EZRA OUTLINE

 

THEME: Rebuilding The Temple

 

Chap

Key Words

Outline

 

 

I.    FIRST MIGRATION RETURNING FROM BABYLON TO PALESTINE

1:

Decree

A.  RETURN UNDER ZERUBBABEL THE GOVERNOR AND JESHUA THE HIGH PRIEST     (first year)

 

 

1.    Authority granted to return

 

 

a.    Cyrus of Persia’s decree to Rebuild the temple.  (1:1-4), 536 BC

 

 

b.    Preparation for return.(1:5-11).

2:

Return #1

2.    Those who returned.

 

 

a.        Leaders (2:1,2)

 

 

b.       People (2:3-35)

 

 

c.        Priests (2:36-39)

 

 

d.       Levites (2:40-60)

 

 

e.        Priests without family records (2:61-63)

 

 

f.         Number and Substance (2:64-70)      

            

 

 

B.    REBUILDING THE TEMPLE

3:

Building

1.    Altar and foundation

 

 

a.    Altar (3:1-7)

 

 

b.    Foundation (3:8-13)

4:

Stopped

 2.    Work stopped

 

 

a.    Adversaries (4:1-5)

 

 

(Aramaic text begins)

 

 

 b.   Letters of opposition (4:6-16) (In Aramaic)

 

 

Letter to Artaxerxes (4:11-16) (Pseudo-Smerdis?)                      

 

 

c.    Stop work decree (4:17-22), 536 B.C.  (16 years)                       

5:

Resumed

3.    Work resumed, by rein of Darius

 

 

a.        Prophets, Haggai & Zechariah encourage work (5:1)

 

 

b.       Work resumed about 520 B.C. (5:2) (after 16 years)

 

 

c.        Work questioned by Tettenai (5:3-5)

 

 

d.       Tettenai’s letter to Darius (5:6-17)

6:

Completed

e.        Darius confirms and reinforces Cyrus’s decree (1-12)

 

 

(End of Aramaic text)

 

 

4.    Work completed (6:15-18)   (in 5 years)

 

 

5.    Passover kept, 515 A.D. (6:19-22) 

 

 

 

 (57 year break)     (Book of Esther written here)

 

 

 

II.   SECOND MIGRATION TO PALESTINE

 

 

 (Under Ezra a priest and scribe, --458 B.C. After about 57 years)

7:

Return #2

A.    Ezra’s credentials (7:1-10).             

 

 

(7:12-26 Aramaic text)

 

 

 

B.    Artaxerxes’ Decree (458 B.C.) (vss. 12-26, in Aramaic text)

 

 

 (Longimanus, son of the Ahesuerus of Esther)

 

 

To furnish and finance the temple (7:11-26)

 

 

 

C.        Ezra’s Thanksgiving (7:27-28)

 

8:

Companions

D.    Accounting of people and treasures returned

 

 

1.        Companions who went up with Ezra (8:1-14)

 

 

2.        Levites sent for (8:15-20)

 

 

3.        Fast (8:21-23)

 

 

4.        Treasure entrusted to 12 priests (8:24-30)

 

 

5.        Journey and arrival at Jerusalem (8:31-32)

 

 

6.        Treasure in temple (8:33-35)

 

 

7.        Decree delivered to governors (8:36)

 

9:

Intermarriage

E.    Problem with marriages to heathens

 

 

1.        Problem discovered (9:1-4)

 

 

2.        Prayer and confession of Ezra (9:5-15)

10:

Separation

3.        Marriages with other religions ended.