Title. This Bk., with Nehemiah, was by the Jews united in one vol., and called the First and Second Bk. of Ezra. Time. This Bk. embraces a period of 79 yrs., com. with the edict of Cyrus, 536 B.C. Author. Allowed on all hands that portions of the Bk. are fr. Ezra's pen. The first person used ch. vii. 27, 28, and chaps. viii. and ix. Some (De Wette) think that the rest of the Bk. is by another hand. Others assign to Ezra the last 4 chaps. (as Ld. A. Hervey), but think the first 6 are by a dif. author. Others (as Canon Rawlinson) have no hesitation in assigning the whole to Ezra (see Spk. Com. iii. 386-7). But the Bk. is clearly divisible into 2 portions, of wh. Ezra is not equally the author in the same sense. The hist. in the first 6 chaps. (fr. 1st yr. of Cyrus, B.C. 538, to 6th yr. of Darius Hystaspes, B.C. 516) is div. by 57 yrs. fr. the hist. of last 4 chaps., wh. belong to 7th and 8th yrs. of Artaxerxes Longimanus (458 -457 B.C.). Ezra lived in this latter period, and his commission dates 458 B.C. (vii. 14), when he was not less than 30 (he was then a "ready scribe," vii. 6, and teacher of the law, v. 10) and prob. not more than 50 yrs. of age. His birth, therefore, falls in the period 508-488 B.C.; and the events of 538-516 B.C. belong to the time of his father or grandfa. Thus he was the sole author of the second sect. (vii.-x.), and compiler of the first (i.—vi.). An examination of the work itself indicates a strong probability that documents were its main source. The decree of Cyrus (i. 2-4), the letter of Rehum (iv. 8-16), the reply of Artaxerxes (iv. 17-22), the letter of Tatnai (v. 7-17), the decree of Darius (vi. 3—12), are plainly documents. Copies of them would necessarily exist in the Persian archives in Ezra's time, and might probably exist also at Jerusalem. The lists contained in chaps. i. and ii. consisting as they do almost wholly of names and numbers, must also, it would seem, have been derived from documents, since they are far too exact to be the result of mere inquiry. This conclusion, which it would be natural to draw from Ezra alone, is confirmed by a comparison of Ezra ii. with Nehemiah vii. and Esdras v., which contain lists parallel to those in Ezra ii., but clearly not drawn froin them-lists of which the most reasonable account is, that they were taken from the same document that the writer of Ezra used, a document which was illegible in parts, and in others difficult to decipher. If this be allowed, then the documentary portion of the first section of Ezra will amount to 112 verses out of 157, or to considerably more than two-thirds of the whole; and Ezra's own direct contributions to the narrative will be reduced to 45 verses, or less than three-fourths. The High Priests.-Great care was exercised by the Jews in keeping up the descent of the High Priesthood. The following is a list, taken from Calmet, of the High Priests of the Hebrews in succession until the return from the Captivity: From Calmet. 1 Aaron 2 Eleazar From Scrip. 1 Chron. vi. 3-15. From Josephus. 1 Aaron. 2 Eleazar. 3 Phinehas. 4 Abiezer. 5 Bukki. 6 Uzzi. 7 Eli. Died B.C. 8 Ahitub I. 8 Meraioth. 8 Ahitub. 21 Azariah. 18 Sudeas. 19 Julus. 20 Jotham. 21 Uriah. 21 Shallum, father of Azariah, and grandfather of Hilkiah 22 Azariah in the time of Hezekiah 23 Hilkiah, under Hezekiah.. 24 Eliakim, or Joakim, under Manasseh : he lived under Josiah to 624, called Hilkiah. 25 Azariah, perhaps Neriah, father of Seraiah and of Baruch. 26 Seraiah, the last High Priest before the Captivity of Babylon, put to death 27 Jehozadak, during the Captivity, from 590 to 535. 28 Joshua, Jeshua, or Jesus, the son of Jehozadak, or Josedech, returned from Babylon * See Josephus, Antiq. lib. v. c. 15, lib. x. e. 11. 24 Saldum. 25 Hilkiah. 26 Seraiah. 27 Jehozadak. 28 Jesus or Joshua.* 1-4(1) first.. Persia, i first year after cap. of Babylon, full, the 70 yrs of Jer. date from B.C. 605, when took Jers. Lord.. Persia, men are someding God's will when they think only of pleasing res (2) saith.. Persia, etc.. Cyrus was prob. acq. with the wings of Isa. Jer and Dans (3) who.. you, my subof people, the Jews, m. 3-5 include the proclama(whosoever..sojourneth, some might have ties fr. coil not be immediately released. of Cyr-From the circumstances of the case we That with many affictions, there go a consolation and II That we have a striking example of the fulfilment III That God, when He has a purpose to persly being it to pass IV. This God, who thus fulfilled dis wonderful manner, is our Father. V. That of God is a caution to the impenitent. Armin god Grand-Two things are specially remarkable the strongly marked religious character, very dents, and the distinctness with which of God, and thence identifies the God of the God of the Jews. Both these points receive from the Persian cuneiform inscriptions, tegnition of a single supreme god, Ormuzd, and ption to him of the direction of all ing features. In all the Persian monuthe march makes the acknowledgment bestowed on him his empire." Every success is the grace of Ormand." The name of sery other paragraph of the Behistun Joe moments, with such a pervading are ever been discovered among the records those of the Persian kings; and through down to the time of Artaxerxes Ochus, the name sasaline and unapproachable as that of the Tonk of meth and beare. The title "Lord of Heaven," ast of catch and through these Chaldee transla Desin mounds is not indeed in the cuneiform monuto him as an epithet, but the common holisations open sets him forth as "the gare both earth and heaven to man & @dit Benjamin, in whose inheritance the 6-Mentioned by Matt. i 12- |