Book introduction
The book of Ezra
Ezra tells how the exiles came home from Babylon. The first group rebuilds the temple against opposition. Decades later, Ezra the scribe arrives to teach God’s law and lead the people in repentance.
Who wrote Ezra?
Tradition credits Ezra himself, and parts are written in his own voice. Ezra and Nehemiah were one book in the Hebrew Bible. Many scholars think an editor put them together from memoirs and records.
When was it written?
Covers 538–about 457 BC. Written around 440–400 BC.
Main themes
- God moves kings
- He stirs the heart of Cyrus to send the people home.
- Rebuilding worship first
- The altar and temple come before the walls.
- The word in the center
- Ezra set his heart to study the law, do it, and teach it.
Outline of Ezra
Key verses
They sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to Yahweh: “For he is good; his steadfast love toward Israel endures forever.” And all the people gave a great shout as they praised Yahweh, because the foundation of the house of Yahweh had been laid.
For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of Yahweh, to do it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.
For we are slaves, yet our God has not abandoned us in our slavery. He has extended his steadfast love to us before the kings of Persia, to give us new life to rebuild the house of our God and restore its ruins, and to give us a protective wall in Judah and Jerusalem.
Quoted from the Lumin Translation.
Where to start
Chapter 1 opens with Cyrus’s decree. Read through the temple’s completion in chapter 6.
Ask about this book
Questions about Ezra?
Lumin answers in a few sentences and shows each verse it cites in full.
Keep going
Keep asking in the Lumin app.Keep this conversation going on the web.
The same short answers with the verse beside each one, plus your saved questions, prayer, and the whole Bible to read in.
Make a free Lumin account and this conversation opens in Ask, ready for your next question. Your saved questions, prayer, and the whole Bible come with it.
All 66 books· Bible map· Search the Bible· Ask
Each introduction gives the traditional view and the main views scholars hold today. Where Christians disagree, it says so.
Report an error in this introduction. If we agree, we fix it and add a dated note.
This inbox is for corrections. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 in the US and Canada, call 116 123 in the UK and Ireland, or find your country’s line at findahelpline.com.