Lexical Definition

‎עֶזְרָא‎ ʻEzrâʼ (ez-raw') Ezra ^N:N-M-P
a variation of ‎עֶזְרָה‎

Ezra.

• § Ezra = "help"
• Ezra, an Israelite

1) the priest and scribe who led the reforms of the returned exiles in Jerusalem; co-worker with Nehemiah
2) a priest with Zerubbabel
3) another post-exilic Jew

Extended Information

• A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Neh.12.1

Brown-Driver-Briggs

Aramaic form: עֶזְרָא
‎עֶזְרָא‎ proper name, masculine Εσρας, Εσδρας, Εζδρας;

1. Ezra Ezra 7:1; Ezra 7:10; Ezra 10:1; Ezra 10:2; Ezra 10:5; Ezra 10:6; Neh 8:6 called ‎(ה)סֹּפֵר‎ Ezra 7:6; Neh 8:1; Neh 8:4; Neh 8:5; Neh 8:13; Neh 12:36, ‎הַכֹּהֵן‎ Ezra 10:10; Ezra 10:16; Neh 8:2; Neh 8:9, both Ezra 7:11; Neh 12:26.

2. priest with Zerubbabel Neh 12:1; Neh 12:13.

3. Neh 12:33.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Male • Returned priest • Priest; returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel; participated in wall dedication.

Man living at the time of Exile and Return

Ezra was a priest who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel and participated in the dedication of Jerusalem's wall.

• A priest living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Neh.12.1;
• only referred to as Ezra עֶזְרָא.

Ezra, mentioned in Nehemiah 12:1, 13, and 33, was a priest who returned from Babylon to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, during the reign of King Cyrus of Persia. He was among the first group of exiles to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and the city (Ezra 2:1-2). Ezra is listed as the head of a priestly family (Nehemiah 12:13), indicating his leadership role within the priestly community. He also participated in the dedication of Jerusalem's wall, where he led one of the two processions of thanksgiving on top of the wall (Nehemiah 12:33). This Ezra should not be confused with the more prominent Ezra, the priest and scribe, who led a later group of exiles back to Jerusalem and initiated a spiritual reformation among the people.

All entries for Ezra: עֶזְרָא