Title: The title is derived from the principle character of the book. Ezra was both a priest and a scribe. Ezra was a lineal descendant from Eleazer, the son of Aaron, the high priest. All that is given within the body of scripture concerning Ezra is found in Chapters 7-10 ; and in Nehemiah 8-10 .

History: Ezra is a historic continuance of the books of I & II Chronicles . After the seventy years of captivity it picks up with the story of Israel 's return from Babylon and the rebuilding of the temple.

In the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes Longimananus, king of Persia , Ezra received permission from the king to return to Jerusalem to carry out religious reform. After the fall of Babylon to Persia , Persia looked favorably upon the Jews. However, they were not a free people because of the return and remained subjects of the Persian Empire .

Ezra however, acquired influence with the king of Persia . He received a royal edict granting him authority to carry out his work. In addition, he was given permission to take with him as many Israelites as wished to go. He was given financial aid and all the supplies he needed. Even more importantly, he was given the authority to appoint magistrates in Judea , to enforce the law of God, with the power of life and death over the offenders.

When Ezra returned with his people and gave the kings commissions to the existing governors and viceroys, bitter opposition met the work before them. This added to the need for the people to put away the idolatrous influences that they had married into, created a difficult climate for the work of restoration.

Purpose: The purpose of the author is to show how God fulfilled His promise given through the prophets to restore His exiled people to their own land. The book from beginning to end breathes the spirit of a new beginning. This idea of a rebirth extends in two primary areas, the rebuilt temple, and the restitution of worship practices. Great importance is given to the instruction to return to a pure, holy, and set apart status as a people to God.

Ezra 6:19-22 “And the descendants of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 20 For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves; all of them were ritually clean. And they slaughtered the Passover lambs for all the descendants of the captivity, for their brethren the priests, and for themselves. 21 Then the children of Israel who had returned from the captivity ate together with all who had separated themselves from the filth of the nations of the land in order to seek the Lord God of Israel . 22 And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the Lord made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.”

Good Reading !