עֶזְרָא

Ezra 7:1 עֶזְרָא֙ Ezra

Many years later, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,

Here: The hero of the section enters here. Grammatically he is the subject of a sentence whose verb does not come until v. 6 ('this Ezra went up from Babylon'). His name means 'help' and is probably a shortened form of Azariah, 'Yah has helped'.

Ezra 7:6 עֶזְרָא֙ Ezra

this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.

Here: The name means "help". It is probably a short form of Azariah, "YHWH has helped". The name has an Aramaic-style ending, which fits a man raised in the Babylonian exile community.

Ezra 7:10 עֶזְרָא֙ Ezra

For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, to practice it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.

Here: A short form of a name like Azariah, 'YHWH has helped', or simply 'Help'. Ezra is a priest descended from Aaron (7:1–5) and a 'skilled scribe in the Torah of Moses' (7:6).

Ezra 7:11 לְעֶזְרָ֥א to Ezra

This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest and scribe, an expert in the commandments and statutes of the LORD to Israel:

Ezra 10:1 עֶזְרָא֙ Ezra

While Ezra prayed and made this confession, weeping and falling facedown before the house of God, a very large assembly of Israelites—men, women, and children—gathered around him, and the people wept bitterly as well.

Here: Ezra, priest and scribe sent by the Persian king (7:11–26). From here on the story talks about him in the third person; up to 9:15 Ezra was the one telling the story ('I').

Ezra 10:2 לְעֶזְרָ֔א to Ezra

Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, an Elamite, said to Ezra: “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the people of the land, yet in spite of this, there is hope for Israel.

Ezra 10:5 עֶזְרָ֡א Ezra

So Ezra got up and made the leading priests, Levites, and all Israel take an oath to do what had been said. And they took the oath.

Ezra 10:6 עֶזְרָ֗א Ezra

Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and walked to the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. And while he stayed there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.

Ezra 10:10 עֶזְרָ֤א Ezra

Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful by marrying foreign women, adding to the guilt of Israel.

Ezra 10:16 עֶזְרָ֨א Ezra

So the exiles did as proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, each of them identified by name, to represent their families. On the first day of the tenth month they launched the investigation,

Nehemiah 8:1 לְעֶזְרָ֣א to Ezra

At that time all the people gathered together in the square before the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel.

Here: 'To Ezra'. He is the priest and Torah expert sent from the Persian court (Ezra 7). The name probably means '[God is] help'.

Nehemiah 8:2 עֶזְרָ֣א Ezra

On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could listen and understand.

Nehemiah 8:4 עֶזְרָ֣א Ezra

Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for this occasion. At his right side stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, and at his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

Nehemiah 8:5 עֶזְרָ֤א Ezra

Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was standing above them all, and as he opened it, all the people stood up.

Nehemiah 8:6 עֶזְרָ֔א Ezra

Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and with their hands uplifted, all the people said, “Amen, Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

Here: Ezra the priest and scribe (Neh 8:1–2), standing on the wooden platform above the crowd (8:4–5). He leads; the people respond.

Nehemiah 8:9 וְעֶזְרָ֣א and Ezra

Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the Law.

Here: Ezra had just read the Torah scroll aloud from a wooden platform (8:4–5). Now he joins in telling the people not to weep.

Nehemiah 8:13 עֶזְרָ֖א Ezra

On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe to study the words of the Law.

Nehemiah 12:1 עֶזְרָֽא׃ Ezra

Now these are the priests and Levites who went up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

Nehemiah 12:13 לְעֶזְרָ֣א of Ezra

of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

Here: The small prefix le- ("to, belonging to") marks the name of a priestly family, so this means "for the house of Ezra." Ezra here is the ancestor or founder the family is named after (compare 12:1), not the man leading it at this point, and almost certainly not Ezra the famous scribe.

Nehemiah 12:26 וְעֶזְרָ֥א and Ezra

They served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest and scribe.

Nehemiah 12:33 עֶזְרָ֖א Ezra

along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

Nehemiah 12:36 וְעֶזְרָ֥א and Ezra

and his associates—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani—with the musical instruments prescribed by David the man of God. Ezra the scribe led the procession.