5 and 6 Ezra
FIFTH EZRA IS OF CHRISTIAN AUTHORSHIP; there are some indications that it was written in the second–third centuries CE, although this is not certain. 6 Ezra was probably written by a Christian and can be dated on internal grounds to the third century CE. Both works indicate how 4 Ezra was read in the centuries after its composition. 5 Ezra seems to have been written as a separate literary unit. It comprises two parts of varied character, a prophetic indictment of God’s people (1.4–2.9) and an assurance of redemption to a new people (2.10–48). 6 Ezra, composed of predictions, woes, and exhortations to God’s people, was written to encourage a third-century Christian audience in time of oppression. Its original beginning (as well as the end of 4 Ezra) was likely modified when it was combined with 4 Ezra. Some dependence on the NT has been discerned in both works.
Scholars generally agree that 5 Ezra was originally written in Greek. A papyrus fragment of the Greek text of 6 Ezra has been identified, and there seems no reason to doubt its composition in that language. Both 5 Ezra and 6 Ezra survive in full only in Latin. The three Ezra books occur together only in the Latin version, sometimes in the order 5, 4, 6 Ezra (as is the case here) and sometimes as 4, 6, 5 Ezra. 5 Ezra had no known influence on Jewish literature, but it influenced the Roman church, particularly in the liturgy. 6 Ezra seems to have had no particular influence in Jewish or Christian circles.
Canonical Status
NO PART OF 2 ESDRAS HAS CANONICAL STATUS in the Jewish tradition. Except for a few quotations and its utilization in the Greek apocalypses mentioned above, it had no standing in the Greek church. The Western church was much attached to it, and it was often found in manuscripts of the Vulgate; however, the book did not form part of the Roman Catholic canon as de fined by the Council of Trent (1546). In the Armenian church it has a semicanonical status, being mentioned in some canon lists and occurring exclusively in biblical manuscripts. In Ethiopic too it occurs in biblical manuscripts (though the concept of canon in the Ethiopic church is not always clear). The fact that there are only a few copies in Christian Arabic and Georgian indicates that it had no canonical role in these churches. [MICHAEL E. STONE]
Comprising what is sometimes called 5 Ezra (chapters 1–2), 4 Ezra (chapters 3–14), and 6 Ezra (chapters 15–16)
2 ESDRAS 1
The Genealogy of Ezra
1The booka of the prophet Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, 2son of Ahijah, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraimoth, son of Arna, son of Uzzi, son of Borith, son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, 3son of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi, who was a captive in the country of the Medes in the reign of Artaxerxes, king of the Persians.b
Ezra’s Prophetic Call
4The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 5“Go, declare to my people their evil deeds, and to their children the iniquities that they have committed against me, so that they may tellc their children’s children 6that the sins of their parents have increased in them, for they have forgotten me and have offered sacrifices to strange gods. 7Was it not I who brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage? But they have angered me and despised my counsels. 8Now you, pull out the hair of your head and hurld all evils upon them, for they have not obeyed my law—they are a rebellious people. 9How long shall I endure them, on whom I have bestowed such great benefits? 10For their sake I have overthrown many kings; I struck down Pharaoh with his servants and all his army. 11I destroyed all nations before them, and scattered in the east the peoples of two provinces,e Tyre and Sidon; I killed all their enemies.
God’s Mercies to Israel
12“But speak to them and say, Thus says the Lord: 13Surely it was I who brought you through the sea, and made safe highways for you where there was no road; I gave you Moses as leader and Aaron as priest; 14I provided light for you from a pillar of fire, and did great wonders among you. Yet you have forgotten me, says the Lord.
15“Thus says the Lord Almighty:f The quails were a sign to you; I gave you camps for your protection, and in them you complained. 16You have not exulted in my name at the destruction of your enemies, but to this day you still complain.g 17Where are the benefits that I bestowed on you? When you were hungry and thirsty in the wilderness, did you not cry out to me, 18saying, ‘Why have you led us into this wilderness to kill us? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in this wilderness.’ 19I pitied your groanings and gave you manna for food; you ate the bread of angels. 20When you were thirsty, did I not split the rock so that waters flowed in abundance? Because of the heat I clothed you with the leaves of trees.h 21I divided fertile lands among you; I drove out the Canaanites, the Perizzites, and the Philistinesi before you. What more can I do for you? says the Lord. 22Thus says the Lord Almighty:j When you were in the wilderness, at the bitter stream, thirsty and blaspheming my name, 23I did not send fire on you for your blasphemies, but threw a tree into the water and made the stream sweet.
Israel’s Disobedience and Rejection
24“What shall I do to you, O Jacob? You, Judah, would not obey me. I will turn to other nations and will give them my name, so that they may keep my statutes. 25Because you have forsaken me, I also will forsake you. When you beg mercy of me, I will show you no mercy. 26When you call to me, I will not listen to you; for you have defiled your hands with blood, and your feet are swift to commit murder. 27It is not as though you had forsaken me; you have forsaken yourselves, says the Lord.
28“Thus says the Lord Almighty: Have I not entreated you as a father entreats his sons or a mother her daughters or a nurse her children, 29so that you should be my people and I should be your God, and that you should be my children and I should be your father? 30I gathered you as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But now, what shall I do to you? I will cast you out from my presence. 31When you offer oblations to me, I will turn my face from you; for I have rejected yourk festal days, and new moons, and circumcisions of the flesh.l 32I sent you my servants the prophets, but you have taken and killed them and torn their bodiesm in pieces; I will require their blood of you, says the Lord.n
33“Thus says the Lord Almighty: Your house is desolate; I will drive you out as the wind drives straw; 34and your sons will have no children, because with youo they have neglected my commandment and have done what is evil in my sight. 35I will give your houses to a people that will come, who without having heard me will believe. Those to whom I have shown no signs will do what I have commanded. 36They have seen no prophets, yet will recall their former state.p 37I call to witness the gratitude of the people that is to come, whose children rejoice with gladness;q though they do not see me with bodily eyes, yet with the spirit they will believe the things I have said.
38“And now, father,r look with pride and see the people coming from the east; 39to them I will give as leaders Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Hosea and Amos and Micah and Joel and Obadiah and Jonah 40and Nahum and Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, who is also called the messenger of the Lord.s
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a Other ancient authorities read The second book
b Other ancient authorities, which place chapters 1 and 2 after 16.78, lack verses 1-3 and begin the chapter: The word of the Lord that came to Ezra son of Chusi in the days of King Nebuchadnezzar, saying, “Go,
c Other ancient authorities read nourish
d Other ancient authorities read and shake out
e Other ancient authorities read Did I not destroy the city of Bethsaida because of you, and to the south burn two cities…?
f Other ancient authorities lack Almighty
g Other ancient authorities read verse 16, Your pursuer with his army I sank in the sea, but still the people complain also concerning their own destruction.
h Other ancient authorities read I made for you trees with leaves
i Other ancient authorities read Perizzit
es and their children
j Other ancient authorities lack Almighty
k Other ancient authorities read I have not commanded for you
l Other ancient authorities lack of the flesh
m Other ancient authorities read the bodies of the apostles
n Other ancient authorities add Thus says the Lord Almighty: Recently you also laid hands on me, crying out before the judge’s seat for him to deliver me to you. You took me as a sinner, not as a father who freed you from slavery, and you delivered me to death by hanging me on the tree; these are the things you have done. Therefore, says the Lord, let my Father and his angels return and judge between you and me; if I have not kept the commandment of the Father, if I have not nourished you, if I have not done the things my Father commanded, I will contend in judgment with you, says the Lord.
o Other ancient authorities lack with you
p Other ancient authorities read their iniquities
q Other ancient authorities read The apostles bear witness to the coming people with joy
r Other ancient authorities read brother
s Other ancient authorities read and Jacob, Elijah and Enoch, Zechariah and Hosea, Amos, Joel, Micah, Obadiah, Zephaniah,40Nahum, Jonah, Mattia (or Mattathias), Habakkuk, and twelve angels with flowers
1.1–2.48 Chs. 1–2 form a separate, Christian work often entitled 5 Ezra (see Introduction).
1.1–3 Ezra is here described both as priest (cf. Ezra 7.1–5; 1 Esd 8.1–2) and prophet. The latter is unusual. In the biblical book Ezra is a scribe (Ezra 7.6).
1.4–23 The “exodus review” is common in the Hebrew scriptures and other Jewish literature; cf., e.g., Pss 78; 105; 106; Neh 9; the Dayyenu prayer in the Passover Haggadah.
1.4–11 A summary of God’s gracious deeds and Israel’s rejection of them.
1.4 Such prophetic calls are found in, e.g., Jer 1.4; Ezek 7.1.
1.8 Pull out the hair of your head, a sign of mourning; cf. Ezra 9.3.
1.10 See Ex 14.28; 20.2.
1.11 The verse is obscure; Tyre and Sidon are cities, not provinces, and are west, not east, of Media (cf. v. 3).
1.12–23 Similar to Neh 9; Ps 78.
1.14 Pillar of fire. Cf. Ex 13.21.
1.15 God’s care in the desert. For the quails, see Ex 16.13.
1.18 See Ex 14.11–12.
1.19 Bread of angels, i.e., manna; see Ps 78.25.
1.20 Split the rock. See Num 20.11. The clothing with the leaves of trees is unknown.
1.22 A reference to the complaints at the Waters of Marah (Hebrew, “bitterness”); see Ex 15.22–25.
1.24–40 Israel is replaced by the people…from the east (v. 38; cf. v. 24), which is usually taken to show the Christian origin of 5 Ezra.
1.29 God as parent of Israel is a frequent image in the Hebrew Bible; cf. Jer 3.19; 31.9.
1.30 As a hen gathers her chicks. See Mt 23.37; Lk 13.34.
1.32 Based on Mt 23.34–35; Lk 11.49–51. The rejection of prophets is found in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., 2 Chr 24.19; 36.16; Jer 2.3) and other Jewish writings (e.g., Jubilees 1.12; 1 Enoch 89.51–53).
1.35 The transfer of Israel’s position to the Christians. In particular, the gentile Christians are implied here. Signs, Christ’s signs while alive.
1.36 Again the Gentiles are implied. The book of Jonah makes an analogous point from an intra-Israelite perspective.
1.37 Though they do not see me. Cf. Jn 20.29.
1.38 Father, a unique title denoting Ezra (see also 2.5); also a prophetic title (2 Kings 2.12). Does from the east imply that the place of origin of 5 Ezra was Palestine? Is this a different group of Christians from those referred to in vv. 35–37?
1.39–40 Leaders, the three patriarchs of Israel and twelve minor prophets.
1.40 Malachi, in Hebrew “my messenger.” Ezra is identified as Malachi by rabbinic sources.
2 ESDRAS 2
God’s Judgment on Israel
1“Thus says the Lord: I brought this people out of bondage, and I gave them commandments through my servants the prophets; but they would not listen to them, and made my counsels void. 2The mother who bore thema says to them, ‘Go, my children, because I am a widow and forsaken. 3I brought you up with gladness; but with mourning and sorrow I have lost you, because you have sinned before the Lord God and have done what is evil in my sight.b 4But now what can I do for you? For I am a widow and forsaken. Go, my children, and ask for mercy from the Lord.’ 5Now I call upon you, father, as a witness in addition to the mother of the children, because they would not keep my covenant, 6so that you may bring confusion on them and bring their mother to ruin, so that they may have no offspring. 7Let them be scattered among the nations; let their names be blotted out from the earth, because they have despised my covenant.
8“Woe to you, Assyria, who conceal the unrighteous within you! O wicked nation, remember what I did to Sodom and Gomorrah, 9whose land lies in lumps of pitch and heaps of ashes.c That is what I will do to those who have not listened to me, says the Lord Almighty.”
10Thus says the Lord to Ezra: “Tell my people that I will give them the kingdom of Jerusalem, which I was going to give to Israel. 11Moreover, I will take back to myself their glory, and will give to these others the everlasting habitations, which I had prepared for Israel.d 12The tree of life shall give them fragrant perfume, and they shall neither toil nor become weary. 13Goe and you will receive; pray that your days may be few, that they may be shortened. The kingdom is already prepared for you; be on the watch! 14Call, O call heaven and earth to witness: I set aside evil and created good; for I am the Living One, says the Lord.
Exhortation to Good Works
15“Mother, embrace your children; bring them up with gladness, as does a dove; strengthen their feet, because I have chosen you, says the Lord. 16And I will raise up the dead from their places, and bring them out from their tombs, because I recognize my name in them. 17Do not fear, mother of children, for I have chosen you, says the Lord. 18I will send you help, my servants Isaiah and Jeremiah. According to their counsel I have consecrated and prepared for you twelve trees loaded with various fruits, 19and the same number of springs flowing with milk and honey, and seven mighty mountains on which roses and lilies grow; by these I will fill your children with joy.
20“Guard the rights of the widow, secure justice for the ward, give to the needy, defend the orphan, clothe the naked, 21care for the injured and the weak, do not ridicule the lame, protect the maimed, and let the blind have a vision of my splendor. 22Protect the old and the young within your walls. 23When you find any who are dead, commit them to the grave and mark it,f and I will give you the first place in my resurrection. 24Pause and be quiet, my people, because your rest will come.
25“Good nurse, nourish your children; strengthen their feet. 26Not one of the servantsg whom I have given you will perish, for I will require them from among your number. 27Do not be anxious, for when the day of tribulation and anguish comes, others shall weep and be sorrowful, but you shall rejoice and have abundance. 28The nations shall envy you, but they shall not be able to do anything against you, says the Lord. 29My power will protecth you, so that your children may not see hell.i
30“Rejoice, O mother, with your children, because I will deliver you, says the Lord. 31Remember your children that sleep, because I will bring them out of the hiding places of the earth, and will show mercy to them; for I am merciful, says the Lord Almighty. 32Embrace your children until I come, and proclaim mercy to them; because my springs run over, and my grace will not fail.”
Ezra on Mount Horeb
33I, Ezra, received a command from the Lord on Mount Horeb to go to Israel. When I came to them they rejected me and refused the Lord’s commandment. 34Therefore I say to you, O nations that hear and understand, “Wait for your shepherd; he will give you everlasting rest, because he who will come at the end of the age is close at hand. 35Be ready for the rewards of the kingdom, because perpetual light will shine on you forevermore. 36Flee from the sha
dow of this age, receive the joy of your glory; I publicly call on my savior to witness.j 37Receive what the Lord has entrusted to you and be joyful, giving thanks to him who has called you to the celestial kingdoms. 38Rise, stand erect and see the number of those who have been sealed at the feast of the Lord. 39Those who have departed from the shadow of this age have received glorious garments from the Lord. 40Take again your full number, O Zion, and close the list of your people who are clothed in white, who have fulfilled the law of the Lord. 41The number of your children, whom you desired, is now complete; implore the Lord’s authority that your people, who have been called from the beginning, may be made holy.”
Ezra Sees the Son of God
42I, Ezra, saw on Mount Zion a great multitude that I could not number, and they all were praising the Lord with songs. 43In their midst was a young man of great stature, taller than any of the others, and on the head of each of them he placed a crown, but he was more exalted than they. And I was held spellbound. 44Then I asked an angel, “Who are these, my lord?” 45He answered and said to me, “These are they who have put off mortal clothing and have put on the immortal, and have confessed the name of God. Now they are being crowned, and receive palms.” 46Then I said to the angel, “Who is that young man who is placing crowns on them and putting palms in their hands?” 47He answered and said to me, “He is the Son of God, whom they confessed in the world.” So I began to praise those who had stood valiantly for the name of the Lord.k 48Then the angel said to me, “Go, tell my people how great and how many are the wonders of the Lord God that you have seen.”
HarperCollins Study Bible Page 417
