Notes on Ezra
From the Original 1599 Geneva Bible Notes


Ezr 1:1

1:1 Now in the {a} first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the {b} mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the {c} spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and [put it] also in writing, saying,

The Argument - As the Lord is always merciful to his Church, and does not punish them, but so that they should see their own miseries, and be exercised under the cross, that they might contemn the world, and aspire to the heavens: so after he had visited the Jews, and kept them in bondage 70 years in a strange country among infidels and idolaters, he remembered his tender mercies and their infirmities, and therefore for his own sake raised up a deliverer, and moved both the heart of the chief ruler to pity them, and also by him punished those who had kept them in slavery. Nonetheless, lest they should grow into a contempt of God's great benefits, he keeps them still in exercise, and raises domestic enemies, who try as much as they can to hinder their worthy enterprises: yet by the exhortation of the prophet they went forward little by little till their work was finished. The author of this book was Ezra, who was a priest and scribe of the Law, as in Ezr 7:6. He returned to Jerusalem the sixth year of Darius, who succeeded Cyrus, that is, about fifty years after the first return under Zerubbabel, when the temple was built. He brought with him a great company and much treasure, with letters to the king's officers for all things needed for the temple: and at his coming he fixed that which was amiss, and set things in order.

Ezr 1:2

1:2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me {d} all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which [is] in Judah.

Ezr 1:4

1:4 And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, {e} let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, {f} beside the freewill offering for the house of God that [is] in Jerusalem.

Ezr 1:6

1:6 And all {g} they that [were] about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all [that] was willingly offered.

Ezr 1:8

1:8 Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto {h} Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.

Ezr 1:9

1:9 And this [is] the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty {i} knives,

Ezr 1:11

1:11 All the vessels of gold and of silver [were] five thousand and four hundred. All [these] did Sheshbazzar bring up {k} with [them of] the captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.

Ezr 2:1

2:1 Now these [are] the children {a} of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city;

Ezr 2:2

2:2 Which came with {b} Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, {c} Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number {d} of the men of the people of Israel:

Ezr 2:16

2:16 The children of Ater of {e} Hezekiah, ninety and eight.

Ezr 2:21

2:21 {f} The children of Bethlehem, an hundred twenty and three.

Ezr 2:36

2:36 The {g} priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three.

Ezr 2:43

2:43 The {h} Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth,

Ezr 2:55

2:55 The children of Solomon's {i} servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Peruda,

Ezr 2:61

2:61 And of the children of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of {k} Barzillai; which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name:

Ezr 2:63

2:63 And the {l} Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with {m} Urim and with Thummim.

Ezr 2:69

2:69 They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work threescore and one thousand {n} drams of gold, and five thousand {o} pounds of silver, and one hundred priests' garments.

Ezr 3:1

3:1 And when the {a} seventh month was come, and the children of Israel [were] in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem.

Ezr 3:2

3:2 Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the {b} son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as [it is] written in the law of Moses the man of God.

Ezr 3:3

3:3 And they set the altar upon {c} his bases; for fear [was] upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD, [even] burnt offerings morning and evening.

Ezr 3:5

3:5 And afterward [offered] {d} the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the LORD.

Ezr 3:8

3:8 Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the {e} second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem; and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of the LORD.

Ezr 3:9

3:9 Then stood Jeshua {f} [with] his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to set forward the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, [with] their sons and their brethren the Levites.

Ezr 3:12

3:12 But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, [who were] ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, {g} wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:

Ezr 4:1

4:1 Now when {a} the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel;

Ezr 4:3

4:3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; {b} but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.

Ezr 4:5

4:5 And {c} hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Ezr 4:6

4:6 And in the reign of {d} Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they [unto him] an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

Ezr 4:7

4:7 And in the days of {e} Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter [was] written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.

Ezr 4:9

4:9 Then [wrote] Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions; the {f} Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, [and] the Elamites,

Ezr 4:10

4:10 And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble {g} Asnappar brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and the rest [that are] on this side the {h} river, and {i} at such a time.

Ezr 4:13

4:13 Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up [again, then] will they not pay toll, tribute, and {k} custom, and [so] thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings.

Ezr 4:17

4:17 [Then] sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and [to] Shimshai the scribe, and [to] the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and [unto] the rest beyond the river, {l} Peace, and {m} at such a time.

Ezr 4:24

4:24 Then {n} ceased the work of the house of God which [is] at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Ezr 5:2

5:2 Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which [is] at Jerusalem: and with them [were] the prophets of God {a} helping them.

Ezr 5:4

5:4 {b} Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building?

Ezr 5:5

5:5 But the {c} eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this [matter].

Ezr 5:11

5:11 And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a {d} great king of Israel builded and set up.

Ezr 5:13

5:13 But in the {e} first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon [the same] king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.

Ezr 5:14

5:14 And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that [was] in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto [one], whose name [was] {f} Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;

Ezr 5:17

5:17 Now therefore, if [it seem] good to the king, let there be search made in the king's {g} treasure house, which [is] there at Babylon, whether it be [so], that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.

Ezr 6:2

6:2 And there was found at {a} Achmetha, in the palace that [is] in the province of the Medes, a roll, and therein [was] a record thus written:

Ezr 6:5

6:5 And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which [is] at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and {b} brought again unto the temple which [is] at Jerusalem, [every one] to his place, and place [them] in the house of God.

Ezr 6:6

6:6 Now [therefore], Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shetharboznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, which [are] beyond the river, be ye far {c} from thence:

Ezr 6:8

6:8 Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king's goods, [even] of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be {d} not hindered.

Ezr 6:12

6:12 And the God that hath caused his name {e} to dwell there destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter [and] to destroy this house of God which [is] at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed.

Ezr 6:14

6:14 And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of {f} Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished [it], according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

Ezr 6:15

6:15 And this house was finished on the third day of the month {g} Adar, which was in {h} the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

Ezr 6:21

6:21 And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had {i} separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the LORD God of Israel, did eat,

Ezr 6:22

6:22 And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of {k} Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

Ezr 7:1

7:1 Now after these things, in the reign of {a} Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,

Ezr 7:5

7:5 The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of {b} Aaron the chief priest:

Ezr 7:6

7:6 This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he [was] a ready {c} scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.

Ezr 7:8

7:8 And he came to Jerusalem in the {d} fifth month, which [was] in the seventh year {e} of the king.

Ezr 7:12

7:12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect [peace], and {f} at such a time.

Ezr 7:13

7:13 I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and [of] his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill {g} to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee.

Ezr 7:14

7:14 Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to {h} enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which [is] in {i} thine hand;

Ezr 7:18

7:18 And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your {k} God.

Ezr 7:21

7:21 And I, [even] I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which [are] beyond {l} the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily,

Ezr 7:22

7:22 Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred {m} baths of oil, and salt without prescribing [how much].

Ezr 7:23

7:23 Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath {n} against the realm of the king and his sons?

Ezr 7:25

7:25 And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that [is] in thine hand, {o} set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that [are] beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know [them] not.

Ezr 7:27

7:27 {p} Blessed [be] the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put [such a thing] as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which [is] in Jerusalem:

Ezr 8:1

8:1 These [are] now the chief of their fathers, and [this is] the genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of {a} Artaxerxes the king.

Ezr 8:13

8:13 And of the {b} last sons of Adonikam, whose names [are] these, Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them threescore males.

Ezr 8:15

8:15 And I gathered them together to the {c} river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi.

Ezr 8:17

8:17 And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the {d} chief at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say unto Iddo, [and] to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our God.

Ezr 8:21

8:21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict {f} ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

Ezr 8:22

8:22 For I was {g} ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God [is] upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath [is] against all them that forsake him.

Ezr 8:26

8:26 I even weighed unto their hand six hundred and fifty {h} talents of silver, and silver vessels an hundred talents, [and] of gold an hundred talents;

Ezr 8:27

8:27 Also twenty basons of gold, of a thousand {i} drams; and two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold.

Ezr 8:31

8:31 Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth [day] of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in {k} wait by the way.

Ezr 8:33

8:33 Now on the fourth day was the silver and the gold and the vessels weighed in the house of our God by the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest; and with him [was] Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them [was] Jozabad the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah the son of Binnui, {l} Levites;

Ezr 9:1

9:1 Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not {a} separated themselves from the people of the lands, [doing] according to their abominations, [even] of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

Ezr 9:2

9:2 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of [those] lands: yea, the hand of the {b} princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.

Ezr 9:3

9:3 And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down {c} astonied.

Ezr 9:6

9:6 And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased {d} over [our] head, and our trespass is grown up unto the {e} heavens.

Ezr 9:8

9:8 And now for a little space grace hath been [shewed] from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a {f} nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.

Ezr 9:13

9:13 And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our {g} iniquities [deserve], and hast given us [such] deliverance as this;

Ezr 9:15

9:15 O LORD God of Israel, thou [art] righteous: for we {h} remain yet escaped, as [it is] this day: behold, we [are] before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.

Ezr 10:1

10:1 Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had {a} confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.

Ezr 10:2

10:2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, [one] of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is {b} hope in Israel concerning this thing.

Ezr 10:3

10:3 Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away {c} all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.

Ezr 10:4

10:4 Arise; for [this] matter {d} [belongeth] unto thee: we also [will be] with thee: be of good courage, and do [it].

Ezr 10:9

10:9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It [was] the {e} ninth month, on the twentieth [day] of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of [this] matter, and for the great {f} rain.

Ezr 10:10

10:10 And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to {g} increase the trespass of Israel.

Ezr 10:11

10:11 Now therefore {h} make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.

Ezr 10:14

10:14 Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, {i} and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.

Ezr 10:16

10:16 And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, [with] certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by [their] names, {k} were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.

Ezr 10:19

10:19 And they gave {l} their hands that they would put away their wives; and [being] guilty, [they offered] a ram of the flock for their trespass.

Ezr 10:25

10:25 Moreover of {m} Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.

Ezr 10:44

10:44 All these had taken strange wives: and [some] of them had wives by whom they had {n} children.