History:
Ezra

Poor Ezra.  Despite the relative length of his ten chapters, few people preach from his words.  Few people memorize his words.  Even the prolific C.H. Spurgeon could only muster one sermon and two devotions from Ezra's pages.

Perhaps what is important here is not the actual words of Ezra but the actions, both external and internal, that they describe.  By rebuilding the temple and by setting themselves apart as Holy to the Lord, the returned people of Israel renew themselves as a vessel for God's direction and grace.

Left: Ezra reads the book of the law.

 

The Bare Facts

Who: Virtually no one argues that Ezra did not write Ezra.  He is remembered as a scribe and spiritual leader.Where:   Since the action and emphasis center on Jerusalem and since we know that Ezra arrived in Jerusalem around 458 B.C., there's no reason to look for any other site.When:  The book was probably written in the last third of the fifth century B.C.: 433-400 B.C.

What:  Ezra writes about the revival of faith in the Land of Promise after the Babylonian Exile.  Through God's Providence, Cyrus of Persia allowed the Jews to return to Israel, but that alone did not constitute a restoration.  Ezra's words describe the small-scale restoration of the covenant effected by this return.

Also Known As: 1 Esdras (Catholic)

Memorable Passages
7:28	The hand of the Lord was upon me.

Overviews and Outlines

An Introduction to the Books of Ezra-Nehemiah

An outlined introduction by David Malick.

An Argument to the Books of Ezra-Nehemiah

One of David Malick's rhetorical outlines.

The Book of Ezra

An introduction to the book by Arend Remmers.

The Book of Ezra

A teaching outline of the book by Greg Herrick.

Bible Basics

A very brief list of facts, but it includes a wav file pronouncing the book's title.

Easton Bible Dictionary: Ezra

The article from M.G. Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary.

Catholic Encyclopedia: Esdras

The appropriate entry from the public domain edition of this venerable reference work.

Columbia Encyclopedia: Ezra

A brief article from the 2001 edition of this reference work.

Bible Explained

This is a commentary by an energetic fellow named Ted Wade.  He provides brief notes on each chapter and most verses for the entire Bible.

Luther Productions

A very brief overview including key verses.

The Blue Letter Bible

An excellent source for text, cross-references, concordance, language helps, commentaries, and more.

JPS Bible

The JPS 1917 Bible text and another Jewish version.  There are links that supposedly go to two Hebrew and one Aramaic text but they don't seem to work.

Jewish Encyclopedia

An article from the 1901-06 reference work.  Generally liberal in its critical presuppositions.

Bible Studies: Whole Book

The Return to the Promised Land

A lesson from Bob Deffinbaugh's series From Creation to the Cross.

Lessons from Ezra for Believers Today

A lengthy study by Michael Hardt

Love the Lord Bible Studies: Ezra

A ten-lesson study with questions from an Arkansas-based ministry.  They seem orthodox enough, although the statement of faith makes me wonder if they're not into prosperity gospel teachings.

The Book of Ezra

A lengthy commentary by L.M. Grant

The Book of Ezra: Rossier

A commentary by H.L. Rossier.

Talks for Growing Christians

A nifty study, which includes a brief sermon, question, and answers.  A project from Talks for Growing Christians.

Geneva Notes

In 1599, English Puritans, working in Geneva, published the first study Bible.  These are the notes from that edition.

Coffman's Commentary

A verse-by-verse commentary by Dr. James Burton Coffman, a leading Church of Christ scholar.

Matthew Henry's Commentary

The chapter-by-chapter 1712 commentary by the great English Puritan writer..

John Wesley Notes

Over his career, the founder of Methodism maintained notes on the entire Bible.

JFB Commentary

The comments of Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown from Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871).

Clarke's Commentary

The first chapter for this book from Adam Clarke's nineteenth-century commentary.

John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

The commentary of the 17th century Baptist theologian and preacher.

Class Notes on Sacred History

An 1893 commentary by J.W. McGarvey.

Scofield Reference Notes

The notes from the 1917 edition of the great study Bible.  From a dispensationalist viewpoint.

Old Testament Life and Literature

Gerald Larue's 1968 overview of the Old Testament is, oddly enough, hosted at an atheist website.  Larue's presuppositions are entirely liberal.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

A combination brief commentary and thorough cross-reference.  Developed by R.A. Torrey.

The Jerome Bible Commentary

A commentary by a Catholic doctor, Jerome Dominguez, M.D.  Is English isn't perfect, but you have to admire his energy.  Although Catholic in orientation, this source has some good material for study.

Bible Studies: Part of Book

Ezra-Nehemiah: God Moves History for his People (ch. 1)

A section from a study by Ralph Davis.  Reformed.

Ezra-Nehemiah: What You Can Discover on the Church Roll (ch. 2)

A section from a study by Ralph Davis.  Reformed.

Ezra-Nehemiah: God's People in Gray Times (ch. 3)

A section from a study by Ralph Davis.  Reformed.

Ezra-Nehemiah: No Surprises or Let the Troubles Begin (ch. 4)

A section from a study by Ralph Davis.  Reformed.

Ezra-Nehemiah: God is the Ruler Yet (ch. 5-6)

A section from a study by Ralph Davis.  Reformed.

Ezra-Nehemiah: The Strong Hand (ch. 7-8)

A section from a study by Ralph Davis.  Reformed.

Ezra-Nehemiah: Trouble in Covenant City, part 1 (ch. 9)

A section from a study by Ralph Davis.  Reformed.

Ezra-Nehemiah: Trouble in Covenant City, part 2 (ch. 10)

A section from a study by Ralph Davis.  Reformed.

The Book of Ezra (ch. 7-10)

A commentary by E. Dennett

Morning and Evening (7:22)

One of C.H. Spurgeon's devotions.

The Hand of the Lord My God Was Upon Me (7:28)

A sermon outline by Mark Copeland.

Fasting for the Safety of the Little Ones (8:21-23)

A 1995 sermon by John Piper

Morning and Evening (8:22)

One of C.H. Spurgeon's devotions.

Sermons

Ezra: The Way Back

The appropriate sermon from Ray C. Stedman's Adventuring through the Bible series.

David Simpson's Sermons

Text and audio links to this Calvary Chapel pastor's sermons.

C.H. Spurgeon

A listing of sermons, some of which are available online, by the great British Baptist.

Steven J. Cole

A 10-sermon series from Flagstaff Christian Fellowship

Sermon Outlines

Links to sermon outlines from SermonLinks.

 

Articles, Books, and Bibliographies

Exemplary Leadership: The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah

A brief article by Chuck Missler.

Geography and History in Herodotus and in Ezra-Nehemiah

An article from Journal of Biblical Literature by Thomas B. Dozeman.

Selected Bibliography of the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah

A brief list of sources compiled by David Malick.

Two-Age Bibliography

A list of recommended sources, mostly scholarly in nature, provided by a website devoted to the "Redemptive Historical" school of theology.

Oxford Bibliography

A brief list of sources from the Theology School at Oxford University.