Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • A book of the Old Testament: "Book of Ezra" is a book in the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament. It narrates the return of Jewish exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem and the efforts to rebuild the Temple and community in the 5th century BC.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The Book of Ezra describes the decree of Cyrus the Great.
  • We studied the themes of restoration in the Book of Ezra.

Advanced Usage

• "The Ezra narrative": Sometimes used to refer to the combined historical accounts found in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.
  • The Ezra narrative provides crucial post-exilic history.

Variants and Related Words

• Ezra (proper noun): The scribe and priest who is the central figure and traditional author of the book.
  • Ezra read the Law to the assembled people.
• Ezra-Nehemiah (proper noun): In many scholarly contexts, the books of Ezra and Nehemiah are considered a single historical work.
  • The unity of Ezra-Nehemiah is a topic of academic discussion.

Synonyms

• Ezra (when referring to the biblical book).

Related Phrases

• The Law of Ezra: Refers to the Mosaic law as taught and implemented by Ezra.
  • The community pledged to follow the Law of Ezra.

Noun

1. an Old Testament book telling of a rabbi's efforts in the 5th century BC to reconstitute Jewish law and worship in Jerusalem after the Babylonian Captivity