Scripture Helps
Ezra 1; 3–7; Nehemiah 2; 4–6; 8
In 539 BC, Persia conquered the kingdom of Babylon. About a year later, the Lord inspired King Cyrus of Persia to issue a decree allowing many exiled Jews in Babylon to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. During the rebuilding efforts, conflict with the Samaritans delayed the work. The temple was finished and dedicated in 515 BC. About 60 years later, King Artaxerxes of Persia appointed Ezra to lead another group of exiled Jews to Judah. He provided Ezra with money and supplies to beautify the temple. Nehemiah was also allowed to travel to Jerusalem about a decade later to rebuild its walls and gates. As they rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, the Jews faced more opposition and worked with weapons in hand to protect themselves until the wall was finished.
Resources
Note: The citation of a source not published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not imply that it or its author is endorsed by the Church or represents the official position of the Church.
Background and Context
What is the book of Ezra?
The book of Ezra provides an account of two groups of Jews returning from Babylon to Jerusalem after the Persian King Cyrus conquered the Babylonian empire in 539 BC. The first group of returning Jews rebuilt the temple and their community in Jerusalem. The book is named after Ezra the scribe, who led the second group to Jerusalem about 60 years after the temple was dedicated. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah were once a single book. They may have been written as a sequel to the books of Chronicles. Ezra and Nehemiah are the last two historical books of the Old Testament that focus on Jerusalem and its inhabitants.
The book of Ezra has two main parts:
-
Ezra 1–6: The first group of Jews returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Although they faced great opposition, they eventually completed and dedicated the temple.
-
Ezra 7–10: Ezra later led another group of Jews to Jerusalem. Ezra sorrowed when he learned that some of the Jews in Jerusalem had married out of the covenant. He counseled the people to repent, and they made a covenant to repent of their sins.
Who was Cyrus?
The Babylonians captured the Southern Kingdom of Judah in 597 BC and exiled thousands of Israelites to Babylon. Later, in 539 BC, Babylon was itself defeated by Cyrus, the first king of the Persian empire. After conquering Babylon, Cyrus permitted many exiled people to return to their homelands. This included the exiled Jews, who were allowed to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. Cyrus’s actions fulfilled prophecies that Isaiah and Jeremiah made many years earlier.
Though Cyrus was not a follower of Jehovah, the opening verse of Ezra points out that his actions were inspired. Referring to Cyrus, President Ezra Taft Benson taught: “God, the Father of us all, uses the men of the earth, especially good men, to accomplish his purposes. It has been true in the past, it is true today, it will be true in the future.”
Who was Zerubbabel?
Zerubbabel was a descendant of King Jehoiachin, who was carried away captive into Babylon. Zerubbabel was appointed as the governor of Judah, making him the last descendant of David mentioned in the Bible to hold a leadership position in Jerusalem. The temple that the formerly exiled Jews built in Jerusalem is sometimes called the temple of Zerubbabel.
Why did the Jews reject the Samaritans’ offer to help rebuild the temple?
The “adversaries” identified in Ezra 4:1 were the Samaritans, who lived north of Jerusalem in the region of Samaria. The Samaritans originated from a mix of Israelites and foreign settlers following the Assyrian conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Because of the Samaritans’ mixed ancestry, the Jews did not consider them to be pure Israelites or true worshippers of Jehovah. These factors likely influenced Zerubbabel and his group to reject the Samaritans’ offer to help rebuild the temple. The Samaritans began to oppose the construction of the temple, which was a major factor in delaying its completion for several years. Eventually, the Samaritans built their own temple on Mount Gerizim. The animosity between the Jews and Samaritans persisted over centuries and remained evident during the Savior’s mortal ministry.
How was Zerubbabel’s temple different from Solomon’s temple?
The temple of Zerubbabel was completed around 515 BC, more than 20 years after the first group of exiles returned from Babylon. It was about the same size as Solomon’s temple and likely had a similar layout. Many of the sacred items that had been taken to Babylon from Solomon’s temple were returned to furnish the new temple. However, the ark of the covenant was not among these items, leaving the Holy of Holies empty. When the foundation for the temple was laid, the people rejoiced. However, many of the older generation who could remember the temple of Solomon wept. This sorrow may have been because the new temple would not be as grand as the first.
Around 500 years later, Herod the Great rebuilt and enlarged the temple on a grander scale. This was the temple that operated in Jerusalem during the mortal ministry of Jesus Christ.
Illustration of the temple of Zerubbabel, by Sam Lawlor
What do we know about Ezra?
About 80 years after the first group of exiles returned to Jerusalem, King Artaxerxes of Persia granted Ezra permission to lead another group of exiles back to the city. Ezra was both a scribe and a priest. Because scribes could read and write, they played significant roles in many ancient cultures. Many Israelite scribes produced and copied scripture texts. From Ezra’s day onward, scribes were also often teachers of the law. Ezra’s roles as scribe and priest, along with his commission from the Persian king, made him an influential leader in Jerusalem. Ezra’s reforms made a lasting impact on the people and contributed to the religious climate that existed during the life of Jesus Christ.
What is the book of Nehemiah?
The book of Nehemiah is the continuation of the account that begins in the book of Ezra. Nehemiah held the position of cupbearer in the court of King Artaxerxes of Persia. After learning that the walls of Jerusalem had still not been rebuilt, Nehemiah asked the king for permission to return to Jerusalem to rebuild them. The king granted Nehemiah’s request and provided him with needed supplies. Under Nehemiah’s direction, the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt in about 444 BC.
The book of Nehemiah can be outlined as follows:
-
Nehemiah 1–6: The rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls.
-
Nehemiah 7–13: The restoration of the community in Jerusalem and dedication of the walls.
Why was it so important to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls?
Rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls was essential for safeguarding the city against potential attackers and military threats. It also helped reestablish Jerusalem’s religious, economic, and political influence in the region. Many neighbors in the surrounding area opposed Nehemiah’s project because they feared the impact it would have on their power and control.
Despite many attempts by Nehemiah’s enemies to hinder the work, Nehemiah and his group finished rebuilding the walls in only 52 days. The speed and quality of the work were so remarkable that even their adversaries admitted that “this work was wrought of … God.”
Nehemiah Inspects the Walls of Jerusalem, by Robert T. Barrett
Who were Sanballat and Tobiah?
Sanballat was the governor of Samaria. Tobiah was an Ammonite official and an influential member of the community in Jerusalem. These men were threatened by Nehemiah’s arrival because they were worried that their influential positions might be compromised.
Why did Shemaiah want Nehemiah to meet him in the temple?
Shemaiah claimed that there was a plot to kill Nehemiah and advised him to seek refuge in the holy place of the temple. Under the law of Moses, Nehemiah was forbidden to enter the holy place because only priests holding the Aaronic Priesthood were allowed to do so. Knowing that Shemaiah had been hired by Sanballat and Tobiah to deceive him and undermine his integrity, Nehemiah rejected the offer.
What was significant about Ezra reading the law to the people?
After the walls of Jerusalem were completed, the people asked Ezra to read the book of the law to them. It is unclear whether Ezra read the entire Pentateuch (the five books of Moses) or selected portions of it. As Ezra read the law, the Levites helped the people understand it, which likely involved explaining it and perhaps even translating it from Hebrew to Aramaic. The people wept when they heard the law being read—likely because they felt remorse for their own failures and those of their ancestors in keeping God’s commandments.
This gathering and the celebration that followed was a significant occasion in Israelite history. The spiritually reformed community, completed walls, and reconstructed temple marked the end of a restoration that began nearly a century earlier when the exiled Jews returned to Jerusalem.
Illustration of Ezra reading scriptures to the people at Jerusalem, by H. Willard Ortlip
Learn More
Ezra
-
Brian D. Garner, “Ezra Unfolds the Scriptures,” Ensign, Dec. 2002, 47–49
Nehemiah
-
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “We Are Doing a Great Work and Cannot Come Down,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2009, 59–62
-
Modesto M. Amistad Jr., “Wanted: Modern Nehemiahs,” Ensign, Dec. 2002, 44–46
Historical period after Ezra and Nehemiah
-
“Between the Old and New Testaments,” Scripture Helps: New Testament
-
S. Kent Brown and Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, “The Lost 500 Years: From Malachi to John the Baptist,” Ensign, Dec. 2014, 56–60
Media
Images
Bible Maps, no. 7, “The Persian Empire”
Illustration of Cyrus the Great
Ezra Called as a Scribe, by Robert T. Barrett