the author of the book which bears his name, was of the sacerdotal
family, being a direct descendant from Aaron, and succeeded Zerubbabel
in the government of Judea. This book begins with the repetition of the
last two verses of the second book of Chronicles, and carries the Jewish
history through a period of seventy-nine years, commencing from the
edict of Cyrus. The first six chapters contain an account of the return
of the Jews under Zerubbabel, after the captivity of seventy years; of
their reëstablishment in Judea; and of the building and dedication of
the temple at Jerusalem. In the last four chapters, Ezra relates his own
appointment to the government of Judea by Artaxerxes Longimanus, his
journey thither from Babylon, the disobedience of the Jews, and the
reform which he immediately effected among them. It is to be observed,
that between the dedication of the temple and the departure of Ezra,
that is, between the sixth and seventh chapters of this book, there was
an interval of about fifty-eight years, during which nothing is here
related concerning the Jews, except that, contrary to God’s command,
they intermarried with Gentiles. This book is written in Chaldee from
the eighth verse of the fourth chapter to the twenty-seventh verse of
the seventh chapter. It is probable that the sacred historian used the
Chaldean language in this part of his work, because it contains chiefly
letters and decrees written in that language, the original words of
which he might think it right to record; and indeed the people, who were
recently returned from the Babylonian captivity, were at least as
familiar with the Chaldee as they were with the Hebrew tongue.
Till the arrival of Nehemiah, Ezra had the principal authority in
Jerusalem. In the second year of Nehemiah’s government, the people being
assembled in the temple, at the feast of tabernacles, Ezra was desired
to read the law. He read it from morning till noon, and was accompanied
by Levites who stood beside him, and kept silence. The next day they
desired to know of Ezra how they were to celebrate the feast of
tabernacles. This he explained, and continued eight days reading the law
in the temple. All this was followed by a solemn renewal of the covenant
with the Lord. Josephus says that Ezra was buried at Jerusalem; but the
Jews believe that he died in Persia, in a second journey to Artaxerxes.
His tomb is shown there in the city of Zamuza. He is said to have lived
nearly one hundred and twenty years.
Ezra was the restorer and publisher of the Holy Scriptures, after the
return of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity. 1. He corrected the
errors which had crept into the existing copies of the sacred writings
by the negligence or mistake of transcribers. 2. He collected all the
books of which the Holy Scriptures then consisted, disposed them in
their proper order, and settled the canon of Scripture for his time. 3.
He added throughout the books of his edition what appeared necessary for
illustrating, connecting, or completing them; and of this we have an
instance in the account of the death and burial of Moses, in the last
chapter of Deuteronomy. In this work he was assisted by the same Spirit
by which they were at first written. 4. He changed the ancient names of
several places become obsolete, and substituted for them new names, by
which they were at that time called. 5. He wrote out the whole in the
Chaldee character; that language having grown into use after the
Babylonish captivity. The Jews have an extraordinary esteem for Ezra,
and say that if the law had not been given by Moses, Ezra deserved to
have been the legislator of the Hebrews.
family, being a direct descendant from Aaron, and succeeded Zerubbabel
in the government of Judea. This book begins with the repetition of the
last two verses of the second book of Chronicles, and carries the Jewish
history through a period of seventy-nine years, commencing from the
edict of Cyrus. The first six chapters contain an account of the return
of the Jews under Zerubbabel, after the captivity of seventy years; of
their reëstablishment in Judea; and of the building and dedication of
the temple at Jerusalem. In the last four chapters, Ezra relates his own
appointment to the government of Judea by Artaxerxes Longimanus, his
journey thither from Babylon, the disobedience of the Jews, and the
reform which he immediately effected among them. It is to be observed,
that between the dedication of the temple and the departure of Ezra,
that is, between the sixth and seventh chapters of this book, there was
an interval of about fifty-eight years, during which nothing is here
related concerning the Jews, except that, contrary to God’s command,
they intermarried with Gentiles. This book is written in Chaldee from
the eighth verse of the fourth chapter to the twenty-seventh verse of
the seventh chapter. It is probable that the sacred historian used the
Chaldean language in this part of his work, because it contains chiefly
letters and decrees written in that language, the original words of
which he might think it right to record; and indeed the people, who were
recently returned from the Babylonian captivity, were at least as
familiar with the Chaldee as they were with the Hebrew tongue.
Till the arrival of Nehemiah, Ezra had the principal authority in
Jerusalem. In the second year of Nehemiah’s government, the people being
assembled in the temple, at the feast of tabernacles, Ezra was desired
to read the law. He read it from morning till noon, and was accompanied
by Levites who stood beside him, and kept silence. The next day they
desired to know of Ezra how they were to celebrate the feast of
tabernacles. This he explained, and continued eight days reading the law
in the temple. All this was followed by a solemn renewal of the covenant
with the Lord. Josephus says that Ezra was buried at Jerusalem; but the
Jews believe that he died in Persia, in a second journey to Artaxerxes.
His tomb is shown there in the city of Zamuza. He is said to have lived
nearly one hundred and twenty years.
Ezra was the restorer and publisher of the Holy Scriptures, after the
return of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity. 1. He corrected the
errors which had crept into the existing copies of the sacred writings
by the negligence or mistake of transcribers. 2. He collected all the
books of which the Holy Scriptures then consisted, disposed them in
their proper order, and settled the canon of Scripture for his time. 3.
He added throughout the books of his edition what appeared necessary for
illustrating, connecting, or completing them; and of this we have an
instance in the account of the death and burial of Moses, in the last
chapter of Deuteronomy. In this work he was assisted by the same Spirit
by which they were at first written. 4. He changed the ancient names of
several places become obsolete, and substituted for them new names, by
which they were at that time called. 5. He wrote out the whole in the
Chaldee character; that language having grown into use after the
Babylonish captivity. The Jews have an extraordinary esteem for Ezra,
and say that if the law had not been given by Moses, Ezra deserved to
have been the legislator of the Hebrews.