The book of Ezra continues the Old Testament narrative of Second Chronicles by showing how God fulfills His promises to return His people to the Land of Promise after seventy years of exile.
Israel’s second exodus, this one from Babylon is less impressive than the return from Egypt because only a remnant chooses to leave Babylon.
Ezra relates the story of two returns from Babylon – the first led by Zerubbabel to rebuild temple (chapter 1 – 6), and the second under the leadership of Ezra to rebuild the spiritual condition of the people (chapter 7 – 10).
Sandwiched between these two accounts is a gap of nearly six decades, during which Esther lives and rules as queen of Persia.
Ezra and Nehemiah were originally bound together as one book because Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah were viewed as one continuous history. In Septuagint, the book of Nehemiah is called Second Ezra.
Erick Chepkwony, TH.D 