The book of ezra is the last of the historical books, but they do not follow ad seriatum one right after the other. Originally written together as a single book in the jewish scriptures, ezra and nehemiah document the fulfillment of gods promise that israel will return home after 70 years of exile in babylon and restore their ruined dwellings again. Fenshams study on the books of ezra and nehemiah is a contribution to the new international commentary on the old testament. Ezra, as a priest, was unable to serve during the captivity. This is a guest post by kathleen nielson, author of ezra and nehemiah. The themes are returning to jerusalem after the exile, rebuilding the temple, restoring the wall, and then learning to walk before the lord with sincerity and purity. A 12week study knowing the bible nielson, kathleen, packer, j. The greater part of this book, though it bears the name of ezra, tells of the pioneers who came back from exile to jerusalem a whole lifetime before him. The books of ezra and nehemiah are the only completely historical books in the third section of the hebrew bible, the ketuvim writings. To appreciate the significance of ezra s journey to jerusalem, we need to bear in mind that 80 years had passed since the first return from babylon ch. Israel returns from exile macarthur bible studies macarthur, john f. I love how you split the books up into sections, really helps with studying.
Purchase easily and securely on our site or purchase on the amazon kindle store. You will need a copy of that book to fully benefit from the studies which follow. It is interesting to note that once ezra appears on the scene in chapter 7, the author of the book of ezra switches from writing in the third person to first person. Offering historical context and background, author information, charts, and other helps, these books will equip you with a. Watch our overview video on the prophetic books of ezra and.
By studying these books, we have a testimony of how god works through people to accomplish his redemptive purposes. The books of ezra and nehemiah are precious jewels and deserve careful study. Old testament student study guide prepared by the church educational system published by the church of jesus christ of latterday saints salt lake city, utah. The prophets and nehemiah, esther and job year 2, quarter 4 lessons by john stevenson. Book of ezra wikipedia, the free encyclopedia the book of ezra is a book of the hebrew bible. Study the bible online using commentary on ezra and more. As you study the biblical record of their lives, the goal is that you will commit to being a woman of unshakable faithunafraid to take action, boldly proclaiming gods truth, and watching for the mighty acts of our sovereign god. This is unusual because it is obvious they both contain the same genealogical list. The second group came with ezra the priest and scribe in 458 bc ezra 7.
Life lessons from ezra and nehemiah 9780310086727 by max lucado. The study guide provides you the opportunity to think through the issues raised in the text and personally apply each of. Triumph is ensured when gods people stay close to him. The lxx also grouped ezra and nehemiah together as one book calling. Haggai was the main prophet in the day of ezra, and zechariah was the prophet in the day of nehemiah. Ezra, book ofcommentaries, commentaries old testament. Like shining diamonds, they will bring joy to those who value them. Ezra s goal was to implement the torah, and his impeccable priestly and scribal credentials allowed him to remain the model leader. The book of ezra proclaims the importance of worship and the need to endure patiently in the face of difficulty. In life lessons from psalms, youll study the prayers and poetry used in the early church. Ezra nehemiah was one book in the early hebrew text mt and in the early copies of the septuagint from the uncial manuscripts. Ezra was an ancient jewish priest and scribe who was one of the primary leaders of israel when they returned from exile to rebuild jerusalem and solomons temple. Following his instructions brings peace, joy, and prosperity to believers and glory to his name. He was a descendant of hilkiah, the high priest ezra 7.
William burt pope 18221903, ezra, charles john ellicott 18191905, editor, an old testament commentary for english readers various writers, vol. Summary of the book of ezra this summary of the book of ezra provides information about the title, authors, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of ezra. Ezra, nehemiah, and esther teach the text commentary series nykolaishen, douglas j e on. The officials of samaria write to king artaxerxes warning him that jerusalem is being rebuilt, and the king orders the work to stop. Ezra 1 niv bible in the first year of cyrus king of. Study scripture verses with commentary, concordances, and use highlighting, underlining, take notes in the bible. They demonstrate the struggle and drama between gods grace and the power of sin. One of our all time favorite winter stories for kids is the snowy day by ezra jack keats. Ezra commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole. Past, present and future banned from the bible, second ezra.
They are sanballat the horonite and tobiah the ammonite. Jewish tradition has long attributed authorship of this historical book to the scribe and scholar ezra, who led the second group of jews returning from babylon to jerusalem ezra 7. The study guide is based on fasting for spiritual breakthrough regal books, 1996. Thats the first reason i often give for studying the old testament books of ezra and nehemiah. This workbook was designed for bible class study, family study, or personal study. A story of provision and protection daily bible reading series 5 at. Bible study questions on ezra, nehemiah, and esther. Ezra outline study guide ezra outline study guide world wide study bible ezra 3. Because the lists, though slightly different, are basically the same. Ezra is a book of narrative history and genealogies. The story of the israelites second return from babylon takes place in about 458 bc. Title even though ezras name does not enter the account of judahs postexilic return to jerusalem until 7.
Summary of the book of ezra ezra is the first book in the postexilic period of israel. Ezra and some other israelitestemple servants, priests, singers, gatekeepers, levitestake around four or five months to journey to jerusalem. After discovering that ezra jack keats authored many childrens stories, i chose to create a fun author study featuring five of his books. Each 96page ebook contains one full page of reading for each day no fillers or advertising, additional references for further study, and much more. Conclusion to a literary and theological analysis of the book of ezra. Full text of the apocalypse of ezra ii esdras iiixiv. Read ezra commentary using matthew henry commentary on the whole bible complete. The events in ezra are set in jerusalem and the surrounding area. Song of solomon, and ecclesiastes when they write, essentially, the. Hed be happy people thought to write all that down. The lord rasied up ezra and nehemiah to reestablish the nation by rebuilding the temple and city walls and by turning the people back to his word.
Israel was under babylonian control until approximately 536 bc when the medopersian empire took control. The book could not have been completed earlier than about 450 bc the date of the events recorded in 10. He is one of the characters who has not received proper recognition. The books of ezra and nehemiah take place in the time period following the persian conquest of babylon. Below are links to the lessons in this 6part series. Entry for ezra, book of cyclopedia of biblical, theological and ecclesiastical literature one of 8 bible encyclopedias freely available, this encyclopedia, with its nearly 50,000 entries and 17 millin words, dwarfs modern bible encyclopedias with the depth of knowledge. As in the book of ezra, when gods people begin to work effectively for him, you can be sure there will be opposition. Ezra, zerubbabel, zechariah, and haggai lived in our kind of world. The organization and structure of the bible study format presented through the knowing the bible series is so.
The book is comprised of an approximately 80year time frame in which ezra reveals that god has fulfilled his promise to cause the jews to return to jerusalem cf. Ezra reads in the law of moses from morning until noon. Ellen white notes for ezra and nehemiah, fourth quarter of 2019, is the pacific press version of ellen white notes on ezra and nehemiah. Like its companion series on the new testament, this commentary. Originally combined with the book of nehemiah in a single book. A free bible version and commentary on the old testament book of ezra in easy english. Ezra, book ofbible study guides, study guides, bible. King nebuchadnezzar invaded israel and carried the jews away as captives in 606 bc.
Set in the persian empire, one of the greatest kingdoms the world has ever known, the stories contained in the books of ezra and nehemiah provide the most comprehensive scriptural account of the restored judean community after the babylonian exile. Aug 17, 2016 this article is part of the why study the book. Book of ezra read, study bible verses online bible study tools. We cant be completely sure that ezra himself compiled the book or if it was an unknown compiler. The questions contain minimal human commentary, but instead urge students to study to understand scripture. You come back in september to find the club in total disarray. Full text of the apocalypse of ezra ii esdras iiixiv see other formats. The book of ezra begins its history at the continue reading bible study. Book of ezra overview insight for living ministries.
At one time, however, ezra and nehemiah followed 1 and 2 chronicles and were generally considered to be the work of one and the same author known as the chronicler. Nehemiah continues the story with an inspiring account of returning to faithfulness and doing gods work, no matter what. Ezra 1 in the first year of cyrus king of persia, in order to fulfill the word of the lord spoken by jeremiah, the lord moved the heart of cyrus king of persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing. You may want to suggest that students write jeremiah 25. View in pdf format pdf this material is in the public domain. Conservative opinion generally accepts that ezra compiled or edited this book, along with i and ii chronicles, and nehemiah. The two became separated with the first printed rabbinic bibles of the early 16th century, following late medieval latin christian tradition. Ezra, nehemiah, and esther teach the text commentary series.
Aug 29, 2016 general info2 esdras also called 4 esdras, latin esdras, or latin ezra is the name of an apocalyptic book in many english versions of the bible. Title even though ezra s name does not enter the account of judahs postexilic return to jerusalem until 7. In this 12week study, kathleen nielson shows readers gods mercy and faithfulness demonstrated in the books of ezra and nehemiah, encouraging christians toward sincere repentance and persevering hope. The book of esther is also set in the persian period of israels history, although the concern is for a different co for almost fifty years and for. The book of ezra continues from where 2 chronicles ends, with cyrus, king of persia, issuing a decree that permitted the jews of his kingdom to return to jerusalem after seventy years of captivity. Study guide for ezra 1 by david guzik blue letter bible.
Filled with a wealth of ideas for going deeper so you can return to this study again and again. The postexilic books of ezra, nehemiah, haggai, zechariah, and malachi were written about the period between 537 and perhaps 430 bc. Ezra wants to study the law of god, practice it, and teach it to others. The book of ezra covers the return from captivity to rebuild the temple up to the decree of artaxerxes, the event covered at the beginning of the book of nehemiah. The tradition is that the prophet ezra wrote the book of ezra. Charles simeon, horae homileticae or discourses digested into one continued series and forming a commentary, upon every book of the old and new testament, vol. The book of ezra does not specifically name its author. The free thirtypage printable brings the books to life.
The last four books of the hebrew canon are ezra, nehemiah, and 1 and 2 chronicles, in that order. The books in the jensen bible self study guide series are designed to provide you with a broader understanding of gods word. Ezra, nehemiah, and esther teach the text commentary. Aug 25, 2016 why study the books of ezra and nehemiah.
Ezra 8 includes a firstperson reference, implying the authors participation in the events. Fenshams study on the books of ezra and nehemiah is a. Invite the class to continue to ponder these questions as they study ezra 1 and learn. The book of ezra begins with an account of cyruss interactions with the jews. Lessons from ezra for believers today michael hardt. Ezra had devoted himself especially to study and to do the law of jehovah the word of god and was eager to teach the word in israel.
In this 12week study, kathleen nielson shows readers gods. The books of ezra and nehemiah tell of gods steadfast love toward israel after their return from exile. Ezra, book of cyclopedia of biblical, theological and. Jan 02, 2020 ezras goal was to implement the torah, and his impeccable priestly and scribal credentials allowed him to remain the model leader. In english bibles, they are usually split into two, with the book of nehemiah appearing as a separate book from ezra, but in the hebrew tradition, they are one book, entitled ezra, and nehemiah is simply the second part of ezra. Sabbath school lesson comments by ellen white on ezra and nehemiah, edited by j. The book of ezra is the historical record of gods people returning to jerusalem after the long captivity to rebuild the city, walls, and temple. After purchase immediately download in epub, mobi, or pdf formats. Key personalities include cyrus, ezra, haggai, zechariah, darius i, artaxerxes i, and zerubbabel. The greater part of this book, though it bears the name of ezra, tells of the.
The old testament books of esther, ezra, and nehemiah chronicle events surrounding the lords restoration of jewish exiles to the promised land. His story begins around 480 bc, which is where he appears on the amazing bible timeline with world history study companion. The book of ezra, whose name means the lord is our help, derives its title from the heading of chapters 710. The books bear the names of three jewish heroes of the faithordinary believers who accomplished extraordinary things as a result of gods mighty, providential hand and their bold, obedient faith. Life after destruction goes on in ezra and nehemiah. Written by a variety of people, some are heartfelt cries of anguish, others plead for gods help, and still others are full of praise. Ezra 710 picks up the story more than sixty years later, when ezra led the second group of exiles to israel 458 bc. These events are described in the book of nehemiah. Ezra, book ofbible study guides, study guides, bible old. Use these bible studies for personal devotion, group bible studies, or teaching a church class.
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