. From this last king he received letters, money, and every desirable help, and went at the head of a large party of returning exiles to Jerusalem, B. C. 457. Here he instituted many reforms in the conduct of the people, and in the public worship, Ezra 8:1-10:44 Nehemiah 8:1-18. After this he is generally believed to have collected and revised all the books of the Old Testament Scripture, which form the present canon. The BOOK OF EZRA contains a history of the return of the Jews from the time of Cyrus; with an account of his own subsequent proceedings, B. C. 450. There are two apocryphal books ascribed to him under the name of Esdras, which is only the Greek form of the name Ezra. Easton's Bible Dictionary Help. (1.) A priest among those that returned to Jerusalem under Zerubabel (Nehemiah 12:1). (2.) The "scribe" who led the second body of exiles that returned from Babylon to Jerusalem B.C. 459, and author of the book of Scripture which bears his name. He was the son, or perhaps grandson, of Seraiah (2 Kings 25:18-21), and a lineal descendant of Phinehas, the son of Aaron (Ezra 7:1-5). All we know of his personal history is contained in the last four chapters of his book, and in Nehemiah 8 and 12:26. In the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus (see DARIUS), he obtained leave to go up to Jerusalem and to take with him a company of Israelites (Ezra 8). Artaxerxes manifested great interest in Ezra's undertaking, granting him "all his request," and loading him with gifts for the house of God. Ezra assembled the band of exiles, probably about 5,000 in all, who were prepared to go up with him to Jerusalem, on the banks of the Ahava, where they rested for three days, and were put into order for their march across the desert, which was completed in four months. His proceedings at Jerusalem on his arrival there are recorded in his book. He was "a ready scribe in the law of Moses," who "had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments." "He is," says Professor Binnie, "the first well-defined example of an order of men who have never since ceased in the church; men of sacred erudition, who devote their lives to the study of the Holy Scriptures, in order that they may be in a condition to interpret them for the instruction and edification of the church. It is significant that the earliest mention of the pulpit occurs in the history of Ezra's ministry (Nehemiah 8:4). He was much more of a teacher than a priest. We learn from the account of his labours in the book of Nehemiah that he was careful to have the whole people instructed in the law of Moses; and there is no reason to reject the constant tradition of the Jews which connects his name with the collecting and editing of the Old Testament canon. The final completion of the canon may have been, and probably was, the work of a later generation; but Ezra seems to have put it much into the shape in which it is still found in the Hebrew Bible. When it is added that the complete organization of the synagogue dates from this period, it will be seen that the age was emphatically one of Biblical study" (The Psalms: their History, etc.). For about fourteen years, i.e., till B.C. 445, we have no record of what went on in Jerusalem after Ezra had set in order the ecclesiastical and civil affairs of the nation. In that year another distinguished personage, Nehemiah, appears on the scene. After the ruined wall of the city had been built by Nehemiah, there was a great gathering of the people at Jerusalem preparatory to the dedication of the wall. On the appointed day the whole population assembled, and the law was read aloud to them by Ezra and his assistants (Nehemiah 8:3). The remarkable scene is described in detail. There was a great religious awakening. For successive days they held solemn assemblies, confessing their sins and offering up solemn sacrifices. They kept also the feast of Tabernacles with great solemnity and joyous enthusiasm, and then renewed their national covenant to be the Lord's. Abuses were rectified, and arrangements for the temple service completed, and now nothing remained but the dedication of the walls of the city (Nehemiah 12). Ezra, Book of This book is the record of events occurring at the close of the Babylonian exile. It was at one time included in Nehemiah, the Jews regarding them as one volume. The two are still distinguished in the Vulgate version as I. and II. Esdras. It consists of two principal divisions: (1.) The history of the first return of exiles, in the first year of Cyrus (B.C. 536), till the completion and dedication of the new temple, in the sixth year of Darius Hystapes (B.C. 515), ch. 1-6. From the close of the sixth to the opening of the seventh chapter there is a blank in the history of about sixty years. (2.) The history of the second return under Ezra, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes Longimanus, and of the events that took place at Jerusalem after Ezra's arrival there (7-10). The book thus contains memorabilia connected with the Jews, from the decree of Cyrus (B.C. 536) to the reformation by Ezra (B.C. 456), extending over a period of about eighty years. There is no quotation from this book in the New Testament, but there never has been any doubt about its being canonical. Ezra was probably the author of this book, at least of the greater part of it (Comp. 7:27, 28; 8:1, etc.), as he was also of the Books of Chronicles, the close of which forms the opening passage of Ezra. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia EZRAez'-ra (Aramaic or Chaldee, `ezra', "help"; a hypocoristicon, or shortened form of Azariah, "Yahweh has helped." The Hebrew spells the name `ezrah, as in 1 Chronicles 4:17, or uses the Aramaic spelling of the name, as in Ezra 7:1. The Greek form is Esdras): Greek 3544. nomikos -- relating to law, learned in the law ... rabbis. 3544 ("lawyer") implies someone even more learned in than a typical scribe. (Ezra would have been considered a 3544 .). [3544 ... //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3544.htm - 8k Strong's Hebrew 5831. Ezra -- an Israelite... 5830, 5831. Ezra. 5832 . an Israelite. Transliteration: Ezra Phonetic Spelling: (ez-raw') Short Definition: Ezra. Word Origin (Aramaic ... /hebrew/5831.htm - 6k 5830. Ezra -- "help," three Israelites 3566. Koresh -- a Pers. king 5867. Eylam -- a son of Shem, also his desc. and their country 8019. Shlomiyth -- the name of several Israelites 3305. Yapho -- a seaport city of Pal. 7936. sakar -- to hire 5019. Nebukadnetstsar -- "Nebo, protect the boundary," a Bab. king 4363. Mikmas -- a city in Benjamin 5411. nethinim -- temple servants Library Ezra-Nehemiah Ezra, the Praying Reformer Ezra, the Priest and Scribe Ezra and Nehemiah. Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther. The Temple of Solomon did not Take Forty-Six Years to Build. With ... A Spiritual Revival The Kingdom Restored Of the Old Testament, Therefore, First of all There have Been ... Appendix. The Apocryphal Books of the Old Testament. Thesaurus Ezra (28 Occurrences)... He was the son, or perhaps grandson, of Seraiah (2 Kings 25:18-21), and a lineal descendant of Phinehas, the son of Aaron (Ezra 7:1-5). All we know of his ... /e/ezra.htm - 29k Ezra's (1 Occurrence) Ezra-nehemiah Ar-ta-xerx'es (14 Occurrences) Ahava (3 Occurrences) Artaxerxes (14 Occurrences) Sheshbazzar (4 Occurrences) Zacharias (11 Occurrences) Associates (26 Occurrences) Amariah (14 Occurrences) Bible Concordance Ezra (28 Occurrences)1 Chronicles 4:17 The sons of Ezrah: Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon; and she bore Miriam, and Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. 1 Chronicles 26:32 His brothers, men of valor, were two thousand seven hundred, heads of fathers' houses, whom king David made overseers over the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites, for every matter pertaining to God, and for the affairs of the king. Ezra Ezra 7:1 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, Ezra 7:6 this Ezra went up from Babylon: and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which Yahweh, the God of Israel, had given; and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of Yahweh his God on him. Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had set his heart to seek the law of Yahweh, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and ordinances. Ezra 7:11 Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, even the scribe of the words of the commandments of Yahweh, and of his statutes to Israel: Ezra 7:12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect and so forth. Ezra 7:21 I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers who are beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done with all diligence, Ezra 7:25 You, Ezra, after the wisdom of your God who is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges, who may judge all the people who are beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God; and teach him who doesn't know them. Ezra 10:1 Now while Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there was gathered together to him out of Israel a very great assembly of men and women and children; for the people wept very sore. Ezra 10:2 Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have married foreign women of the peoples of the land: yet now there is hope for Israel concerning this thing. Ezra 10:5 Then arose Ezra, and made the chiefs of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they would do according to this word. So they swore. Ezra 10:6 Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came there, he ate no bread, nor drank water; for he mourned because of the trespass of them of the captivity. Ezra 10:10 Ezra the priest stood up, and said to them, You have trespassed, and have married foreign women, to increase the guilt of Israel. Ezra 10:16 The children of the captivity did so. Ezra the priest, with certain heads of fathers' houses, after their fathers' houses, and all of them by their names, were set apart; and they sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter. Nehemiah 8:1 All the people gathered themselves together as one man into the broad place that was before the water gate; and they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which Yahweh had commanded to Israel. Nehemiah 8:2 Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. Nehemiah 8:4 Ezra the scribe stood on a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Uriah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchijah, and Hashum, and Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. Nehemiah 8:5 Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: Nehemiah 8:6 and Ezra blessed Yahweh, the great God. All the people answered, Amen, Amen, with the lifting up of their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshiped Yahweh with their faces to the ground. Nehemiah 8:9 Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites who taught the people, said to all the people, This day is holy to Yahweh your God; don't mourn, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. Nehemiah 8:13 On the second day were gathered together the heads of fathers' houses of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, to Ezra the scribe, even to give attention to the words of the law. Nehemiah 9:6 You are Yahweh, even you alone; you have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their army, the earth and all things that are thereon, the seas and all that is in them, and you preserve them all; and the army of heaven worships you. Nehemiah 12:1 Now these are the priests and the Levites who went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Nehemiah 12:13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; Nehemiah 12:26 These were in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and of Ezra the priest the scribe. Nehemiah 12:33 and Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam, Nehemiah 12:36 and his brothers, Shemaiah, and Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God; and Ezra the scribe was before them. Subtopics Ezra: A Famous Scribe and Priest Ezra: A Famous Scribe and Priest: Appoints a Fast Ezra: A Famous Scribe and Priest: Dedicates the Wall of Jerusalem Ezra: A Famous Scribe and Priest: Exhorts People to Put Away Their Heathen Wives Ezra: A Famous Scribe and Priest: His Charge to the Priests Ezra: A Famous Scribe and Priest: Reads the Law Ezra: A Famous Scribe and Priest: Reforms Corruptions Ezra: A Leading Priest Among the Colonists Under Zerubbabel Ezra: A Leading Priest Among the Colonists Under Zerubbabel: Ezra: A Leading Priest Among the Colonists Under Zerubbabel: Probably Identical With Azariah In Related Terms Ar-ta-xerx'es (14 Occurrences) Shethar-boznai (4 Occurrences) Shethar-bozenai (4 Occurrences) Shetharbozenai (4 Occurrences) Links Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus |