We get the genealogy of a man named Ezra, as if to legitimize him in the story by tracing his lineage back to Aaron. Ezra seems to arrive later to Jerusalem, and he went up there with some of the “children of Israel”, so not sure if they are referring to the 10 northern tribes or just other Jews who descent from Judah and Benjamin that were once called the children of Israel.
This can be deceiving because it could imply those of the northern kingdom of Israel returned with Ezra.
We get some flowery description of Ezra “preparing his heart to seek the law of Jehovah” and he ended up in Jerusalem “according to the good hand of his eloha upon him.”
Apparently, the “king of kings”, Artaxerxes, sends Ezra a letter, and boy does it sound like another made up letter to make it sound like these ex captives are way more important than they probably were. Why was the king of king writing to Ezra?? Doesn’t he have servants to do such things? Since when do kings write letters to captives?!
Artaxerxes gives Ezra free will to move back to Jerusalem, and he and his kingly counselors freely give him silver and gold to offer to Jehovah. And the regular people freely gave him gold and silver! Really?!?
7:21 – And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the eloha of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily.
Does this sound like a mandate a king would place for a priest of people that have gone into captivity for disobeying their god and their kings? I don’t think so. Anyways…
So we finally get a reason WHY Artaxerxes has done so:
7:23 – Whatsoever is commanded by the eloha of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the eloha of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?
So Artaxerxes is afraid of the god of heaven, despite the fact we haven’t seen a single word spoken by the god of heaven. This story is getting really hard to believe. As if to frighten those who go against Ezra and the movement to build the temple because Cyrus wrote a decree, the punishment is severe for interference:
7:26 – And whosoever will not do the law of thy god, and the law of the king, let judgement be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
Ezra then praises his god and himself as being a very important person to receive the blessings of of the “hand of the lord”.
Ezra 8 – How Ezra Ends up in Jerusalem
Now the writing is in the first person, in the eyes of Ezra. He again attempts to legitimize the situation by explaining the lineages of the “chief fathers” that left Babylon with him. Interestingly enough, he only lists the males of each lineage. No women? Or they just aren’t important in the scheme of things?
After they leave Babylon, they rest by a river, where Ezra realizes there are no Levites among the people and priests. He reaches out to Iddo (the seer?) requesting ministers for the house of Jehovah. Levites and Nethinims (who seem to be the slave servants for the Levites and somehow were with them in captivity) are sent to him. Since Ezra doesn’t seem to be a prophet, he has the people “fast” so that they can afflict themselves and receive direction. Jehovah “entreats” them but again, vague verse, not a single bit of information how he did this or what he instructed.
He gives the priests and Levites a tremendous amount of silver and gold, and I guess because the king decreed that no one touch them, no highway robbers appeared to steal the gold on their journey (sound realistic?)
All this gold and silver was finally brought to Jerusalem where it was weighed. Burnt offerings were given, and the king’s men on “this side of the river” also received commissions. So, the Jews in Jerusalem weren’t exactly alone with their “adversaries”, the people of the land mentioned before.
Conclusion: This letter was constructed by those of Judah and/or Benjamin to justify their reconstruction of the house of Jehovah and to prevent those around them from interfering, because “the king said so”.
My Biblical Journey 