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Esdras

January 01, 1970

For the given name, see Esdras (given name).

The name "Esdras" is found in the title of four texts (entitled Ezra, Nehemiah, 1 Esdras, 2 Esdras in most English versions) attributed to, or associated with, the prophet Ezra. The naming convention of the four books of Esdras differs between church traditions; and has changed over time.

Esdras (Greek: Ἔσδρας) is a Greco-Latin variation of the Hebrew name "Ezra" (Hebrew: עזרא).

Naming conventions edit

The books associated with Ezra are titled differently in different versions of the Bible. The following table summarizes the various names:

Overview of Biblical books named "Esdras"
# Masoretic Hebrew Most English versions[a] Jerome's Vulgate Clementine Vulgate,
English Douay–Rheims 		Vetus Latina[1] Septuagint (LXX) Ethiopic version[2] Alternative names
1 Ezra Ezra Ezra 1 Esdras 2 Esdras Esdras B
Ἔσδρας βʹ 		1 Ezra Ezra–Nehemiah
2 Nehemiah 2 Esdras
(Nehemias)
3 absent 1 Esdras (Apocrypha) absent 3 Esdras (Apocrypha) 1 Esdras Esdras A
Ἔσδρας α' 		2 Ezra Greek Esdras or 3 Ezra
4 2 Esdras (Apocrypha) 4 Esdras (Apocrypha) absent absent Ezra Sutuel (Ch. 3–14) 4 Ezra
or Jewish Apocalypse of Ezra
or Apocalyptic Esdras 		Latin Esdras
5 absent (Ch. 1–2) 5 Ezra
6 (Ch. 15–16) 6 Ezra

The Thirty-nine Articles that define the doctrines of the Church of England follow the naming convention of the Clementine Vulgate. Likewise, the Vulgate enumeration is often used by modern scholars, who nevertheless use the name Ezra to avoid confusion with the Greek and Slavonic enumerations: 1 Ezra (Ezra), 2 Ezra (Nehemiah), 3 Ezra (Esdras A/1 Esdras), 4 Ezra (chapters 3–14 of 4 Esdras), 5 Ezra (chapters 1–2 of 4 Esdras) and 6 Ezra (chapters 15–16 of 4 Esdras). Otherwise, modern scholars sometimes apply the term 'Greek Esdras' for 3 Ezra, and 'Latin Esdras' for 4 Ezra, 5 Ezra and 6 Ezra together.

Ambrose of Milan referred to 1 Esdras as the 'first book of Esdras', Ezra–Nehemiah as the 'second book of Esdras', and 2 Esdras as the 'third book of Esdras'.[3] Some English translations of Septuagint, such as the New English Translation of the Septuagint, refer to Esdras A as 1 Esdras, and Esdras B (Ezra-Nehemiah) as 2 Esdras.[4]

Historical development edit

The two books universally considered canonical, Ezra and Nehemiah (lines 1 and 2 of the table above), originated in the Hebrew bible as one book titled Ezra (= Esdras).

Otherwise, however, early Christian citations of the 'Book of Ezra' without qualification commonly denote the alternative Greek translation of Ezra represented by 1 Esdras; so that when early Christian writers talk of 'two books of Ezra', it is 1 Esdras and Ezra–Nehemiah that are being identified, and surviving Old Latin biblical manuscripts include both books in that order as the "first" and "second" books of Ezra.[5][6]: 17–20 

In the Greek canon, and in all surviving early Greek pandect bibles, 1 Esdras and Ezra–Nehemiah are termed Esdras A and Esdras B respectively. For Ambrose 1 Esdras was the 'first book of Esdras', Ezra–Nehemiah was the 'second book of Esdras', and 2 Esdras was the 'third book of Esdras'.[3] When the Council of Carthage (397) and Synod of Hippo (393), under the influence of Augustine of Hippo, determined that only 'two books of Ezra' were to be considered canonical, it was both Ezra–Nehemiah and 1 Esdras which were stated as being included in scripture, while 2 Esdras was being excluded.[6]: 11–12 [7]

Jerome however, in his new Vulgate translation of the Old Testament directly from the Hebrew of the early 5th century, affirmed in his prologue to Ezra that there was only one canonical book of that title, corresponding to Hebrew Ezra–Nehemiah, while the "third and fourth books" of Ezra were apocryphal;[8] and in all early manuscripts of the Vulgate (as with the 7th century Codex Amiatinus) this book is presented without division, and 1 Esdras and 2 Esdras are omitted.[6] Jerome appears to have considered the two books of Ezra in the Old Latin - translating Greek Esdras A and Esdras B respectively - as "variant versions" of Ezra-Nehemiah, in which case his apocryphal "third and fourth books" correspond to the texts in 'Latin Esdras'.[6]: 16 [9] Jerome's practice is followed in the 9th century Vulgate bibles of Alcuin and Theodulf of Orleans, but from the 9th century onwards Vulgate manuscripts are found sporadically which split Ezra–Nehemiah into two books; and this becomes standard with the Paris Vulgate bibles of the 13th century, while Greek Esdras and Latin Esdras also came to be included in the Paris bibles so that the Ezra portion becomes 1 Esdras, the Nehemiah portion becomes 2 Esdras, Greek Esdras becomes 3 Esdras and Latin Esdras becomes 4 Esdras. The naming conventions of the Paris bibles were taken over into the Clementine Vulgate. However, in the Stuttgart Vulgate, Ezra–Nehemiah is once again printed as a single text with the title 'Ezra', while (Clementine) 3 Esdras and 4 Esdras are in an appendix; named 3 Ezra and 4 Ezra respectively.[10]

Since the English Reformation, most English translations[a] have split the book of Ezra–Nehemiah under the titles 'Ezra' and 'Nehemiah'; while the Douay–Rheims version has followed the Clementine Vulgate.

Greek Esdras or 1 Esdras (line 3 of the table above) is the version of Ezra most commonly cited as scripture by early Christians,[11] and consequently was included in the Old Testament in late 4th century Greek and Latin canon lists before Jerome; but with the increasing dominance of Jerome's Vulgate translation it dropped out of use in the West; although from the 13th century, it was commonly reintroduced under the title 3 Esdras. This Latin text of 3 Esdras is found in later medieval Vulgate manuscripts and the Sixto-Clementine Vulgate, and is however a completely different (and likely earlier) translation of Greek Esdras A from that found in the Old Latin, as witnessed in the Codex Colbertinus. Where the Vulgate text of 3 Esdras is woodenly literal in its rendering of the Greek, the Old Latin text of 'First Esdras' tends towards free paraphrase.[12] The Douay–Rheims version followed the Clementine Vulgate title, while Protestant English versions chose a separate numbering for apocryphal books and called it 1 Esdras (using the Greek form to differentiate the apocryphal book from the canonical Ezra).

Latin Esdras or 2 Esdras (lines 4, 5 and 6 of the table above) is contained in some Latin bibles as 4 Esdras; and in some Slavonic manuscripts as 3 Esdras. Except for the Douay–Rheims version (which follows the Vulgate), most English versions containing this book call it 2 Esdras (again using the Greek form for the apocryphal book). The book is not included in the Greek Septuagint and no complete copy of the Greek text has survived, though it is quoted by the Church fathers.[13] Due to its apocalyptic content, the book (specifically as referring to chapters 3-14) has also been called Esdras the Prophet, Apocalyptic Esdras or The Jewish Apocalypse of Ezra. Because the most complete extant text is in Latin, the book is also called Latin Esdras.[14]

The Latin version differs from other versions of 2 Esdras in that it contains additional opening and closing chapters, which are also called 5 Ezra and 6 Ezra by scholars.

Other Ezra writings edit

Other books associated with Ezra are the Greek Apocalypse of Ezra, the Latin Vision of Ezra, the Armenian Questions of Ezra, the Syriac Apocalypse of Pseudo-Ezra, the Revelation of Ezra and the Ethiopic Apocalypse of Ezra.

Canonicity edit

The Jewish canon considers the Book of Ezra–Nehemiah to be canonical. All Christians consider the separate books Book of Ezra and the Book of Nehemiah to be canonical. Jews, Roman Catholics, and Protestants do not generally recognize 1 Esdras and 2 Esdras as being canonical. Eastern Orthodox, following the Septuagint, generally consider Esdras A and Esdras B to be canonical, and do not recognize 2 Esdras.[15] The Jewish Apocalypse of Ezra (2 Esdras), whose authorship is ascribed to Ezra,[16] is canonical in the Syriac and Ethiopian traditions; and is included in the Apocrypha of the Armenian Church.

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b Including KJB, RSV, NRSV, ESV, CEB, NEB, REB, and GNB

References edit

  1. ^ Bogaert, Pierre-Maurice (2013), "The Latin Bible", in Paget, James Carleton; Schaper, Joachim (eds.), The New Cambridge History of the Bible; Volume 1; from the Beginnings to 600, CUP, p. 511, "1 and 2 Esdras refers to 3 Esdras (A Esdras in Greek) and Esdras-Nehemiah (B Esdras in Greek).
  2. ^ Cowley, R. W. (1974). "The Biblical Canon Of The Ethiopian Orthodox Church Today". Ostkirchliche Studien. 23: 318–323. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  3. ^ a b Bogaert, Pierre-Maurice (2013), "The Latin Bible", in Paget, James Carleton; Schaper, Joachim (eds.), The New Cambridge History of the Bible; Volume 1; from the Beginnings to 600, CUP, pp. 505–524
  4. ^ New English Translation of the Septuagint. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2007. ISBN 978-0-19-528975-6.
  5. ^ Gallagher, Edmon L.; Meade, John D. (2017), The Biblical Canon Lists from Early Christianity, OUP, p. 269
  6. ^ a b c d Bogaert, Pierre-Maurice (2000). "Les livres d'Esdras et leur numérotation dans l'histoire du canon de la Bible latin". Revue Bénédictine. 110.
  7. ^ Gallagher, Edmon L.; Meade, John D. (2017), The Biblical Canon Lists from Early Christianity, OUP, p. 223
  8. ^ "St. Jerome, The Prologue on the Book of Ezra: English translation".
  9. ^ Gallagher, Edmon L.; Meade, John D. (2017), The Biblical Canon Lists from Early Christianity, OUP, p. 201
  10. ^ Biblia Sacra iuxta vulgatam versionem. Robert Weber, Roger Gryson (eds.) (4 ed.). Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft. 1994. pp. XXXIV. ISBN 978-3-438-05303-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  11. ^ Denter, Thomas (1962), Die Stellung der Bucher Esdras im Kanon des Alten Testaments, Buch -und Kunsthandlung, pp. 53–57
  12. ^ "The Latin Versions of First Esdras", Harry Clinton York, The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures, Vol. 26, No. 4 (Jul., 1910), pp. 253–302
  13. ^ Jewish Encyclopedia: Esdras, Books of February 6, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
  14. ^ NETBible: Apocalyptic Esdras 2007-09-26 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ "Ветхий Завет : Третья книга Ездры : Глава 1 / Патриархия.ru". Патриархия.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-06-26.
  16. ^ Stone, Michael Edward (1990). Fourth Ezra; A Commentary on the Book of Fourth Ezra. Hermeneia. Fortress Press. p. 37. ISBN 0-8006-6026-9.

External links edit

  • Catholic Encyclopedia: Esdras II. The Books of Esdras
  • 1 Esdras 1 – NRSV
  • 2 Esdras 1 – NRSV
  • 1 Esdras at earlyjewishwritings.com
  • 2 Esdras at earlyjewishwritings.com

January 01, 1970
esdras, given, name, given, name, name, found, title, four, texts, entitled, ezra, nehemiah, most, english, versions, attributed, associated, with, prophet, ezra, naming, convention, four, books, differs, between, church, traditions, changed, over, time, greek. For the given name see Esdras given name The name Esdras is found in the title of four texts entitled Ezra Nehemiah 1 Esdras 2 Esdras in most English versions attributed to or associated with the prophet Ezra The naming convention of the four books of Esdras differs between church traditions and has changed over time Esdras Greek Ἔsdras is a Greco Latin variation of the Hebrew name Ezra Hebrew עזרא Contents 1 Naming conventions 2 Historical development 3 Other Ezra writings 4 Canonicity 5 Notes 6 References 7 External linksNaming conventions editThe books associated with Ezra are titled differently in different versions of the Bible The following table summarizes the various names Overview of Biblical books named Esdras Masoretic Hebrew Most English versions a Jerome s Vulgate Clementine Vulgate English Douay Rheims Vetus Latina 1 Septuagint LXX Ethiopic version 2 Alternative names 1 Ezra Ezra Ezra 1 Esdras 2 Esdras Esdras BἜsdras bʹ 1 Ezra Ezra Nehemiah 2 Nehemiah 2 Esdras Nehemias 3 absent 1 Esdras Apocrypha absent 3 Esdras Apocrypha 1 Esdras Esdras AἜsdras a 2 Ezra Greek Esdras or 3 Ezra 4 2 Esdras Apocrypha 4 Esdras Apocrypha absent absent Ezra Sutuel Ch 3 14 4 Ezraor Jewish Apocalypse of Ezraor Apocalyptic Esdras Latin Esdras 5 absent Ch 1 2 5 Ezra 6 Ch 15 16 6 Ezra The Thirty nine Articles that define the doctrines of the Church of England follow the naming convention of the Clementine Vulgate Likewise the Vulgate enumeration is often used by modern scholars who nevertheless use the name Ezra to avoid confusion with the Greek and Slavonic enumerations 1 Ezra Ezra 2 Ezra Nehemiah 3 Ezra Esdras A 1 Esdras 4 Ezra chapters 3 14 of 4 Esdras 5 Ezra chapters 1 2 of 4 Esdras and 6 Ezra chapters 15 16 of 4 Esdras Otherwise modern scholars sometimes apply the term Greek Esdras for 3 Ezra and Latin Esdras for 4 Ezra 5 Ezra and 6 Ezra together Ambrose of Milan referred to 1 Esdras as the first book of Esdras Ezra Nehemiah as the second book of Esdras and 2 Esdras as the third book of Esdras 3 Some English translations of Septuagint such as the New English Translation of the Septuagint refer to Esdras A as 1 Esdras and Esdras B Ezra Nehemiah as 2 Esdras 4 Historical development editThe two books universally considered canonical Ezra and Nehemiah lines 1 and 2 of the table above originated in the Hebrew bible as one book titled Ezra Esdras Otherwise however early Christian citations of the Book of Ezra without qualification commonly denote the alternative Greek translation of Ezra represented by 1 Esdras so that when early Christian writers talk of two books of Ezra it is 1 Esdras and Ezra Nehemiah that are being identified and surviving Old Latin biblical manuscripts include both books in that order as the first and second books of Ezra 5 6 17 20 In the Greek canon and in all surviving early Greek pandect bibles 1 Esdras and Ezra Nehemiah are termed Esdras A and Esdras B respectively For Ambrose 1 Esdras was the first book of Esdras Ezra Nehemiah was the second book of Esdras and 2 Esdras was the third book of Esdras 3 When the Council of Carthage 397 and Synod of Hippo 393 under the influence of Augustine of Hippo determined that only two books of Ezra were to be considered canonical it was both Ezra Nehemiah and 1 Esdras which were stated as being included in scripture while 2 Esdras was being excluded 6 11 12 7 Jerome however in his new Vulgate translation of the Old Testament directly from the Hebrew of the early 5th century affirmed in his prologue to Ezra that there was only one canonical book of that title corresponding to Hebrew Ezra Nehemiah while the third and fourth books of Ezra were apocryphal 8 and in all early manuscripts of the Vulgate as with the 7th century Codex Amiatinus this book is presented without division and 1 Esdras and 2 Esdras are omitted 6 Jerome appears to have considered the two books of Ezra in the Old Latin translating Greek Esdras A and Esdras B respectively as variant versions of Ezra Nehemiah in which case his apocryphal third and fourth books correspond to the texts in Latin Esdras 6 16 9 Jerome s practice is followed in the 9th century Vulgate bibles of Alcuin and Theodulf of Orleans but from the 9th century onwards Vulgate manuscripts are found sporadically which split Ezra Nehemiah into two books and this becomes standard with the Paris Vulgate bibles of the 13th century while Greek Esdras and Latin Esdras also came to be included in the Paris bibles so that the Ezra portion becomes 1 Esdras the Nehemiah portion becomes 2 Esdras Greek Esdras becomes 3 Esdras and Latin Esdras becomes 4 Esdras The naming conventions of the Paris bibles were taken over into the Clementine Vulgate However in the Stuttgart Vulgate Ezra Nehemiah is once again printed as a single text with the title Ezra while Clementine 3 Esdras and 4 Esdras are in an appendix named 3 Ezra and 4 Ezra respectively 10 Since the English Reformation most English translations a have split the book of Ezra Nehemiah under the titles Ezra and Nehemiah while the Douay Rheims version has followed the Clementine Vulgate Greek Esdras or 1 Esdras line 3 of the table above is the version of Ezra most commonly cited as scripture by early Christians 11 and consequently was included in the Old Testament in late 4th century Greek and Latin canon lists before Jerome but with the increasing dominance of Jerome s Vulgate translation it dropped out of use in the West although from the 13th century it was commonly reintroduced under the title 3 Esdras This Latin text of 3 Esdras is found in later medieval Vulgate manuscripts and the Sixto Clementine Vulgate and is however a completely different and likely earlier translation of Greek Esdras A from that found in the Old Latin as witnessed in the Codex Colbertinus Where the Vulgate text of 3 Esdras is woodenly literal in its rendering of the Greek the Old Latin text of First Esdras tends towards free paraphrase 12 The Douay Rheims version followed the Clementine Vulgate title while Protestant English versions chose a separate numbering for apocryphal books and called it 1 Esdras using the Greek form to differentiate the apocryphal book from the canonical Ezra Latin Esdras or 2 Esdras lines 4 5 and 6 of the table above is contained in some Latin bibles as 4 Esdras and in some Slavonic manuscripts as 3 Esdras Except for the Douay Rheims version which follows the Vulgate most English versions containing this book call it 2 Esdras again using the Greek form for the apocryphal book The book is not included in the Greek Septuagint and no complete copy of the Greek text has survived though it is quoted by the Church fathers 13 Due to its apocalyptic content the book specifically as referring to chapters 3 14 has also been called Esdras the Prophet Apocalyptic Esdras or The Jewish Apocalypse of Ezra Because the most complete extant text is in Latin the book is also called Latin Esdras 14 The Latin version differs from other versions of 2 Esdras in that it contains additional opening and closing chapters which are also called 5 Ezra and 6 Ezra by scholars Other Ezra writings editOther books associated with Ezra are the Greek Apocalypse of Ezra the Latin Vision of Ezra the Armenian Questions of Ezra the Syriac Apocalypse of Pseudo Ezra the Revelation of Ezra and the Ethiopic Apocalypse of Ezra Canonicity editThe Jewish canon considers the Book of Ezra Nehemiah to be canonical All Christians consider the separate books Book of Ezra and the Book of Nehemiah to be canonical Jews Roman Catholics and Protestants do not generally recognize 1 Esdras and 2 Esdras as being canonical Eastern Orthodox following the Septuagint generally consider Esdras A and Esdras B to be canonical and do not recognize 2 Esdras 15 The Jewish Apocalypse of Ezra 2 Esdras whose authorship is ascribed to Ezra 16 is canonical in the Syriac and Ethiopian traditions and is included in the Apocrypha of the Armenian Church Notes edit a b Including KJB RSV NRSV ESV CEB NEB REB and GNBReferences edit Bogaert Pierre Maurice 2013 The Latin Bible in Paget James Carleton Schaper Joachim eds The New Cambridge History of the Bible Volume 1 from the Beginnings to 600 CUP p 511 1 and 2 Esdras refers to 3 Esdras A Esdras in Greek and Esdras Nehemiah B Esdras in Greek Cowley R W 1974 The Biblical Canon Of The Ethiopian Orthodox Church Today Ostkirchliche Studien 23 318 323 Retrieved 30 March 2016 a b Bogaert Pierre Maurice 2013 The Latin Bible in Paget James Carleton Schaper Joachim eds The New Cambridge History of the Bible Volume 1 from the Beginnings to 600 CUP pp 505 524 New English Translation of the Septuagint Oxford Oxford University Press 2007 ISBN 978 0 19 528975 6 Gallagher Edmon L Meade John D 2017 The Biblical Canon Lists from Early Christianity OUP p 269 a b c d Bogaert Pierre Maurice 2000 Les livres d Esdras et leur numerotation dans l histoire du canon de la Bible latin Revue Benedictine 110 Gallagher Edmon L Meade John D 2017 The Biblical Canon Lists from Early Christianity OUP p 223 St Jerome The Prologue on the Book of Ezra English translation Gallagher Edmon L Meade John D 2017 The Biblical Canon Lists from Early Christianity OUP p 201 Biblia Sacra iuxta vulgatam versionem Robert Weber Roger Gryson eds 4 ed Stuttgart Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft 1994 pp XXXIV ISBN 978 3 438 05303 9 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint others link Denter Thomas 1962 Die Stellung der Bucher Esdras im Kanon des Alten Testaments Buch und Kunsthandlung pp 53 57 The Latin Versions of First Esdras Harry Clinton York The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures Vol 26 No 4 Jul 1910 pp 253 302 Jewish Encyclopedia Esdras Books of Archived February 6 2010 at the Wayback Machine NETBible Apocalyptic Esdras Archived 2007 09 26 at the Wayback Machine Vethij Zavet Tretya kniga Ezdry Glava 1 Patriarhiya ru Patriarhiya ru in Russian Retrieved 2022 06 26 Stone Michael Edward 1990 Fourth Ezra A Commentary on the Book of Fourth Ezra Hermeneia Fortress Press p 37 ISBN 0 8006 6026 9 External links editCatholic Encyclopedia Esdras II The Books of Esdras Jewish Encyclopedia Esdras Books of 1 Esdras 1 NRSV 2 Esdras 1 NRSV 1 Esdras at earlyjewishwritings com 2 Esdras at earlyjewishwritings com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Esdras amp oldid 1221274820, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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