6.22 The festival of unleavened bread, an extension of Passover and celebrated from the fifteenth to the twenty-first of the first month (Ex 12.15–20; Lev 23.6–8; Deut 16.1–8). Unleavened bread was a reminder of the food the Israelites ate before they made their hasty escape from Egypt (Deut 16.3). The king of Assyria. The Assyrian Empire was of course long since defunct when Cyrus and Darius reigned, but they were its heirs and they reversed the evil against Israel initiated by the Assyrian kings.
EZRA 7
The Coming and Work of Ezra
1After this, in the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, 2son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, 3son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, 4son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, 5son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of the chief priest Aaron—6this Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses that the LORD the God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.
7Some of the people of Israel, and some of the priests and Levites, the singers and gatekeepers, and the temple servants also went up to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. 8They came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9On the first day of the first month the journey up from Babylon was begun, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, for the gracious hand of his God was upon him. 10For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach the statutes and ordinances in Israel.
The Letter of Artaxerxes to Ezra
11This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to the priest Ezra, the scribe, a scholar of the text of the commandments of the LORD and his statutes for Israel: 12“Artaxerxes, king of kings, to the priest Ezra, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven: Peace.a And now 13I decree that any of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom who freely offers to go to Jerusalem may go with you. 14For you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God, which is in your hand, 15and also to convey the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16with all the silver and gold that you shall find in the whole province of Babylonia, and with the freewill offerings of the people and the priests, given willingly for the house of their God in Jerusalem. 17With this money, then, you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, and lambs, and their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and you shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem. 18Whatever seems good to you and your colleagues to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do, according to the will of your God. 19The vessels that have been given you for the service of the house of your God, you shall deliver before the God of Jerusalem. 20And whatever else is required for the house of your God, which you are responsible for providing, you may provide out of the king’s treasury.
21“I, King Artaxerxes, decree to all the treasurers in the province Beyond the River: Whatever the priest Ezra, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, requires of you, let it be done with all diligence, 22up to one hundred talents of silver, one hundred cors of wheat, one hundred bathsb of wine, one hundred bathsc of oil, and unlimited salt. 23Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, or wrath will come upon the realm of the king and his heirs. 24We also notify you that it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll on any of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.
25“And you, Ezra, according to the God-given wisdom you possess, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River who know the laws of your God; and you shall teach those who do not know them. 26All who will not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be strictly executed on them, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of their goods or for imprisonment.”
27Blessed be the LORD, the God of our ancestors, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king to glorify the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, 28and who extended to me steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.
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a Syr Vg 1 Esdras 8.9: Aram Perfect
b A Heb measure of volume
c A Heb measure of volume
7.1–10 Ezra’s lineage and office (vv. 1–6) and a brief notice of his coming to Jerusalem (vv. 7–10; more detail in 8.15–36).
7.1 After this. The narrative moves suddenly from the end of the sixth century to the middle of the fifth (or beginning of the fourth, if the king is Artaxerxes II; see note on 7.7). Artaxerxes. See note on 7.7. Ezra ’s genealogy shows him to be a member of the high-priestly family, though not high priest himself.
7.6 Scribe, doctor of the Jewish law (see also Sir 38.34b–39.11). All that he asked, to be inferred from the king’s letter of vv. 12–26.
7.7 In the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, 458 BCE if the king is Artaxerxes I (465–424), 398 BCE if it is Artaxerxes II (404–358).
7.9 On the assumption that Ezra’s journey took place in 458 BCE, he left Babylonia on April 8 and arrived in Jerusalem on August 4.
7.10 To study, i.e., to learn and to interpret, and to do are the twin ideals of postexilic Judaism.
7.11–26 After an introductory verse in Hebrew (v. 11), there follows a long official document in Aramaic (vv. 12–26), the language in which most documents of this kind are found in Ezra. This is Artaxerxes’ firman, or letter of authorization, to Ezra.
7.12 Peace. The Aramaic means “perfect,” which may be an abbreviation of a greeting formula or else a scribal mark to show that the matter has been dealt with.
7.13 People…priests…Levites, the familiar threefold division of Israel into laity and two types of religious personnel (see also 2.70; 6.16). Freely offers, another typically Jewish term (cf. also 1.6; 2.68; 3.5; 8.28), suggesting a Jewish drafting or reworking of this letter.
7.14 Seven counselors, known in Greek sources as the king’s advisers from the leading aristocratic families (cf. also Esth 1.14). To make inquiries…according to the law, to discover how far Jewish law is being observed in Judea. Which is in your hand, i.e., of which you have the mastery. The law was almost certainly the Pentateuch in more or less its present form.
7.16 Find, as donations from fellow Jews and others (cf. 1.4).
7.21–24 Ezra’s authorization includes an edict addressed to the treasurers of the province for support of the temple worship in Jerusalem. The grant seems to be an annual one, except that the amount of silver, one hundred talents, more than 3 tons, is hugely disproportionate. Perhaps talents is a scribal error for “minas,” one-sixtieth of the weight.
7.25 Ezra’s authority extends only to Jews in the province, whether they already know pentateuchal law or need to be taught it.
7.27–28 The text changes back to Hebrew at this point, and the narrator quotes a first-person account of Ezra’s work.
EZRA 8
Heads of Families Who Returned with Ezra
1These are their family heads, and this is the genealogy of those who went up with me from Babylonia, in the reign of King Artaxerxes: 2Of the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom. Of Ithamar, Daniel. Of David, Hattush, 3of the descendants of Shecaniah. Of Parosh, Zechariah, with whom were registered one hundred fifty males. 4Of the descendants of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred males. 5Of the descendants of Zattu,a Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred males. 6Of the descendants of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males. 7Of the descendants of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males. 8Of the desce
ndants of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael, and with him eighty males. 9Of the descendants of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred eighteen males. 10Of the descendants of Bani,b Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with him one hundred sixty males. 11Of the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him twenty-eight males. 12Of the descendants of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him one hundred ten males. 13Of the descendants of Adonikam, those who came later, their names being Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them sixty males. 14Of the descendants of Bigvai, Uthai and Zaccur, and with them seventy males.
Servants for the Temple
15I gathered them by the river that runs to Ahava, and there we camped three days. As I reviewed the people and the priests, I found there none of the descendants of Levi. 16Then I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, who were leaders, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, who were wise, 17and sent them to Iddo, the leader at the place called Casiphia, telling them what to say to Iddo and his colleagues the temple servants at Casiphia, namely, to send us ministers for the house of our God. 18Since the gracious hand of our God was upon us, they brought us a man of discretion, of the descendants of Mahli son of Levi son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, with his sons and kin, eighteen; 19also Hashabiah and with him Jeshaiah of the descendants of Merari, with his kin and their sons, twenty; 20besides two hundred twenty of the temple servants, whom David and his officials had set apart to attend the Levites. These were all mentioned by name.
Fasting and Prayer for Protection
21Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might deny ourselvesc before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our possessions. 22For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and cavalry to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king that the hand of our God is gracious to all who seek him, but his power and his wrath are against all who forsake him. 23So we fasted and petitioned our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.
Gifts for the Temple
24Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests: Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their kin with them. 25And I weighed out to them the silver and the gold and the vessels, the offering for the house of our God that the king, his counselors, his lords, and all Israel there present had offered; 26I weighed out into their hand six hundred fifty talents of silver, and one hundred silver vessels worth…talents,d and one hundred talents of gold, 27twenty gold bowls worth a thousand darics, and two vessels of fine polished bronze as precious as gold. 28And I said to them, “You are holy to the LORD, and the vessels are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the LORD, the God of your ancestors. 29Guard them and keep them until you weigh them before the chief priests and the Levites and the heads of families in Israel at Jerusalem, within the chambers of the house of the LORD.” 30So the priests and the Levites took over the silver, the gold, and the vessels as they were weighed out, to bring them to Jerusalem, to the house of our God.
The Return to Jerusalem
31Then we left the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem; the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes along the way. 32We came to Jerusalem and remained there three days. 33On the fourth day, within the house of our God, the silver, the gold, and the vessels were weighed into the hands of the priest Meremoth son of Uriah, and with him was Eleazar son of Phinehas, and with them were the Levites, Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. 34The total was counted and weighed, and the weight of everything was recorded.
35At that time those who had come from captivity, the returned exiles, offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel, twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and as a sin offering twelve male goats; all this was a burnt offering to the LORD. 36They also delivered the king’s commissions to the king’s satraps and to the governors of the province Beyond the River; and they supported the people and the house of God.
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a Gk 1 Esdras 8.32: Heb lacks of Zattu
b Gk 1 Esdras 8.36: Heb lacks Bani
c Or might fast
d The number of talents is lacking
8.1–14 Ezra’s company numbered about fifteen hundred males, all from families of which some members had already returned. The twelve phratry names are to be found also in 2.3–15. Unlike in ch. 2, here the priests are mentioned first (v. 2).
8.15–20 The presence of Levites seems to have been needed for the symbolism, so that Ezra’s caravan would include representatives of all Israel. The place-names are unknown.
8.20 Mentioned by name, perhaps in the first-person Ezra memoir (see Introduction), but omitted by the editor of the present book of Ezra.
8.21 A fast…deny ourselves. Fasting was apparently a symbolic entering of a near-death state; in such a state one was endangered and therefore in need of divine care. A safe journey, lit. “a straight (or level) way,” perhaps recalling Isa 40.3.
8.24 The leading priests: Sherebiah, Hashabiah…, better “the leading priests, and Sherebiah, Hashabiah…,” for the named are Levites (vv. 18–19); twelve priests and twelve Levites would be a symbol of all Israel.
8.26 Six hundred fifty talents, about 22 tons. Worth…talents. The numeral is missing; or perhaps the word for talents could be read as “two talents.” One hundred talents of gold, about 3 tons. The figures are either exaggerated or copying errors.
8.27 Darics. See note on 2.69.
8.28 Holy, i.e. belonging to God, whether objects or persons. Any seizure of the gifts or their guardians would be an as sault on God.
8.35–36 These summary verses, which probably were originally followed by the account of the law-reading ceremony of Neh 7.73b–8.18, are in third-person narrative and so apparently not from the Ezra memoir (see Introduction).
8.36 Satraps, used loosely, for there was only one satrap of the province Beyond the River, though Ezra would have encountered various “governors.”
EZRA 9
Denunciation of Mixed Marriages
1After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons. Thus the holy seed has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands, and in this faithlessness the officials and leaders have led the way.” 3When I heard this, I tore my garment and my mantle, and pulled hair from my head and beard, and sat appalled. 4Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice.
Ezra’s Prayer
5At the evening sacrifice I got up from my fasting, with my garments and my mantle torn, and fell on my knees, spread out my hands to the LORD my God, 6and said,
“O my God, I am too ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. 7From the days of our ancestors to this day we have been deep in guilt, and for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been handed over to the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as is now the case. 8But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the LORD our God, who has left us a remnant, and given us a stake in his holy place, in order that hea may brighten our eyes and grant us a little sustenance in our slavery. 9For we are slaves; yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to give us new life to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judea and Jerusalem.
10�
�And now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, 11which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land that you are entering to possess is a land unclean with the pollutions of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations. They have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness. 12Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’ 13After all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, 14shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you destroy us without remnant or survivor? 15O LORD, God of Israel, you are just, but we have escaped as a remnant, as is now the case. Here we are before you in our guilt, though no one can face you because of this.”
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a Heb our God
9.1–10.44 Ezra is now informed that certain Jews have broken the law by marrying non-Jews (9.1–2); he responds with mourning (9.3–5) and a prayer of repentance (9.5–15), since he feels the people as a whole have been implicated in this breach of the law. A group of rigorists then propose to Ezra the action they think he should take (10.1–5), and Ezra accedes, calling a public assembly that determines that foreign wives should be divorced (10.6–17). A list follows of the 113 men who had married non-Jews. The first-person form in ch. 9 suggests that an Ezra memoir (see Introduction) is being drawn on; in ch. 10 the third-person form resumes. It is hard to fault the desire of the beleaguered postexilic community to maintain its own distinctive way of life, religion, and language (cf. note on Neh 13.23–29), but harder still for modern readers to sympathize with the drastic solution proposed in this narrative. Hints of opposition, in the presence of non-Jewish persons even in noble families in subsequent generations (Neh 6.17–18) and in Nehemiah’s less rigorous response to a similar situation (Neh 13.23–27), suggest that Ezra’s decision was regarded as extreme even within the postexilic community itself.
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