The Jews return from exile in Babylon and rebuild the Temple.
Key themes: return from exile, Temple restoration, worship.
| Author | Ezra the priest and scribe |
|---|---|
| Date Written | c. 456–444 BC |
| Original Audience | The returned Jewish exiles |
Ezra records the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon in two waves: the first under Zerubbabel (chapters 1-6), focused on rebuilding the Temple, and the second under Ezra himself (chapters 7-10), focused on spiritual renewal and the re-establishment of God's law. The book opens with Cyrus of Persia's remarkable decree allowing the Jews to return and rebuild — a fulfillment of Isaiah's 150-year-old prophecy that named Cyrus as the one who would authorize the Temple's rebuilding. Ezra is introduced in chapter 7 as 'a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses' who 'had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel' (7:10) — a model for every Bible teacher and pastor. The book ends with Ezra's painful confrontation of intermarriage with pagan nations and the community's covenant renewal.
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