THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
Kraetzschmar, Gottingen, 1900; P. Schmalzl, Vienna, 1901; C. M. Cobern, New York, 1901; H. A. Redpath, London, 1907. For questions of criticism consult: C. H. Cornill, Das Buch des Propheten Ezechiel, Leipsic, 1886; H. Graetz, Emendationes, vol. ii., Breslau, 1893; D. H. Miiller, Ezechicl-Stuchen, Berlin, 1894; T. K. Cheyne, in Critica Biblica, London, 1903. Various phases are treated in: J. J. Balmer-Rinck, Des Propheten Ezechiel Gesicht vom Tempcl, Basel, 1S58; B. Bantsch, Das Heiligkeitsgesetz, Erfurt. 1S93; A. Bertholet, Der Verfassungsentwurf des Hesekieh Freiburg, 1896. More personal are C. H. Cornill, Der Prophet Ezechiel, Heidelberg, 1882; H. Meulenbelt, De Prediking van den profet Ezekiel, Utrecht, 1SSS; L. Gautier, La Mission du prophete Ezechiel, Lausanne, 1891. Consult also DB, i. 814-820; EB, ii. 1456-72.
EZION-GEBER (EZION-GABER). See Elath. EZRA.
His Powers as a Royal Commissioner (§ 1). His Principal Acts and Methods (§ 2). His Joint Activity with Nehemiah (§ 3). Opposition and Final Success (§ 4).
Ezra, postexilic leader of the Jews and lawgiver, was through his ancestor Seraiah (II Kings xxv. 18) connected with the Aaronic line (Ezra vii. 5). Doubtless this relationship induced him to acquire that familiarity with the law of Moses by reason of which he is called " a ready scribe " (verse 6), which can mean only that he had so mastered its principles and provisions that he was able to give answers on points submitted for his decision. It was Ezra's purpose to bring this law into authoritative application to practical life, a thing which could be done only in the i. His independent community in Judea. Powers as a He therefore put himself diligently to Royal Com- the study of the law so as to set forth missioner. in Israel what belonged to duty and order. Evidently Ezra had gained in the senate of the Diaspora a position of authority as an expert in the written law like that which Zadok had gained under other conditions as a priest-prophet (II Sam. xv. 27). It was only through the authority thus gained as the one man acquainted with the law that he could urge the king (Artaxerxes I.) to grant him his mission, which had to do with political as well as religious conditions. So that he was commissioned to " inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem " (Ezra vii. 14), and "to appoint magistrates and judges" (verse 25) and to execute judgment upon all who were disobedient to the law of God and of the king (verse 26). He was also commissioned to carry the royal gifts and those of the nobility and to draw from the king's treasury other sums up to a specified limit for the reestablishment of the temple service. Such powers are conceivable only in case he was recognized as the trusted representative of the Jews regarded as a religious community apart from the state. This relation influenced the permission of the king for all Jews who wished to accompany Ezra on the return to Jerusalem. But the religious side of his mission most concerned Ezra, and by this he was so engaged that he refused to ask an escort from the king (viii. 22). When he arrived at Jerusalem (458 B.C.) he appeared not only as the king's representative; he was the leader of a reenforcement of the Jewish
community amounting to 1,600 males and the means of bringing rich gifts. So that his coming meant the material strengthening of the Jewish commonwealth and the conveyance of the king's favor. The way in which he went to work demonstrated that he was concerned not to act according to arbitrary and selfish ends, but was there to follow the recognized order of procedure.
The record of the doings of Ezra after his coming to Jerusalem given by himself possesses great accuracy and completeness, as even the mutilated Hebrew text indicates. He evidently delivered the gifts of the king to the appointed authorities, and the firman of permission to the Persian representatives in the land. There are traces also of a census of the Jews already settled 2. His there, for his next task was to investi- Principal gate the condition of the Jews as a Acts and community. The first discovery was Methods, that the practise of intermarry in t; with the heathen round about had been so common that it had invaded even the priestly families. It is characteristic of the man that he did not deal with this matter as the representative of royal authority but as a religious leader, reminding them of their duty to the God who was recalling the nation from death to a renewed life. His pleadings were effectual, and the local leaders of the people were induced to join with him in the movement to purify the community from the evil into which it had fallen. A commission was created to look after the matter, and the business was completed within three months (Ezra ix. 1x. 17).
It is a matter of regret that neither in the memoirs of Ezra nor in the words of the author is there any information concerning the twelve years between the event last narrated and the coming of Nehemiah. On the one side it is clear that the man whose mission was to restore to honor the house of God and who had brought with him a host of those expert in the direction of the services would not be a laggard in the matter of the 3. His Joint organization of affairs so important Activity with to the community and in attempting Nehemiah. to bring the practise of the people into accord with the religious ideals. In accordance with the commands given him, he found as a prime necessity the awakening in the community of the sense that the norms of conduct were expressed in the law. On the other hand it is admitted that it was after Nehemiah had come from the king as a prince and with military escort, had with strong hands seized the reins of direction and had overborne the opposition which developed, that the full achievement of the desires of Ezra was accomplished. The explanation of this doubtless is that Ezra purposely abstained from appealing to his own authority and from decreeing and ordaining the changes which he wished to bring about by awakening the popular conscience. Another side of the explanation is the opposition which was naturally aroused on the side of the heathen, and of a part of the community itself. The very rigor of the separation enforced between Jews and heathen did much to sharpen the opposition and