Ezra 1:1
Konteks1:1 1 In the first 2 year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to fulfill the Lord’s message 3 spoken through 4 Jeremiah, 5 the Lord stirred the mind 6 of King Cyrus of Persia. He disseminated 7 a proclamation 8 throughout his entire kingdom, announcing in a written edict 9 the following: 10
Ezra 1:4
Konteks1:4 Anyone who survives in any of those places where he is a resident foreigner must be helped by his neighbors 11 with silver, gold, equipment, and animals, along with voluntary offerings for the temple of God which is in Jerusalem.’”
Ezra 2:61
Konteks2:61 And from among 12 the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai (who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that 13 name).
Ezra 2:70
Konteks2:70 The priests, the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants lived in their towns, and all the rest of Israel lived in their towns.
Ezra 3:7
Konteks3:7 So they provided money 14 for the masons and carpenters, and food, beverages, and olive oil for the people of Sidon 15 and Tyre, 16 so that they would bring cedar timber from Lebanon to the seaport 17 at Joppa, in accord with the edict of King Cyrus of Persia.
Ezra 5:11
Konteks5:11 They responded to us in the following way: ‘We are servants of the God of heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the temple which was previously built many years ago. A great king 18 of Israel built it and completed it.
Ezra 6:21
Konteks6:21 The Israelites who were returning from the exile ate it, along with all those who had joined them 19 in separating themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the land to seek the Lord God of Israel.
Ezra 7:17
Konteks7:17 With this money you should be sure to purchase bulls, rams, and lambs, along with the appropriate 20 meal offerings and libations. You should bring them to the altar of the temple of your God which is in Jerusalem.
Ezra 7:25
Konteks7:25 “Now you, Ezra, in keeping with the wisdom of your God which you possess, 21 appoint judges 22 and court officials who can arbitrate cases on behalf of all the people who are in Trans-Euphrates who know the laws of your God. Those who do not know this law should be taught.
Ezra 8:15
Konteks8:15 I had them assemble 23 at the canal 24 that flows toward Ahava, and we camped there for three days. I observed that the people and the priests were present, but I found no Levites there.
[1:1] 1 sn In addition to the canonical books of Ezra and Nehemiah, there are two deuterocanonical books that are also called “Ezra.” Exactly how these books are designated varies in ancient literature. In the Septuagint (LXX) canonical Ezra is called Second Esdras, but in the Latin Vulgate it is called First Esdras. Our Nehemiah is called Third Esdras in some manuscripts of the LXX, but it is known as Second Esdras in the Latin Vulgate. (In the earliest LXX manuscripts Ezra and Nehemiah were regarded as one book, as they were in some Hebrew manuscripts.) The deuterocanonical books of Ezra are called First and Fourth Esdras in the LXX, but Third and Fourth Esdras in the Latin Vulgate. The titles for the so-called books of Ezra are thus rather confusing, a fact that one must keep in mind when consulting this material.
[1:1] 2 sn The first year of Cyrus would be ca. 539
[1:1] 3 tn Heb “the word of the Lord.”
[1:1] 4 tc The MT reads מִפִּי (mippi, “from the mouth of”), but this should probably be emended to בְּפִי (bÿfi, “by the mouth of”), which is the way the parallel passage in 2 Chr 36:22 reads. This is also reflected in the LXX, which is either reflecting an alternate textual tradition of בְּפִי or is attempting to harmonize Ezra 1:1 in light of 2 Chronicles.
[1:1] tn Heb “from the mouth of.”
[1:1] 5 sn Cf. Jer 29:10; 25:11-14. Jeremiah had prophesied that after a time of seventy years the Jews would return “to this place.” How these seventy years are to be reckoned is a matter of debate among scholars. Some understand the period to refer to the approximate length of Babylon’s ascendancy as a world power, beginning either with the fall of Nineveh (612
[1:1] 6 tn Heb “spirit.” The Hebrew noun רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) has a broad range of meanings (see BDB 924-26 s.v.). Here, it probably refers to (1) “mind” as the seat of mental acts (e.g., Exod 28:3; Deut 34:9; Isa 29:24; 40:13; Ezek 11:5; 20:32; 1 Chr 28:12; cf. BDB 925 s.v. 6) or (2) “will” as the seat of volitional decisions (e.g., Exod 35:5, 22; Pss 51:12, 14; 57:8; 2 Chr 29:31; cf. BDB 925 s.v. 7). So also in v. 5.
[1:1] 7 tn Heb “caused to pass.”
[1:1] 8 tn Heb “a voice.” The Hebrew noun קוֹל (qol, “voice, sound”) has a broad range of meanings, including the metonymical (cause – effect) nuance “proclamation” (e.g., Exod 36:6; 2 Chr 24:9; 30:5; 36:22; Ezra 1:1; 10:7; Neh 8:15). See BDB 877 s.v. 3.a.2.
[1:1] 9 sn For an interesting extrabiblical parallel to this edict see the Cyrus cylinder (ANET 315-16).
[1:1] 10 tn Heb “in writing, saying.”
[1:4] 11 tn Heb “the men of his place.”
[2:61] 12 tc The translation reads וּמִן (umin, “and from”) rather than the reading וּמִבּנֵי (umibbÿney, “and from the sons of”) found in the MT.
[3:7] 15 map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[3:7] 16 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[5:11] 18 sn This great king of Israel would, of course, be Solomon.
[6:21] 19 tn Heb “who had separated from the uncleanness of the nations of the land to them.”
[7:17] 20 tn Aram “their meal offerings and their libations.”
[7:25] 21 tn Aram “in your hand.”
[7:25] 22 tc For the MT reading שָׁפְטִין (shoftim, “judges”) the LXX uses the noun γραμματεῖς (grammatei", “scribes”).
