Unless otherwise noted, all citations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).
Authorship
The author of this book is unknown. Based on arguments from language and context, Bruce Metzger writes, “The narrative at several places suggest that it was composed by a Jew in Egypt.”[1] DeSilva writes, “Egypt has been suggested as a provenance, given the allusions to unveiled women (4:18), sea travel, and piracy (4:15, 23) …but certainty in this matter lies beyond our meager evidence.”[2]
Date
Because 1 Esdras focuses on past history (rather than a contemporary issue), it is difficult to date the book. Most scholars date the book sometime in the two centuries before Christ.
The language and vocabulary of the book “appears to have much in common with the vocabulary of other second-century-B.C.E. Jewish texts. Thus Metzger writes, “The majority of scholars find reason to think that it was written sometime during the previous two centuries, that is, sometime after about 150 BC.”[3] Because Josephus quotes from this book (Antiquities, 11.1-158), DeSilva writes, “It must therefore have been composed prior to the late first century C.E.”[4]
Manuscripts
Many scholars believe the book was originally composed in Hebrew, but later translated to Greek. However, we only possess Greek manuscripts. DeSilva writes, “While there is a growing consensus that 1 Esdras was originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic, this Semitic original has not survived. The Greek translation is preserved in Septuagint Codices Alexandrinus (the preferred text) and Vaticanus. It does not appear in Codex Sinaiticus, although though this codex indirectly bears witness to it by listing Ezra-Nehemiah as Esdras B in its table of contents.”[5]
Significance of this book
There is nothing particularly significant about this book. It mostly copies from the Hebrew Bible. Metzger writes, “1 Esdras reproduces the substance of 2 Chronicles 35:1-36:23, the whole of the canonical Book of Ezra, and the Book of Nehemiah 7:73-8:12.”[6] Only one portion of this book contains unique information (1 Esdras 3:1-5:6).
Josephus quotes from 1 Esdras. However, Josephus doesn’t cite this book because he thought it to be canonical. Metzger believes Josephus used this book because of the “superior Greek style” of the work.[7] DeSilva also notes that Josephus prefers it to the Septuagint translation of Ezra and Nehemiah “though not exclusively, and not without out some correction of its historical inaccuracies.”[8] In other words, Josephus quotes from this book because he preferred the translation, but he also corrects the historical inaccuracies found there.
Important content in 1 Esdras (3:1-5:6)
Because 3:1-5:6 are the only major original portions to the book,[9] we will only make comments on those chapters. Augustine thought that chapters 3 and 4 might prophesy the coming of Christ (City of God, 18.36). He writes, “Esdras also wrote… events not far from those times; unless, perhaps, Esdras is to be understood as prophesying of Christ in that passage where, on a question having arisen among certain young men as to what is the strongest thing, when one had said kings, another wine, the third women, who for the most part rule kings, yet that same third youth demonstrated that the truth is victorious over all.” The reader will need to discern whether they believe this contains a genuine prediction of Jesus. This author finds such a claim to be specious. Zerubbabel merely says that truth is greater than all. This “prediction” is so vague that it could refer to anything or anyone.
In this section of 1 Esdras (3:1-5:6), King Darius threw a big banquet for all of the people under him in the Media-Persian Empire (3:1). Darius went to sleep after a long night of eating and drinking (3:3). Three of his bodyguards made a wager with each other: whoever can say the wisest statement will be given gifts and power from Darius (3:5). The three men wrote their statements, sealed them, and put them under the king’s pillow (3:8).
“The first wrote, ‘Wine is strongest.’ The second wrote, ‘The king is strongest.’ The third wrote, ‘Women are strongest, but above all things truth is victor’” (3:10-12).
BODYGUARD #1: Wine is the strongest (3:17-24). This bodyguard argued that wine makes big and small equal. It can make all people do stupid or evil things.
BODYGUARD #2: The king is the strongest (4:1-12). He argues that the king is in control of nations, taxes, war, etc.
BODYGUARD #3: Women are the strongest (4:13-32). The third bodyguard (Zerubbabel) argues from the fact that women gave birth to the king. Men drop everything to stare at beautiful women (4:18-19). Men fight and kill to steal from others, but they bring it back to the women they love. Even the king’s concubine can take the crown off of the king’s head, and slap him on the face.
Truth is victor (4:33-40). He argues that humans are all unrighteous, and they will perish. But truth will endure. The people agreed with this third bodyguard’s assessment.
As a result, the king honors the man by promising to answer any request (4:42). The third bodyguard asks the king to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple, and the king gives everything the man asks. When the young bodyguard leaves, he thanks God for answering his prayers (4:58). Darius sent a company to guard their travel home (5:2). This all occurred in Darius’ second year of being king (5:6).
[1] Bruce M. Metzger, An Introduction to the Apocrypha (New York: Oxford University Press, 1977), 13.
[2] David A. deSilva, Introducing the Apocrypha (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), 284.
[3] Bruce M. Metzger, An Introduction to the Apocrypha (New York: Oxford University Press, 1977), 12-13.
[4] David A. deSilva, Introducing the Apocrypha (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), 284.
[5] David A. deSilva, Introducing the Apocrypha (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), 283.
[6] Bruce M. Metzger, An Introduction to the Apocrypha (New York: Oxford University Press, 1977), 11.
[7] Bruce M. Metzger, An Introduction to the Apocrypha (New York: Oxford University Press, 1977), 12.
[8] David A. deSilva, Introducing the Apocrypha (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), 284.
[9] 1:23-24 are also original to the book.