Discovery BoxEzra 2:1
Context2:1 1 These are the people 2 of the province who were going up, 3 from the captives of the exile whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had forced into exile in Babylon. They returned to Jerusalem 4 and Judah, each to his own city.
Ezra 1:1-11
Context1:1 5 In the first 6 year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to fulfill the Lord’s message 7 spoken through 8 Jeremiah, 9 the Lord stirred the mind 10 of King Cyrus of Persia. He disseminated 11 a proclamation 12 throughout his entire kingdom, announcing in a written edict 13 the following: 14
1:2 “Thus says King Cyrus of Persia:
“‘The Lord God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has instructed me to build a temple 15 for him in Jerusalem, 16 which is in Judah. 1:3 Anyone from 17 his people among you (may his God be with him!) may go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and may build the temple of the Lord God of Israel – he is the God who is in Jerusalem. 1:4 Anyone who survives in any of those places where he is a resident foreigner must be helped by his neighbors 18 with silver, gold, equipment, and animals, along with voluntary offerings for the temple of God which is in Jerusalem.’”
1:5 Then the leaders 19 of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and the Levites – all those whose mind God had stirred – got ready 20 to go up in order to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. 21 1:6 All their neighbors assisted 22 them with silver utensils, 23 gold, equipment, animals, and expensive gifts, not to mention 24 all the voluntary offerings.
1:7 Then King Cyrus brought out the vessels of the Lord’s temple which Nebuchadnezzar had brought from Jerusalem and had displayed 25 in the temple of his gods. 1:8 King Cyrus of Persia entrusted 26 them to 27 Mithredath 28 the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar 29 the leader of the Judahite exiles. 30
1:9 The inventory 31 of these items was as follows:
30 gold basins, 32
1,000 silver basins,
29 silver utensils, 33
1:10 30 gold bowls,
410 other 34 silver bowls,
and 1,000 other vessels.
1:11 All these gold and silver vessels totaled 5,400. 35 Sheshbazzar brought them all along when the captives were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
Ezra 3:1-13
Context3:1 When the seventh month arrived and the Israelites 36 were living 37 in their 38 towns, the people assembled 39 in 40 Jerusalem. 41 3:2 Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak 42 and his priestly colleagues 43 and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his colleagues 44 started to build 45 the altar of the God of Israel so they could offer burnt offerings on it as required by 46 the law of Moses the man of God. 3:3 They established the altar on its foundations, even though they were in terror of the local peoples, 47 and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and the evening offerings. 3:4 They observed the Festival of Temporary Shelters 48 as required 49 and offered the proper number of 50 daily burnt offerings according to the requirement for each day. 3:5 Afterward they offered the continual burnt offerings and those for the new moons and those for all the holy assemblies of the Lord and all those that were being voluntarily offered to the Lord. 3:6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. However, the Lord’s temple was not at that time established. 51
3:7 So they provided money 52 for the masons and carpenters, and food, beverages, and olive oil for the people of Sidon 53 and Tyre, 54 so that they would bring cedar timber from Lebanon to the seaport 55 at Joppa, in accord with the edict of King Cyrus of Persia. 3:8 In the second year after they had come to the temple of God in Jerusalem, 56 in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak initiated the work, 57 along with the rest of their associates, 58 the priests and the Levites, and all those who were coming to Jerusalem from the exile. They appointed 59 the Levites who were at least twenty years old 60 to take charge of the work on the Lord’s temple. 3:9 So Jeshua appointed both his sons and his relatives, 61 Kadmiel and his sons (the sons of Yehudah 62 ), to take charge of the workers in the temple of God, along with the sons of Henadad, their sons, and their relatives 63 the Levites. 3:10 When the builders established the Lord’s temple, the priests, ceremonially attired and with their clarions, 64 and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with their cymbals, stood to praise the Lord according to the instructions left by 65 King David of Israel. 66 3:11 With antiphonal response they sang, 67 praising and glorifying the Lord:
“For he is good;
his loyal love toward Israel is forever.”
All the people gave a loud 68 shout as they praised the Lord when the temple of the Lord was established. 3:12 Many of the priests, the Levites, and the leaders 69 – older people who had seen with their own eyes the former temple while it was still established 70 – were weeping loudly, 71 and many others raised their voice in a joyous shout. 3:13 People were unable to tell the difference between the sound of joyous shouting and the sound of the people’s weeping, for the people were shouting so loudly 72 that the sound was heard a long way off.
[2:1] 1 sn The list of names and numbers in this chapter of Ezra has a parallel account in Neh 7:6-73. The fact that the two lists do not always agree in specific details suggests that various textual errors have crept into the accounts during the transmission process.
[2:1] 3 tn The Hebrew term הָעֹלִים (ha’olim, “those who were going up” [Qal active participle]) refers to continual action in the past. Most translations render this as a simple past: “went up” (KJV), “came up” (RSV, ASV, NASV, NIV), “came” (NRSV). CEV paraphrases: “were on their way back.”
[2:1] 4 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:1] 5 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] 6 sn The first year of Cyrus would be ca. 539
[1:1] 7 tn Heb “the word of the Lord.”
[1:1] 8 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] 9 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] 10 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] 11 tn Heb “caused to pass.”
[1:1] 12 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] 13 sn For an interesting extrabiblical parallel to this edict see the Cyrus cylinder (ANET 315-16).
[1:1] 14 tn Heb “in writing, saying.”
[1:2] 9 tn Heb “house.” The Hebrew noun בַּיִת (bayit, “house”) is often used in reference to the temple of Yahweh (BDB 108 s.v. 1.a). This is also frequent elsewhere in Ezra and Nehemiah (e.g., Ezra 1:3, 4, 5, 7; 2:68; 3:8, 9, 11, 12; 4:3; 6:22; 7:27; 8:17, 25, 29, 30, 33, 36; 9:9; 10:1, 6, 9).
[1:2] 10 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:4] 17 tn Heb “the men of his place.”
[1:5] 21 tn Heb “the heads of the fathers.”
[1:5] 23 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:6] 25 tn Heb “strengthened their hands.”
[1:6] 26 tc The MT reads בִּכְלֵי־כֶסֶף (bikhley khesef, “with silver vessels”). However, part of the LXX manuscript tradition reads ἐν πᾶσιν ἀργυρίῳ (en pasin arguriw), which reflects an alternate Hebrew reading of בַּכֹּל־בַּכֶּסֶף (bakkol-bakkesef, “everywhere, with silver”). The textual variant involves (1) simple omission of yod (י) between two words, a common scribal mistake; (2) haplography of the preposition bet (בּ); and (3) an alternate vocalization tradition of the first term.
[1:6] 27 tn Heb “besides” or “in addition to.”
[1:7] 29 tn Heb “and he gave them.”
[1:8] 33 tn Heb “brought them forth.”
[1:8] 34 tn Heb “upon the hand of.”
[1:8] 35 sn A Persian name meaning “gift of Mithras.” See HALOT 656 s.v. מִתְרְדָת.
[1:8] 36 sn A Babylonian name with the probable meaning “Shamash protect the father.” See HALOT 1664-65 s.v. שֵׁשְׁבַּצַּר.
[1:8] 37 tn Heb “Sheshbazzar the prince to Judah”; TEV, CEV “the governor of Judah.”
[1:9] 37 tn Heb “these are their number.”
[1:9] 38 tn The exact meaning of the Hebrew noun אֲגַרְטָל (’agartal, which occurs twice in this verse) is somewhat uncertain. The lexicons suggest that it is related to a common Semitic root (the Hebrew derivative has a prosthetic prefixed א [aleph] and interchange between ג [gimel] and ק [kof]): Judean Aramaic and Syriac qartalla, Arabic qirtallat, Ethiopic qartalo, all meaning “basket” (BDB 173-74 s.v.; HALOT 11 s.v.). There is debate whether this is a loanword from Greek κάρταλλος (kartallo", “basket”), Persian hirtal (“leather bag”) or Hittite kurtal (“container”). The term is traditionally understood as a kind of vessel, such as “basket, basin” (BDB 173-74 s.v.; HALOT 11 s.v.); but some suggest “leather bag” or a basket-shaped container of some sort (P. Humbert, “En marge du dictionnaire hébraïque,” ZAW 62 [1950]: 199-207; DCH 1:118 s.v.). The LXX translated it as ψυκτήρ (yukthr, “metal bowl”). The precise meaning depends on whether the nouns כֶּסֶף (kesef, “silver”) and זָהָב (zahav, “gold”), which follow each use of this plural construct noun, are genitives of content (“containers full of silver” and “containers full of gold”) or genitives of material (“silver containers” and “gold containers” = containers made from silver and gold). If they are genitives of content, the term probably means “baskets” or “leather bags” (filled with silver and gold); however, if they are genitives of material, the term would mean “basins” (made of silver and gold). Elsewhere in Ezra 1, the nouns כֶּסֶף (“silver”) and זָהָב (“gold”) are used as genitives or material, not genitives of contents; therefore, the translation “gold basins” and “silver basins” is preferred.
[1:9] 39 tn Heb “knives.” The Hebrew noun מַחֲלָפִים (makhalafim, “knives”) is found only here in the OT. While the basic meaning of the term is fairly clear, what it refers to here is unclear. The verb II חָלַף (khalaf) means “to pass through” (BDB 322 s.v. חָלַף) or “to cut through” (HALOT 321 s.v. II חלף; see also Judg 5:26; Job 20:24); thus, the lexicons suggest מַחֲלָפִים means “knives” (BDB 322 s.v. מַחֲלָף; HALOT 569 s.v. *מַחֲלָף). The related noun חֲלָפוֹת (khalafot, “knife”) is used in Mishnaic Hebrew (HALOT 321 s.v. II חלף), and חֲלִיפוֹת (khalifot, “knives”) appears in the Talmud. The noun appears in the cognate languages: Ugaritic khlpnm (“knives”; UT 19) and Syriac khalofta (“shearing knife”; HALOT 321 s.v. II חלף). The Vulgate translated it as “knives,” while the LXX understood it as referring to replacement pieces for the offering basins. The English translations render it variously; some following the Vulgate and others adopting the approach of the LXX: “knives” (KJV, NKJV, NRSV), “censers” (RSV), “duplicates” (NASV), “silver pans” (NIV), “bowls” (TEV), “other dishes” (CEV). Verse 11 lists these twenty-nine objects among the “gold and silver vessels” brought back to Jerusalem for temple worship. The translation above offers the intentionally ambiguous “silver utensils” (the term מַחֲלָפִים [“knives”] would hardly refer to “gold” items, but could refer to “silver items”).
[1:10] 41 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מִשְׁנִים (mishnim) is uncertain. The noun מִשְׁנֶה (mishneh) means “double, second” (BDB 1041 s.v.), “what is doubled, two-fold” (HALOT 650 s.v. מִשְׁנֶה 3). The translations reflect a diversity of approaches: “410 silver bowls of a second kind” (KJV, NASV, RSV margin), “410 other silver bowls” (NRSV) and “410 matching silver bowls” (NIV). BDB 1041 s.v. משׁנה 3.a suggests it was originally a numeral that was garbled in the transmission process, as reflected in the LXX: “two thousand” (so RSV: “two thousand four hundred and ten bowls of silver”). The BHS editor suggests revocalizing the term to מְשֻׁנִים (mÿshunim, “changed”).
[1:11] 45 sn The total number as given in the MT does not match the numbers given for the various items in v. 9. It is not clear whether the difference is due to error in textual transmission or whether the constituent items mentioned are only a selection from a longer list, in which case the total from that longer list may have been retained. The numbers provided in 1 Esdras come much closer to agreeing with the number in Ezra 1:9-11, but this does not necessarily mean that 1 Esdras has been better preserved here than Ezra. 1 Esdras 2:13-15 (RSV) says, “The number of these was: a thousand gold cups, a thousand silver cups, twenty-nine silver censures, thirty gold bowls, two thousand four hundred and ten silver bowls, and a thousand other vessels. All the vessels were handed over, gold and silver, five thousand four hundred and sixty-nine, and they were carried back by Shesbazzar with the returning exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem.”
[3:1] 49 tn Heb “the sons of Israel.”
[3:1] 50 tn The word “living” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied. Some translations supply “settled” (cf. NAB, NIV, NLT).
[3:1] 51 tc The translation reads with some medieval Hebrew
[3:1] 52 tn The Hebrew text adds the phrase “like one man.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[3:1] 54 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[3:2] 53 sn Jozadak (also in 3:8) is a variant spelling of Jehozadak.
[3:2] 54 tn Heb “his brothers the priests.”
[3:2] 55 tn Heb “his brothers.”
[3:2] 56 tn Heb “arose and built.”
[3:2] 57 tn Heb “written in.” Cf. v. 4.
[3:3] 57 tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”
[3:4] 61 tn The Hebrew phrase אֶת חַג־הַסֻּכּוֹת (’et khag-hassukot, “festival of huts” [or “shelters”]) is traditionally known as the Feast of Tabernacles. The rendering “booths” (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV) is probably better than the traditional “tabernacles” in light of the meaning of the term סֻכָּה (sukkah, “hut; booth”), but “booths” are frequently associated with trade shows and craft fairs in contemporary American English. The nature of the celebration during this feast as a commemoration of the wanderings of the Israelites after they left Egypt suggests that a translation like “temporary shelters” is more appropriate.
[3:4] 62 tn Heb “according to what is written.”
[3:6] 65 tn Or “the foundation of the
[3:7] 70 map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[3:7] 71 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[3:8] 73 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[3:8] 74 tn Heb “began”; the phrase “the work” is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
[3:8] 75 tn Heb “their brothers.”
[3:8] 77 tn Heb “from twenty years and upward.”
[3:9] 78 sn The name יְהוּדָה (Yehudah; cf. KJV, ASV, NASB “Judah”) is probably a variant of Hodaviah (see Ezra 2:40; cf. NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).
[3:10] 81 sn This was a long, straight, metallic instrument used for signal calls, rather than the traditional ram’s horn (both instruments are typically translated “trumpet” by English versions).
[3:10] 82 tn Heb “according to the hands of.”
[3:10] 83 sn See Ps 107:1; 118:1, 29; 136:1. Cf. 2 Chr 5:13; 7:3; 20:21.
[3:11] 85 tn Heb “they answered.”
[3:12] 89 tn Heb “the heads of the fathers.”
[3:12] 90 sn The temple had been destroyed some fifty years earlier by the Babylonians in 586
