Ezra was a Jew, sprung from the race of Aaron, and descended from the high priest who was slain at the capture of Jerusalem, 2 Kings 25: 18-21. This book is not a continuous narrative, but consists of two parts separated by several years. The first part, chapters 1—6, contains a narrative of the return of the first caravan of Jews from Babylon, under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua. The second part, chapters 7—10, is an account of an expedition, sixty years after the first, conducted by Ezra himself, accompanied by large numbers of his fellow-countrymen, and empowered to re-establish order and religion.

This book is supposed to have been written by Ezra, who was a great student of the holy writings, and a ready scribe in the Law of Moses. He must have been a man of note among the Jewish captives to have won the favor and trust of the king of Persia. There is an absence of the miraculous, and a great similarity to the books of Chronicles. It shows enthusiasm characterising the beginnings of work for God; then coldness and apathy follow in face of opposition; but when men get back to foundation principles, the work is carried forward to completion.

Ezra continued his labors in Jerusalem for some twelve years after the events recorded in his narrative, and actively co-operated with Nehemiah, to whose history we now

turn. Indeed, though this book was largely written by him whose name it bears, certain portions of it were probably written by the ready scribe, Ezra, who spent the closing years of his life in collecting the sacred books into one volume, and completing the canon of Scripture. Nehemiah was born in exile. In early life he was exposed to great temptation, although the appointment which he held in the Persian court was an honorable one. But he remained faithful, devout, simple-hearted, patriotic, and godly; he was evidently valued by the heathen monarch as a good and faithful servant—‘‘an Israelite indeed, in whom was no guile.’’

He arrived at Jerusalem thirteen years after Ezra, with the rank of governor of the province, and with full authority to rebuild the walls, which, notwithstanding the erection of the Temple, still lay waste. His administration lasted some thirty-six years. The secret of his efficiency lay in his constant bringing of all the problems before God, and of this habit we shall have abundant evidence as we proceed. The book abounds in expressions of his sincerity. Nehemiah was a simple-hearted man, characterized chiefly by humility and purity of motive, and revealing the mighty power that can be exerted by one who has no purpose in life and no power that is not centered in God.

This book is a striking record of the divine providence. In the foregoing books we learn how God watched over the Jews who returned from captivity. This tells us how those who remained still in exile, scattered through the great heathen world, were marvelously preserved. Though the name of God does not occur in this book, yet his hand is

everywhere manifest. His name does not often occur in the daily press, which records the history of our times; yet we may ask whether the workings of God are not also clearly recorded there. Verily our God hides himself.

The time occupied by this story falls between the goingup of Zerubbabel from Babylon to Jerusalem, and that of Ezra. The Persian empire was at the height of its glory, extending from the Indus to the Mediterranean. It is supposed that the Ahasuerus here mentioned was Xerxes, the invader of Greece. The feast in chapter 1 corresponds in point of time to the great council he swmmoned to decide on that invasion. His winter palace was at Shushan, and his court given up to revelry and excess. It is held by some that the book is an extract from the imperial records of the time, and was perhaps drawn up by some pious Jew, Mordecat or another, who was annalist at that time; and if this were the case, it would account for many parentheses and explanations which are inserted, which would not have been required by ordinary Jewish readers.