This is the first of my attempts to produce a thread on one of the larger books in the western Apocrypha, so this is going to be complicated and I will add to it more often than the smaller books. As with the others, feedback or alternative interpretations are welcome... especially if they relate to the Restored Gospel.
Although this book is mainly known from the Greek, the Jewish historian Josephus (c. 37 – c. 100) quoted from it. Some of it appears to have a Hebrew original as there is an overlap with Old Testament material, but also significant additions.
Name
The first problem with this book is that it has several names. "Esdras" is the Greek form of the name "Ezra".
* 1 Esdras (Greek: Ἔσδρας Αʹ) or Esdras A
* Greek Esdras or Greek Ezra - Because of the language it is known from.
* 3 Esdras, 3 Ezra (The name used in the Vulgate, the Roman Catholics' Latin Bible) - in this system, Ezra is 1 Ezra and Nehemiah is 2 Ezra etc.
Note that the Ezra's Eagle prophecy is taken from 2 Esdras (4 Ezra in the other system!) - the author is allegedly the same.
Issues
https://www.gotquestions.org/first-second-Esdras.html
Content/SummaryThere are some historical problems with 1 and 2 Esdras. In the narrative of 1 Esdras, the reign of the Persian King Artaxerxes incorrectly precedes those of Cyrus the Great (c. 559—529 BC) and Darius I (Darius the Great, 521—486 BC), although some believe this is simply a literary device called “prolepsis” in which a person or event is assigned to an earlier period or represented as if it had already occurred.
LDS Bible dictionary take https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/stu ... a?lang=eng
From https://www.abibleaday.com/bible-books/1-esdras/Contains an account of Josiah’s religious reforms and the subsequent history down to the destruction of the Temple 588 B.C. It then describes the return under Zerubbabel and the events that followed, of which we have another account in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Esdras is another form of the name Ezra.
In Esdras 3:1–5:6 is a story that tells how Zerubbabel by his wisdom as page of Darius won the king’s favor and obtained permission to restore the captive Jews to their own country. This section is entirely independent of the canonical scriptures.
https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/ ... rst-EsdrasThe book of 1 Esdras is essentially a carefully selected compilation of text from 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah. Interspersed within the condensed text from these other sources is the story of a contest between three of the king’s bodyguards.
The bodyguard Zerubbabel wins. As a reward Zerubbabel receives permission to return to Jerusalem, where he becomes its governor.
Content. The historical range extends from Josiah’s passover (1:1-24) to Ezra’s role as leader of the people in Jerusalem (9:37-55). An annotated structural outline follows:
(1) 1 Esdras 1:1-58 (cf. 2 Chron 35; 36). Josiah’s Passover; his battle with Pharaoh-Necho and resulting death; and the Babylonian invasion of Judah fulfilling Jeremiah’s prophecy.
(2) 2:1-15 (cf. Ezra 1:1-11). Cyrus’ decree allowing the Jewish captives to return to Jerusalem to rebuild their Temple.
(3) 2:16-30 (cf. 4:7-24). Letter from Pers. officials in Samaria to Artaxerxes asking that construction of the Jewish Temple be stopped, and the granting of the request.
(4) 3:1-5:6 (no OT parallel). Story of King Darius and three of his court guards. In answer to the question, “What thing is the strongest?” they reply, respectively, (a) wine, (b) the king, and (c) women, but truth above all. The third guard was Zerubbabel; his answer gained him permission to return and rebuild Jerusalem.
(5) 5:7-73 (cf. Ezra 2:1-4:6). The roster of returning Jews and the beginning of the restoration of the Temple in the days of Cyrus.
(6) 6:1-7:15 (cf. Ezra 5:1-6:22). Haggai and Zechariah urge the building to continue, in the second year of Darius, and after some delay, the temple was completed in the sixth year (515 b.c.).
(7) 8:1-67 (cf. Ezra 7:1-8:36). The return of Ezra and his companions to Jerusalem with a commission from the Pers. King Artaxerxes. He was to administer, rebuild and teach.
Other posts by me about the Apocrypha(8) 8:68-90 (cf. Ezra 9). Ezra’s prayer of confession.
(9) 8:91-9:36 (cf. Ezra 10). Repentance on the part of the people, and Ezra’s reforms, including judgment against mixed marriages.
(10) 9:37-55 (cf. Neh 7:73-8:12). Ezra reads the law to the people, and the Levites carry on the work of instruction.
This is an ongoing series about the Roman and Orthodox Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical book.
2 Esdras (the most relevant book in the Apocrypha?)
viewtopic.php?p=1344302
1 Maccabees
viewtopic.php?t=69454
2 Maccabees
viewtopic.php?p=1347024
Additions to Esther
viewtopic.php?t=69333
Tobit
viewtopic.php?p=1341501#p1341501
Prayer of Azarias (Azariah) and Hymn of the Three Children
viewtopic.php?t=69264
Bel and the Dragon (quoted in full, KJV)
viewtopic.php?t=69261
Prayer of Mannases (aka Mannaseh; quoted in full KJV)
viewtopic.php?t=69263
Psalm 151 (Eastern Orthodox Apocrypha, quoted in full from NRSV)
viewtopic.php?t=63875
Epistle to the Laodiceans (NT, quoted in full Wycliffe's translation, )
viewtopic.php?t=64025&p=1208281