Ezra

Ezra is described as “a man learned in matters of the commandments of the Lord and his statutes for Israel” (7:11). Both a priest and scribe, Ezra was commissioned by King Artaxerxes of Persia to establish the Law of Moses in Jerusalem. The king also gave him money from the royal treasury to beautify the temple. Arriving in Jerusalem 57 years after the temple was rebuilt, Ezra appointed judges to administer the law. Seventy years of Babylo­nian exile had had a negative effect on the people’s relationship with the Lord. The Lord enabled Ezra to guide Israel as they sought once again to live according to the law. (Ezra 7:1–6)