Book of Ezra

Introduction to the Book of Ezra

1° The relationship between the book of Ezra and the book of Nehemiah. – The ancient Jewish writers, including the authors of the Talmud (Baba bathra, f. 14, 2) and Josephus (C. Apion, 1, 8), then, following them, the ecclesiastical writers of the first centuries (Cf. Melito, ap. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History., 4, 26; Saint Jerome, Prol. galeat., 27), considered these two writings as forming together a single work. Hence the titles they still bear in the Septuagint and Vulgate editions: ˝Εσδρας πρώτος, or Liber primus Esdrae, and ˝Εσδρας δεύτερος, or Liber Nehemiae, qui et Esdrae secundas dicitur. In reality, they are intimately linked to each other by the subject matter they deal with. Nevertheless, they are commonly regarded today as two quite distinct books; and rightly so, for their style, despite certain striking analogies, betrays two different authors, and the first lines of the second (Nehemiah 1:1) attest even more clearly to this diversity of origin, not to mention the tradition, whose judgment we will quote.

2° The author and date of composition of the Book of Ezra. — this very name expresses, according to the unanimous testimony of Jewish and Christian antiquity, that the author is none other than Ezra (in Hebrew, '‘Ezra‘'), this most holy priest, this learned doctor of the law. Ezra is the author of this book, we will say with the Talmud (Baba bathra, 1. c.) and all those of the Fathers who have dealt with this question. 

While adopting this view for a very considerable portion of the book, several modern critics have objected to the alternating use of first- and third-person pronouns in the second part of this small volume (7:1-11, the author speaks in the first person; 7:27-9:15, in the third; he again uses the third person in chapter 10), concluding from this that the last chapters could not be by Ezra, like the preceding ones. This objection is futile, for other examples demonstrate that this shift from one person to another occurred not only in biblical narratives (witnesses Isaiah 7, 3, and 8, 1; Jeremiah, 20, 1-6 and 7; 28, 1, 2 and 5; Daniel 1-7, 1, and 7, 2-9, 27; 10, 1, and 10, 2 and following, etc.), but also among classical historians (witness Thucydides). Moreover, even though the pronouns change, the style remains consistently the same in the pages whose authenticity is thus wrongly attacked. 

Ezra probably wrote his book shortly after the serious affair of the mixed marriages, with which he ends it so abruptly; that is to say, as the commentary will indicate more explicitly, in 459 BC. It seems certain, at least, that the composition is prior to the arrival of Nehemiah in Jerusalem (During the twentieth year of Artaxerxes Longimanus, which is equivalent to the year 445 AD), an important circumstance which Ezra would not have passed over in silence if it had preceded the events which he recounts.

3° The veracity, the sources. — The book of Ezra, which contains no miraculous story capable of frightening rationalists, and which, on the other hand, relates episodes of a historical reality too well guaranteed to be called into doubt, has had the good fortune – extremely rare for a biblical writing – of having its veracity accepted almost without question. 

For the last chapters (7-10), the author only had to consult his personal memories; for the first (1-6), which relate events older than himself, it was easy for him to draw on special documents, either Jewish (for example, for the lists he cites 1, 9-11, and 2, 2-69), or Persian (for the edict of Cyrus, 1, 2-4, the letter of Reum, 4, 9 et seq., etc.), independently of the attestation of the witnesses still surviving.

4° Subject, purpose, and division of the Book of Ezra. — The subject is the very simple story of the return and settlement in Judea, first under the leadership of Zerubbabel, then under that of Ezra himself, of a number of Jews who had been captives in Chaldea. Two main events are highlighted: the rebuilding of the temple, accompanied by very great difficulties (chapter 1, 3-5, 7), and the issue of intermarriage (chapters 9-10). Like other sacred historians, Ezra makes no attempt to be exhaustive. He chooses, from among the events, those that fit and harmonize best with his plan, and he glosses over the rest, or omits it entirely. It begins where the author of Chronicles left off (see 2 Chronicles 36:20-23), thus continuing the annals (which is why Saint Hilary rather ingeniously titles our book: the Sermons of Ezra. See the introduction to the Chronicles, 2°).

His purpose is to briefly recount the first attempts at reconstituting the theocratic people, from the edict of Cyrus, which officially ended the Babylonian captivity, until the eighth year of Artaxerxes Longimanus: this, in order to encourage the descendants of the first colonists to continue, to complete the work so painfully begun; also in order to show them that they could count in their turn on the help of God, if they faithfully obeyed the law.

Two parts. 1. 1.1–6.22: Return to Judea, led by Zerubbabel, of a first caravan of exiled Jews, and reconstruction of the Temple. 2. 7.1–10.44: Ezra leads a second caravan of exiles to Palestine and continues the work begun. The first part covers a period of twenty years: from the edict of Cyrus to the sixth year of Darius (536–516 BC). The second comprises only a twelve-month interval: from April 459 to the following April. The two parts are thus separated by a hiatus of fifty-seven years, about which the narrative remains entirely silent.

5° Character of the Book of Ezra. – In terms of substance and tendency, it is a character very reminiscent of that of the Chronicles. As the ChroniclesEzra readily cites lists of names, genealogies. As the ChroniclesHe frequently emphasizes the role of Providence in human affairs, and especially in the affairs of the Jewish people (cf. 5:5; 7:9, 28; 8:22-23, 31; 9:7, 9, 14; 10:14, etc.). As the Chronicles, he shows the keenest interest in matters of religion (reconstruction of the temple, restoration of worship, importance attributed to the Levites, celebration of festivals, care of sacred vessels; cf. 1, 7-11; 3,4; 6, 18-19, 22; 7, 19; 8, 24-30, 33-34, etc.).

In terms of form, it bears a strong resemblance to the prophecy of Daniel, and a similar mixture of Hebrew and Aramaic. The greater part of the book was written in Hebrew (1:1–4:7; 6:19–22; 7:1–11; 7:27–10:44); the remainder (that is, certain official documents, 4:8–22; 5:6–17; 6:6–12; 7:12–26, and the account of the temple's construction, 4:13–6:18) is in Aramaic. Here and there we encounter expressions of Persian origin; this should not surprise us, since the Jews at that time had frequent contact with Persia. The tone of the book, as a whole, is the dignified and uniform tone of history.

Nothing directly messianic, and yet everything leads to the Messiah and prepares for his coming, since it is his people who are reforming, purified by the ordeal, and his temple that is being rebuilt. 

6° Works to consult. – C. Sanchez, Commentarius in libros RuthEsdrae, Nehemiae, Lyon, 1628 and the comments of Cornelius a Lapide (Corneille de la Pierre).

Ezra 1

¹ In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord, which he had spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made this proclamation throughout his kingdom, both orally and in writing: ² «"Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia: the Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has told me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. ³ Who among you belongs to his people? May his God be with him, and may he go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord, the God of Israel. He is the God who is in Jerusalem. ⁴ "To all the remnant of Judah, in all their sojourns, the people of those sojourns should provide assistance with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, along with voluntary contributions, for the house of God which is in Jerusalem."» ⁵ The heads of families of Judah and Benjamin, the priests and the Levites, all those whose spirit God stirred up, arose to go and build the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem. ⁶ All their neighbors helped them with silver objects, gold, goods, livestock and precious things, not to mention all the voluntary offerings. ⁷ King Cyrus removed the utensils from the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his god. ⁸ Cyrus, king of Persia, entrusted them to the hands of Mithridates, the treasurer, who transmitted them counting them to Sassabasar, the prince of Judah. ⁹ Here is the number: thirty gold basins, one thousand silver basins, twenty-nine knives, ¹⁰ thirty gold cups, four hundred and ten second-rate silver cups, and a thousand other utensils. ¹¹ All the gold and silver articles numbered five thousand four hundred. Sasabasar took everything with him when the exiles were brought back from Babylon to Jerusalem.

Ezra 2

¹ These are the people from the province who returned from exile, those whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had taken captive to Babylon, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own city, ² who returned with Zerubbabel, JoshuaNehemiah, Saraiah, Rahelaiah, Mordecai, Belshan, Meshphar, Begai, Rehum, Baanah: Number of the men of the people of Israel: ³ the sons of Pharos, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two, ⁴ the sons of Saphatias, three hundred and seventy-two, ⁵ the sons of Area, seven hundred and seventy-five, ⁶ the sons of Phahath-Moab, sons of Joshua and of Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve, ⁷ the sons of Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four, ⁸ the sons of Zethua, nine hundred and forty-five, ⁹ the sons of Zechariah, seven hundred and sixty, ¹⁰ the sons of Bani, six hundred and forty-two, ¹¹ the sons of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-three, ¹² the sons of Azgad, one thousand two hundred and twenty-two, ¹³ the sons of Adonicham, six hundred and sixty-six, ¹⁴ the sons of Béguaï, two thousand fifty-six, ¹⁵ the sons of Adin, four hundred and fifty-four, ¹⁶ the sons of Ater, of the family of Hezekiah, ninety-eight, ¹⁷ the sons of Besai, three hundred and twenty-three, ¹⁸ the sons of Jora, one hundred and twelve, ¹⁹ the sons of Hasum, two hundred and twenty-three, ²⁰ the sons of Gebbar, ninety-five, ²¹ the sons of Bethlehem, one hundred and twenty-three, ²² the people of Netophah, fifty-six, ²³ the people of Anathoth, one hundred and twenty-eight, ²⁴ the sons of Azmaveth, forty-two, ²⁵ the sons of Cariatharia, Cephirah, and Beroth, seven hundred and forty-three, ²⁶ the sons of Ramah and Gibeah, six hundred and twenty-one, ²⁷ the people of Machmas, one hundred and twenty-two, ²⁸ the people of Bethel and Hai, two hundred and twenty-three, ²⁹ the sons of Nebo, fifty-two, ³⁰ the sons of Megbis, one hundred and fifty-six, ³¹ the sons of the other Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four, ³² the sons of Harim, three hundred and twenty, 33 the sons of Lod, Hadid and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-five, ³⁴ the sons of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five, ³⁵ the sons of Senaa, three thousand six hundred and thirty. ³⁶ Priests: the sons of Iadaiah, of the house of Joshua, nine hundred and seventy-three, ³⁷ the sons of Emmer, one thousand fifty-two, ³⁸ the sons of Phashur, one thousand two hundred and forty-seven, ³⁹ the sons of Harim, one thousand seventeen. ⁴⁰ Levites: the sons of Joshua and of Cedmiel, of the sons of Oduyah, seventy-four. ⁴¹ Singers: the sons of Asaph, one hundred and twenty-eight. ⁴² The sons of the gatekeepers: the sons of Sellum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Telmon, the sons of Accub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Sobai, in all one hundred and thirty-nine. ⁴³ The Nathinese: the sons of Siha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth, ⁴⁴ the sons of Ceros, the sons of Sia, the sons of Phadon, ⁴⁵ the sons of Lebanah, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Acub, ⁴⁶ the sons of Hagab, the sons of Selmai, the sons of Hanan, ⁴⁷ the sons of Gaddel, the sons of Gaher, the sons of Ra'aia, ⁴⁸ the sons of Rasin, the sons of Necodah, the sons of Gazam, ⁴⁹ the sons of Aza, the sons of Phasea, the sons of Beseus, ⁵⁰ the sons of Azena, the sons of Munim, the sons of Nephusim, ⁵¹ the sons of Bacbuc, the sons of Hacupha, the sons of Harhur, ⁵² the sons of Besluth, the sons of Mahida, the sons of Harsa, ⁵³ the sons of Bercos, the sons of Sisara, the sons of Tema, ⁵⁴ the sons of Nasia, the sons of Hatipha. ⁵⁵ Sons of Solomon's servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Pharuda, ⁵⁶ the sons of Jala, the sons of Dercon, the sons of Geddel, ⁵⁷ the sons of Shaphatia, the sons of Hatil, the sons of Phochereth-Ashebaim, the sons of Ami. ⁵⁸ Total of the Nathanaeans and the sons of Solomon’s servants: three hundred and ninety-two. ⁵⁹ These are those who went from Tel-Melah, Tel-Harsah, Cherub, Addon, Emmer, and were unable to make known their ancestral house and their lineage, to show that they were of Israel: ⁶⁰ the sons of Dalaias, the sons of Tobias, the sons of Necod, six hundred and fifty-two. ⁶¹ And among the sons of the priests: the sons of Hobiah, the sons of Accos, the sons of Berzelai, who had taken as his wife one of the daughters of Berzelai the Gileadite and was called by their name. ⁶² They searched for their titles attesting to their genealogies, but they could not be found; they were declared impure and excluded from the priesthood., ⁶³ and the governor forbade them to eat most holy things, until a priest stood up to consult God through the Urim and Thummim. ⁶⁴ The entire assembly consisted of forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty people, ⁶⁵ not counting their male and female servants, who numbered seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven, among them were two hundred male and female singers. ⁶⁶ They had seven hundred and thirty-six horses, two hundred and forty-five mules, ⁶⁷ four hundred and thirty-five camels and six thousand seven hundred and twenty donkeys. ⁶⁸ Many of the heads of families, when they arrived at the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem, made freewill offerings for the house of God, so that it might be rebuilt in its place. ⁶⁹ They gave to the treasury of the work, according to their means, sixty-one thousand darics of gold, five thousand minas of silver and one hundred priestly tunics. ⁷⁰ So the priests and Levites, the common people, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the Nathanaeans settled in their cities, and all Israel lived in their cities.

Ezra 3

¹ When the seventh month arrived and the children of Israel were settled in the cities, the people gathered together as one in Jerusalem. ² Joshua, son of Josedec, with his brothers, the priests and Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, with his brothers, arose and built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, according to what is written in the law of Moses, the man of God. ³ They set up the altar on its old foundations, for they were in terror before the peoples of the land, and they offered burnt offerings to the Lord there, the morning and evening burnt offerings. ⁴ They celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles, as it is written, and they offered burnt offerings day by day, according to the number prescribed by the law for each day. ⁵ After that, they offered the regular burnt offering, the burnt offerings of the new moons and of all the holy feasts of the Lord, and those of anyone who made a freewill offering to the Lord. ⁶ From the first day of the seventh month, they had begun to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, but the foundations of the temple of the Lord had not yet been laid. ⁷ Money was given to the stonemasons and carpenters, and also food, drink, and oil were given to the Sidonians and Tyrians, so that they could bring cedar timber by sea to Joppa. Lebanon, following the authorization that had been obtained from Cyrus, King of Persia. ⁸ In the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel and Joshua, son of Josedec, with the rest of their brothers, the priests and Levites and all those who had returned from captivity to Jerusalem, set to work and appointed the Levites twenty years old and above to direct the work of the house of the Lord. ⁹ JoshuaCedmiel, with his sons and brothers, sons of Judah, unanimously prepared to direct those who were working in the house of God, likewise the sons of Henadad, with their sons and brothers, they were all Levites. ¹⁰ When the workers laid the foundations of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments were brought in with trumpets, and the Levites, sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the ordinances of David, king of Israel. ¹¹ They began to celebrate and praise the Lord, saying, «For he is good, for his mercy toward Israel endures forever.» And all the people shouted with a great shout to praise the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was being laid. ¹² Many of the priests and Levites and heads of families, who had seen the first house, wept aloud as the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, and many shouted for joy and gladness. ¹³ And the people could not distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from that of the groans of the people, for the people were shouting loudly, the sound of which could be heard far away.

Ezra 4

¹ When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin learned that the sons of the captives were building a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel, ² They came to Zerubbabel and the heads of families and said to them, «Let us build with you, for like you, we honor your God and have offered sacrifices to him since the time of Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, who brought us up here.» ³ But Zorobabel, Joshua And the other leaders of the families of Israel answered them, “It is not fitting that you and we should build the house of our God together, but we alone will build it for the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, king of Persia, has commanded us.” ⁴ Then the people of the land began to discourage the people of Judah, intimidating them in their work. ⁵ He bribed advisors to thwart his enterprise. This continued throughout the life of Cyrus, King of Persia, and until the reign of Darius, King of Persia. ⁶ And during the reign of Ahasuerus, at the beginning of his reign, they wrote a letter of accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. ⁷ And in the time of Artaxerxes, Beselam, Mithridates, Tabeel and the rest of their companions wrote to Artaxerxes, king of Persia, the text of the letter was written in Aramaic script and translated into Aramaic. ⁸ Rehum, the governor, and Samsai, the secretary, wrote to Artaxerxes concerning Jerusalem, a letter worded as follows: ⁹ «Then Rehum the governor, Samsai the secretary, and the rest of their companions, those from Din, Apharsathah, Terphal, Apharsah, Erchua, Babylon, Susa, Deha, and Elam, ¹⁰ and the rest of the peoples whom the great and illustrious Ashnaphar transported and settled in the city of Samaria and other places beyond the river, etc."» ¹¹ Here is a copy of the letter they sent to King Artaxerxes: "Your servants, the people from beyond the river etc. ¹² «Let the king know that the Jews who came up from you to be with us have come to Jerusalem, they are rebuilding the rebellious and wicked city, raising up its walls and restoring its foundations. ¹³ Therefore, let the king know that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, they will pay neither tax, nor tribute, nor toll, which will cause harm to the kings. ¹⁴ Now, since we eat the salt of the palace and it does not seem proper to us to see the king despised, we send the king information on this subject. ¹⁵ If you search the book of the annals of your fathers, you will find in the book of annals that this city was a rebellious city, causing damage to kings and provinces, and that rebellion had been taking place there since ancient times. That is why this city was destroyed. ¹⁶ We inform the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, you will thereby possess nothing beyond the river.» ¹⁷ The king sent this reply to Rehum, the governor, to Samsai, the secretary, and to the rest of their companions, who were living in Samaria and in other places beyond the river: «Greetings etc. ¹⁸  »"The letter you sent us was read clearly in front of me.". ¹⁹ I gave an order and research was conducted, and it was found that, from ancient times, this city rose up against kings and that sedition and revolt were practiced there. ²⁰ There were powerful kings in Jerusalem, masters of all the land beyond the river, and they were paid tax, tribute, and tolls. ²¹ Therefore, give orders to stop the work of these people, so that this city may not be rebuilt until I give an order concerning this matter. ²² Beware of being negligent in this matter, lest the evil increase to the detriment of kings.» ²³ So, as soon as the copy of King Artaxerxes' letter had been read before Rehum, Samsai the secretary, and their companions, they went with haste to Jerusalem to the Jews and made them stop the work by violence and force. ²⁴ Then the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped and was interrupted until the second year of the reign of Darius, king of Persia.

Ezra 5

¹ The prophets Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Addo prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, who was upon them. ² Then Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel and Joshua, sons of Josedec, arose and began to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem, and with them were the prophets of God who assisted them. ³ At the same time, Thathanai, governor of beyond the river, Stharbuzanai, and their companions came to them and spoke thus: "Who gave you permission to build this house and raise these walls?"« ⁴ So we spoke to them, telling them the names of the men who were building this structure. ⁵ But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they were not made to stop their work until the report reached Darius and a letter returned on the subject. ⁶ Copy of the letter that Stharbuzanai and their companions from Arphasach, who lived beyond the river, sent to King Darius Thathanai, governor of beyond the river. ⁷ They sent him a report and this is what was written in it: «To King Darius, perfect greetings. ⁸ Let the king know that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built with enormous stones and timbers are being laid in the walls; this work is being carried out diligently and is flourishing under their hands. ⁹ So we questioned these elders and asked them, "Who gave you permission to build this house and raise these walls?"« ¹⁰ We also asked them for their names so that we could make them known to you, in order to write down the names of the men who are in charge of them. ¹¹ Here is the answer they gave us: «We are servants of the God of heaven and earth and we are rebuilding the house that was built long ago, many years ago, and which a great king of Israel built and completed. ¹² But after our fathers angered the God of heaven, he delivered them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and took the people captive to Babylon. ¹³ However, in the first year of Cyrus, king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree allowing the rebuilding of this house of God. ¹⁴ And even King Cyrus removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver utensils of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which was in Jerusalem and transported to the temple of Babylon; they were given to the one named Sasabasar, whom he appointed governor. ¹⁵ And he said to him, “Take these utensils and go and place them in the temple which is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its site.”. ¹⁶ Then Sasabasar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem, and from then until now it is still being built and is not yet finished.» ¹⁷ Now, if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the king's treasury there in Babylon to see if there is a decree issued by King Cyrus authorizing the construction of this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king convey to us his will in this matter.»

Ezra 6

¹ Then King Darius issued a decree and a search was carried out in the house of archives, where the treasures were deposited, in Babylon. ² And in Ecbatana, the fortress which is in the province of Media, a scroll was found on which was written the following document: ³ «In the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus issued this order: that the house of God which is in Jerusalem, that this house be rebuilt as a place where sacrifices are offered, and that its foundations be firmly laid. Its height shall be sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits. ⁴ There will be three rows of dressed stone and one row of wood; the expense will be paid by the king's household. ⁵ Furthermore, the gold and silver articles from the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, shall be returned and brought back to the temple in Jerusalem, to their original place, and you shall place them in the house of God.» ⁶ «Now, Tattenai, governor of beyond the river, and Stharbuzanai and your companions of Apharsah, who are beyond the river, stay away from there, ⁷ and let the work on this house of God continue, so that the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews may rebuild this house of God on its former site. ⁸ This is the order I give concerning what you must do with these elders of the Jews to rebuild this house of God: out of the king's property, from the taxes from beyond the river, the expense shall be paid exactly to these men, so that there shall be no interruption. ⁹ What is needed for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven—young bulls, rams, and lambs, wheat, salt, wine, and oil—according to the ordinance of the priests in Jerusalem, shall be given to them daily without fail, ¹⁰ so that they may offer pleasing aroma sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons. ¹¹ I also give this order: If anyone changes this word, let a beam be taken from his house, let him be hung on it and fastened, and let his house be made a heap of rubbish for this reason. ¹² May the God who has placed his name there overthrow any king or people who would extend a hand to change this decree and destroy this house of God which is in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have given this order: let it be carried out promptly.» ¹³ Then Thathanai, governor of beyond the river, Stharbuzanai and their companions punctually complied with the order that King Darius had sent them. ¹⁴ And the elders of Israel began to build and made progress, supported by the prophecies of Haggai the prophet and of Zechariah son of Addo. They built and finished, according to the command of the God of Israel and according to the command of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. ¹⁵ This house was completed on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. ¹⁶ The children of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the sons of the captivity, joyfully dedicated this house of God. ¹⁷ They offered, for the dedication of this house of God, one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and, as sin offerings for all Israel, twelve goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. ¹⁸ They established the priests according to their divisions and the Levites according to their classes for the service of the God who is in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses. ¹⁹ The sons of the captivity celebrated Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. ²⁰ For the priests and Levites without exception had purified themselves, all were clean, and they sacrificed the Passover lamb for all the captives, for their fellow priests, and for themselves. ²¹ The children of Israel who returned from captivity ate the Passover, as did all those who had separated themselves from the impurity of the nations of the land to join them in seeking the Lord, the God of Israel. ²² They celebrated with joy for seven days the Feast of Unleavened Bread because the Lord had gladdened them by turning the heart of the king of Assyria towards them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

Ezra 7

¹ After these events, during the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, Ezra, son of Saraias, son of Azariah, son of Helkiah, ² son of Sellum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitob, ³ son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Maraioth, ⁴ son of Zarahias, son of Ozi, son of Bocci, ⁵ son of Abisue, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the high priest,  ⁶ This Ezra came up from Babylon: he was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. Because the hand of the Lord his God was upon him, the king granted him everything he asked for. ⁷ Many of the children of Israel, priests and Levites, singers, gatekeepers and Nathanaeans also went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. ⁸ Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. ⁹ It was on the first day of the first month that he began to go up from Babylon, and it was on the first day of the fifth month that he arrived in Jerusalem, the benevolent hand of his God being upon him. ¹⁰ For Ezra had devoted his heart to studying the law of the Lord, to putting it into practice, and to teaching its precepts and ordinances in Israel. ¹¹ Here is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra, the priest and scribe, a scribe instructed in the words of the law of the Lord and its precepts concerning Israel: ¹² «"Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra, priest and scribe versed in the law of the God of heaven etc. ¹³ I have given orders that all those of the people of Israel, of its priests and of its Levites, residing in my kingdom, who desire to go to Jerusalem, should go with you. ¹⁴ For you are sent by the king and his seven advisors to inspect Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God, which is in your hand, ¹⁵ and to carry the silver and gold that the king and his advisors spontaneously offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling place is in Jerusalem, ¹⁶ as well as all the gold and silver that you find in all the province of Babylon, with the voluntary gifts of the people and the priests, freely offered for the house of their God in Jerusalem. ¹⁷ Therefore, you shall take care to buy with this money bulls, rams, lambs and what is necessary for the oblations and libations which accompany them and you shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God, which is in Jerusalem. ¹⁸ With the rest of the silver and gold, you will do whatever seems good to you and your brothers, in accordance with the will of your God. ¹⁹ Place before the God of Jerusalem the utensils that have been given to you for the service of the house of your God. ²⁰ And the rest of what is needed for the house of your God, which you will have to provide, you will provide after receiving it from the king's treasury. ²¹ And I, King Artaxerxes, command all the treasurers beyond the river that everything Ezra, priest and scribe, well-versed in the law of the God of heaven, asks of you, be carried out exactly: ²² up to one hundred talents of silver, one hundred horns of wheat, one hundred baths of wine, one hundred baths of oil and salt in abundance. ²³ Let everything that is commanded by the God of heaven be diligently carried out for the house of the God of heaven, so that his wrath may not come upon the kingdom of the king and his sons. ²⁴ We also inform you that as regards all the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nathanaeans and any other servants of this house of God, it is not permitted to levy on them any tax, tribute, or toll. ²⁵ And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God, which is in your hand, appoint judges and magistrates who will administer justice to all the people beyond the river, to all those who know the laws of your God, and teach them to those who do not know them. ²⁶ Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let justice be served upon him, whether by death, banishment, a fine, or the prison. » ²⁷ Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who has put it into the king's heart to glorify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, ²⁸ and who turned the favor of the king, his advisors, and all the king's most powerful officers toward me. And I took courage because the hand of the Lord my God was upon me, and I gathered the leaders of Israel to go with me.

Ezra 8

¹ These are the heads of families with their genealogy, of those who went up with me from Babylon, during the reign of King Artaxerxes. ² The sons of Phinehas, Gersom; the sons of Ithamar, Daniel; the sons of David, Hattus, ³ who was descended from Shecheniah, the sons of Pharos, Zechariah and with him one hundred and fifty men registered in the family register. ⁴ From the sons of Phahath-Moab, Elioenai, son of Zerehias, and with him two hundred men, ⁵ the sons of Shekeniah, son of Ezekiel, and with him three hundred men, ⁶ some of the sons of Adam, Abed, son of Jonathan, and with him fifty men, ⁷ of the sons of Elam, Isaiah, son of Athaliah, and with him seventy men, ⁸ the sons of Shaphatias, Zebediah, son of Michael, and with him eighty men, ⁹ the sons of Joab, Obediah, son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen men, ¹⁰ the sons of Selomith, son of Josephiah, and with him one hundred and sixty men, ¹¹ the sons of Bebai, Zechariah, son of Bebai, and with him twenty-eight men, ¹² the sons of Azgad, Johanan, son of Eccetan, and with him one hundred and ten men, ¹³ The sons of Adonicham, the last of them, whose names were Eliphelet, Jehiel, and Samaiah, and with them sixty men, ¹⁴ sons of Begai, Uthai and Zachur and with them seventy men. ¹⁵ I gathered them near the river that flows to Ahava and we camped there for three days. Having looked over the people and the priests, I found none of the sons of Levi there. ¹⁶ So I summoned the chiefs Eliezer, Ariel, Shemeiah, Elnathan, Jarib, another Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Mosollam, as well as the teachers Jehoiarib and Elnathan. ¹⁷ I sent them to Chief Eddo, at the place called Chasphia, and I put in their mouths the words that they should say to Eddo and to his brothers the Nathanaeans who were at the place called Chasphia, so that they would bring us ministers for the house of our God. ¹⁸ And because the gracious hand of our God was upon us, they brought us an intelligent man from among the sons of Moholi, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sarabiah, and with him his sons and his brothers, eighteen in number, ¹⁹ Hasabiah and with him Isaiah, one of the sons of Merari, ²⁰ his brothers and their sons, twenty in number, and from among the Nathanaeans, whom David and the leaders had given for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nathanaeans, all named. ²¹ I proclaimed there, near the river Ahava, a fast to grieve before our God, to implore him for a safe journey for us, for our children, and for all that belonged to us. ²² For I would have been ashamed to ask the king for an escort and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, «The hand of our God is for the good of all who seek him, but his power and his wrath are against all who forsake him.» ²³ And because of this we fasted and we invoked our God, and he answered us. ²⁴ I chose twelve chief priests, Sarabias and Hasabias, and ten of their brothers. ²⁵ I weighed out before them the silver, the gold, and the utensils, an offering that the king, his advisors, his officials, and all the Israelites who were present had brought for the house of our God., ²⁶ And I weighed out, as I handed them over, six hundred and fifty talents of silver, silver utensils worth one hundred talents, one hundred talents of gold, ²⁷ twenty gold cups worth a thousand darics and two vases of beautiful shining bronze, as precious as gold. ²⁸ And I said to them, «You are holy before the Lord and these utensils are holy, this silver and this gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your fathers. ²⁹ Be careful to keep them safe until you have weighed them before the chief priests and Levites and the heads of the families of Israel in Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the Lord.» ³⁰ And the priests and Levites received by weight the silver, the gold and the utensils, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God. ³¹ We set out from the Ahava River on the twelfth day of the first month, heading for Jerusalem. The hand of our God was upon us and saved us from the hands of the enemy and from the ambushes along the way. ³² Having arrived in Jerusalem, we rested there for three days. ³³ On the fourth day, the silver, gold, and utensils were weighed in the house of our God in the hands of Merimuth son of Uriah, the priest. With him were Eleazar son of Phinehas and the Levites Jehozabad son of Joshua and Noadias, son of Bennui. ³⁴ The whole was delivered according to the number and the weight, and the total weight was recorded in writing at that time. ³⁵ Those who returned from exile, the sons of the captives, offered as a burnt offering to the God of Israel twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, twelve male goats for sin, all as a burnt offering to the Lord. ³⁶ They transmitted the king's orders to the king's satraps and to the governors beyond the river, and these supported the people and the house of God.

Ezra 9

¹ When these things were finished, the leaders approached me, saying, «The people of Israel, the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of these countries, they imitate their abominations, those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Amorites. ² For they took some of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, and the holy race allied itself with the peoples of those countries, and the hand of the leaders and magistrates was the first in this transgression.» ³ When I learned of this matter, I tore my clothes and coat, pulled out my hair and beard, and sat in dismay. ⁴ Around me gathered all those who trembled because of the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of the sons of captivity, and I sat in dismay until the evening offering. ⁵ Then, at the time of the evening offering, I rose from my affliction, with my clothes and cloak torn, and falling to my knees, my hands outstretched toward the Lord my God, ⁶ I say: «My God, I am too full of shame and confusion to lift up my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have multiplied over our heads and our guilt has ascended to heaven. ⁷ From the days of our fathers until this day, we have been greatly guilty, and it is because of our iniquities that we, our kings, and our priests have been handed over to the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to shame, as we are still today. ⁸ And now the Lord our God has shown us a little mercy, leaving us a remnant and granting us shelter in his holy place, so that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a little life in the midst of our bondage. ⁹ For we are slaves, but our God has not abandoned us in our bondage. He directed the favor of the kings of Persia toward us, to restore our lives, so that we might build the house of our God and raise up its ruins, and give us a secluded dwelling place in Judah and Jerusalem. ¹⁰ Now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have abandoned your commandments. ¹¹ that you had prescribed for us through your servants the prophets, saying: The land into which you are entering to take possession is an unclean land, defiled by the uncleanness of the peoples of those lands, by the abominations with which they have filled it from one end to the other with their uncleanness. ¹² And now, do not give your daughters to their sons and do not take their daughters for your sons and never worry about their prosperity or their well-being, so that you may become strong, eat the good produce of this land and pass it on forever as an inheritance to your children. ¹³ After all that has befallen us because of our evil deeds and our great sins, although you have spared us, O our God, more than our iniquities deserved, and have left us a remnant like this, ¹⁴ Could we violate your commandments again and ally ourselves with these abominable peoples? Would you not be angry with us until you destroyed us, leaving neither remnant nor survivors? ¹⁵ »The Lord, God of Israel, you are just, for we are but a remnant of survivors today; here we stand before you with our sin, for because of it we cannot stand before you.”

Ezra 10

¹ While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and prostrating himself before the house of God, a very large assembly of Israelites, men, women, and children, had gathered around him, for the people were shedding many tears. ² Then Shekeniah, son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, spoke up and said to Ezra: «We have sinned against our God by bringing foreign women into our midst, women from the people of the land. And now there remains hope for Israel in this regard. ³ Let us now enter into a covenant with our God, in order to send back all women and the children born to them, according to the advice of my lord and of those who fear the commandments of our God. And let it be done according to the Law. ⁴ "Get up, because it's up to you to take charge of this matter. We will be with you. Be courageous and get to work."» ⁵ Ezra arose and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel swear to do as had been said, and they swore to it. ⁶ Then, having withdrawn from before the house of God, Ezra went to the chamber of Johanan, son of Eliashib; when he entered there, he ate no bread and drank no water, because he was mourning over the sin of the sons of captivity. ⁷ A proclamation was issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem, ordering all the captives to gather in Jerusalem., ⁸ and, according to the advice of the chiefs and elders, whoever had not arrived there within three days would have all his property confiscated and would himself be excluded from the assembly of the sons of the captivity. ⁹ All the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem within three days; it was the twentieth day of the ninth month. All the people stood in the square of the house of God, trembling because of the occasion and because it was raining. ¹⁰ Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, «You have sinned by bringing foreign women into your homes, adding to the guilt of Israel. ¹¹ And now confess your sin to the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do his will; separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from foreign women.» ¹² The whole assembly responded, saying in a loud voice: "It is up to us to act as you have said. ¹³ But the people are numerous and it is the rainy season and it is not possible to stay outside, besides, it is not a matter of a day or two, for we have committed a grave sin in this matter. ¹⁴ Therefore, let our leaders remain for the whole assembly, and let all those in our towns who have taken in foreign women come at the appointed times, along with the elders and judges of each town, until the fiery wrath of our God concerning this matter has been turned away from us.» ¹⁵ Only Jonathan, son of Azahel, and Jaasiah, son of Tekuah, opposed this opinion, and Mosollam and Shebethai the Levite supported them. ¹⁶ But the sons of the captivity did as it had been said. Ezra the priest and some men, heads of families according to their houses, all designated by their names, set themselves apart and sat on the first day of the tenth month to consider the matter. ¹⁷ They had finished by the first day of the first month with all the men who had taken foreign wives into their homes. ¹⁸ Among the sons of the priests, there were some who had taken in foreign women, namely: sons of Joshua, son of Josedec and his brothers: Maasias, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedolias, ¹⁹ They gave their word that they would send away their wives and, declaring themselves guilty, would offer a ram as expiation for their sin. ²⁰ Sons of Emmer: Hanani and Zebediah. ²¹ Sons of Harim: Maasiah, Elijah, Shemeiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. ²² Sons of Pashur: Elioenai, Maasiah, Ishmael, Nathanael, Jozabed and Elasa. ²³ Among the Levites: Jozabed, Shemei, Zelaiah, the same as Zelitah, Phataiah, Judah and Eliezer. ²⁴ Among the singers: Eliashib. Among the gatekeepers: Selum, Telem, and Uri. ²⁵ Among those from Israel: Sons of Perez: Remeiah, Jeziah, Melkiah, Minyan, Eliezer, Melkiah, and Benaiah, ²⁶ sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jerumoth, and Elijah, ²⁷ The sons of Zethua: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jerimoth, Zabad, and Aziza, ²⁸ sons of Bebai: Johanan, Ananiah, Zebbai, Athalai, ²⁹ of the sons of Bani: Mosollam, Melluch, Adaias, Jasub, Saal and Ramoth, ³⁰ The sons of Phahath-Moab: Ednah, Halal, Benaiah, Maaziah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Bethun, and Manasseh  ³¹ sons of Harim: Eliezer, Jesiah, Melkiah, Shemaiah, Simeon, ³² Benjamin, Melluch, Samarias, ³³ sons of Hasom: Matthanai, Mattatha, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jermai, Manasseh, Shemei, ³⁴ of the sons of Bani: Maaddi, Amram, Uel, ³⁵ Banaïas, Badaïas, Chéliaü, ³⁶ Vanias, Merimuth, Eliasib, ³⁷ Mathanias, Mathanai, Jasi, ³⁸ Bani, Bennui, Séméï, ³⁹ Salmias, Nathan, Adaïas, ⁴⁰ Mechnedebai, Sisai, Sarai, ⁴¹ Ezrel, Selemiaü, Semerias, ⁴² Sellum, Amarias, Joseph, ⁴³ the sons of Nebo: Jehiel, Mattathias, Zabad, Zabina, Jeddu, Joel and Banaiah. ⁴⁴ All these men had taken foreign wives and several of them had children with them.

Notes on the Book of Ezra

1.1 See Jeremiah 25:12; 29:10. Cyrus. See 2 Chronicles 36, 22.

1.4 Cyrus allowed any Jew who wished to return to Jerusalem to receive from those in their place of residence all the assistance they could obtain for the rebuilding of the temple. It was not permitted to collect money or to take it to distant provinces without the prince's permission. The people of this stay ; who remain in the same place as him. 

1.8 Sassabasar. It is commonly believed that this is the Chaldean name of Zerubbabel, who brought the captives from Babylon back to Judea.

1.10 Second order ; of inferior quality; or of another kind, or finally, according to Greek, Syriac and Arabic, doubles ; that is to say, twice the size of the gold cups.

1.11 Instead of 5,400 vases, we find only 2,499 in the preceding verses; this is, no doubt, because the sacred writer only listed the principal ones.

2.1 See Nehemiah 7:6. From the province ; that is to say, Judea, reduced to a province of the Assyrian empire (see Ezra 5, 8); according to others, of the province of Babylon; that is, the Jews born in Babylon.

2.2 This Nehemiah is probably different from the author of the second Book of Nehemiah.

2.3 Throughout this chapter, when the name of son is joined to a man's name, as from this verse until the 20th^e inclusively, it means descendants, and when it is joined to a city name, as from verse 21^e up to the 35th^e inclusively, it refers to the inhabitants of this city. However, some believe that Phahath-Moab or a place name.

2.31 From the other Elam. A first Elam is mentioned in verse 7.

2.43 The Nathineans. See 1 Chronicles 9, 2.

2.59 Thel-Harsa, etc., are place names, according to most commentators, and men's names, according to some.

2.63 See Nehemiah 7:65. Very holy things, that is to say, what was consecrated and reserved for priests; literally of the Holy of Holies ; a phrase which is one of the superlative forms in Hebrew. In the parallel passage of Nehemiah 7, 65, we read in the plural, very holy things.

2.64 The total of 42,360 is also found in Nehemiah 7, 26; but the partial sums of the preceding verses being put together give only the number 29,818. This difference most likely comes from the fact that of the 42,360 people ready to return to Judea according to Cyrus's permission, there were many who were not included in the census, because they could not produce authentic proofs of their genealogy.

2.68 In his place ; in the place where it used to be.

3.7 The Jews supplied wheat, wine, and oil to the Sidonians and Tyrians, as Solomon had done for the same reason; see 1 Kings 5, verse 20 and following; 2 Chronicles 2, verse 7 and following, that is, so that they may carry the cedar wood of the Lebanon, which were exploited by the Phoenicians, by means of the ships they had in large numbers, while the Jews did not have any, as far as Joppa, today Jaffa, the port closest to Jerusalem.

4.2 Asarhaddon This is Asaraddon, king of Nineveh, son and successor of Sennacherib. He reigned from 681 BC until 668 BC. He had sent captives to Samaria.

4.5 Throughout Cyrus's life, that is, the time that Cyrus still reigned, or about 5 years, until the reign of Darius I^er, son of Hystaspes, in all about fourteen years old.

4.6 Ahasuerus, Xerxes I^er, son and successor of Darius I^erHe reigned from 485 to 465 BC. He married Esther.

4.7 Artaxerxes I^er, nicknamed Longmain, son and successor of Xerxes I^er, reigned from 465 to 424 BC.

4.9 Dineans, probably the ancient inhabitants of the town of Din, north of Susiana. ― Apharsathacheans, Herodotus' Paretachenes, I, 101, on the borders of Persia and Media. ― Therphalians, the Tapures of Ptolemy, VI, 2, 6, who lived east of the Elymaide. ― Apharseans, inhabitants of Harfati, that is to say, of Susiana. ― Erchueans, the people of Erech, see Genesis 10, 10, today Warka, in Chaldea, on the western bank of the lower Euphrates. ― Babylonians, the people transported from Babylon, the ancient capital of Chaldea, on the Euphrates, where the Jews had been held captive. ― Susanicheans, the inhabitants of the city of Susa, capital of Susiana, on the Ulai or Choaspe river. ― Diévéens, in the original Hebrew text, the Deens, that is to say, the Daeans of the Greeks (Herodotus, I, 125), a tribe of mountain dwellers who inhabited northern Persia. ― Elamites, inhabitants of the land of Elam, north of the Persian Gulf.

4.10 Samaria It gives its name here to the entire country of which it was the capital. On the city itself, see 1 Kings, note 16.24. ― Asenaphar is either an alteration of the name of Asaraddon (verse 2), or a general of that king, or Ashurbanipal.

4.11 Beyond the river of the Euphrates.

4.14 Salt here takes himself for food in general, and even, according to many exegetes, for interview, salary, because at that time, not only the pay of workers, soldiers and the wages of servants, but also the fees of court officers, were partly paid with salt.

4.16 If Jerusalem is rebuilt from its ruins and fortified, the king of Persia will lose all his possessions west of the Euphrates, because the inhabitants of Jerusalem are seditious, always ready to revolt and fan the flames of rebellion, and when their city is fortified, they will be able to stand up to the king of Persia.

4.23 With a strong arm ; That is to say, by violence and force, literally by Hebraism and Chaldeanism, with one arm and strength.

4.24 This verse should begin the next chapter, because it refers to what follows and not what precedes it. The letter that has just been quoted, which was addressed to Artaxerxes I^er (465 to 424) is later than the events mentioned in verse 24 and chapter 5, which take us back to the second year of Darius I^er, Hystaspes, son of Jesus, that is, in the year 522, since this prince reigned from 523 to 485 BC. The letter from the Samaritans was inserted into chapter 4 to provide an overview of all the difficulties that the enemies of God's people had caused them; in verse 24, the historian goes back to retrace the course of events. The letter speaks of the walls and fortifications of Jerusalem; chapter 5 deals with the rebuilding of the temple.

5.1 Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Addo. These are the sacred authors of this name, who occupy the tenth and eleventh rank in the collection of writings of the minor prophets.

5.3 Thathanaï was the Persian governor of the Great King's possessions in the west of the river of the Euphrates. ― Stharbuzanaï was probably his secretary, in any case the most important of the officers who had accompanied him.

5.5 The Persian officers agreed that the work continued pending Darius' decision.

5.6 Arphasacheans, no doubt the Apharsathacheans mentioned above, see Ezra 4, 9.

5.7 The word, etc.; the letter they had sent him was written in these terms.

5.13 The first year of Cyrus, king of Babylon. This refers to the first year of Cyrus' reign in Babylonia, not Persia, around 536 BC.

5.15 In its place. See Ezra 2, 68.

5.17 In the king's library. Libraries dated back to the earliest antiquity in Babylonia and Chaldea, and in recent years some of the books they contained have been rediscovered.

6.2 He found himself in Ecbatana. The sought-after document was not found in Babylon, but it was undoubtedly learned there that it had been transported to Ecbatana, where it was indeed found. Ecbatana, located in Media near the present-day city of Hamadan, was the summer residence of the Persian and Parthian kings. castle This must have been the part of the city that contained the royal palace and was therefore the best fortified. Ecbatana had been built by Deioces, king of the Medes, and it was rebuilt and enlarged by Arphaxad or Phraortes, who succeeded Deioces and reigned from 690 to 655 BC.

6.3 Sixty cubits, Approximately thirty meters. The length of the building is not indicated.

6.9 Let them be given, is certainly implied, since the words calves, lambs, etc., are in the accusative case in the Vulgate.

6.14 Artaxerxes I^er having reigned only after Darius and the temple having been completed in the 6th^e In the year of Darius, 516, the name of Artaxerxes must have been placed here by Ezra because of the edict that the latter king issued in favor of the Temple in Jerusalem, which is mentioned later, see Ezra 7, 12-26. See in particular verses 15 to 17, 19 and 20.

6.15 The month of Adar It began at the new moon in February. Adar was the twelfth month of the Hebrew year, and the sixth year of the reign of Darius corresponds to the year 516 BC.

6.18 In their classes. See 1 Chronicles 23, 6. ― As it is written, etc. See Numbers, 3, 6 ; 8, 9-15.

6.22 The solemnity of the unleavened bread, the Easter holiday. ― From the King of Assur, of Darius, king of Persia, who is called king of Assyria, because he was master of that country, whose name was so well known in Israel. Here he refers to Babylonia, because during the time of Persian rule, Babylonia, which formed one of the most important provinces of the kingdom of the great king, was called Assyria, as Xenophon and other Greek authors tell us.

7.1 Artaxerxes I^er Longuemain (465-424 BC).

7.6 He was a scribe. Ezra is the first to bear this title, which means: learned in the science of Mosaic law or in the explanation of the Scriptures, as explained below in verse 12.

7.6; 7.9 The hand ; that is to say, visible protection.

7.7 The seventh year, in 459 BC.

7.10 The precepts and ordinances. This is the usual translation; but the Hebrew text uses the singular and without the definite article., precept and ordinance.

7.14 From ; literally of the face, Or, according to the Chaldean, which is the Hebrew text here, front. ― Of his seven advisors. The King of Persia had seven advisors or ministers who were the highest dignitaries of the state.

7.21 Beyond the river of the Euphrates.

7.22 See, for horns And bats, 1 Kings, 7, 26; 24, 22.

7.25 In your hand ; in your possession, that which you possess.

8.2 and following The sons, that is to say, the descendants.

8.3 The author notes that this Shechenias was of the race of Pharos, to distinguish him from another Shechenias mentioned in verse 5.

8.4 Phahath-Moab. See Ezra 2, 6.

8.15 Ahava is unknown. It was probably a canal branching off from the Euphrates, in the vicinity of Babylon. It was there that the caravan formed, to set off for Palestine.

8.17 Chasphia, an unknown location, but one that was certainly in the vicinity of Babylon. ― The Nathineans These were the ones whom David and the leaders of Israel had dedicated to the service of the Temple and the Levites, to fill the lowly offices there.

8.20 They were called by their names ; in Hebrew, marked, traced by names, by name ; probably in a list that Eddo (verse 17) drew up and sent to Ezra.

8.22 Favorable ; literally and through Hebraism in kindness, with kindness, that's to say Good. Compare to Ezra 7, 9; 8, 18; Ezra, 2, vv. 8, 18. 

8.27 Drachmas. The Hebrew text reads darics, a Persian coin which took its name from Darius.

8.36 Who were near ; literally the presence.

9.1 Their abominations, acts of idolatrous worship.

9.4 At the evening sacrifice, at the time when a sacrifice was offered in the temple in the evening.

9.8 So that a remainder, etc. Most of the Jews had remained captive and scattered. Those who had returned from Babylon were still only a very small number; they were like a handful of people who had survived a general shipwreck. A stake ; That is to say, a fixed and permanent dwelling. A little bit of life happier; for although the Jews were not in captivity, they were still in some respects in servitude, since they continued to live under the control of their masters.

9.9 A hedge; an enclosure, for a safe shelter. ― Before the king of Persia. The Hebrew text uses the plural "kings of Persia" because it refers not only to Artaxerxes, but also to Cyrus and Darius, who not only authorized the rebuilding of the Temple, but also contributed to it with their gifts.

9.12 See Deuteronomy 7:3.

9.14 So that we, etc.; literally so that we do not return and do not surrender ; Hebraism for, so that we do not return.

10.6 The expression eat bread and drink water simply means eat and drink, take in food.

10.7 A voice ; that's to say an announcement, a notice.

10.9 The ninth month, named Casleu, It began at the new moon in November. — The season made the rains more inconvenient; perhaps also because these rains were very heavy and stormy, the Jews regarded them as a sign of divine wrath. — The rains are often considerable at this time of year in Jerusalem and sometimes fall in torrents.

10.16 The tenth month, called Tebet, began at the new moon in December.

10.44 Who had given birth to sonsthat is to say, they even sent back women foreign women who had children, although this circumstance could have provided their husbands with a pretext to keep them.