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Introduction
This Book takes its name from the writer: who was a holy priest, and doctor of the law. He is called by the Hebrews, Ezra.
Chapter 2
[64] Forty-two thousand: Those who are reckoned up above of the tribes of Juda, Benjamin, and Levi, fall short of this number. The rest, who must be taken in to make up the whole sum, were of the other tribes.
Chapter 3
[2] Josue: or Jesus (Jeshua) the son of Josedec; he was the high priest, at that time.
Chapter 4
[6] Assuerus: Otherwise called Cambyses the son and successor of Cyrus. He is also in the following verse named Artaxerxes, a name common to almost all the kings of Persia.
Chapter 8
[21] I proclaimed there a fast: It is not enough to part from Babylon, that is, figuratively from sin, but we must also do works of penance; and therefore Esdras here proclaimed an extraordinary fast to those that were come from captivity. This shews that fasting was commanded and practised from the earliest times.
Chapter 9
[1] Have not separated themselves: This shews how sinful it is to intermarry with those that the Church forbids us, on account of the danger of perversion and falling off from the true faith.
[8] A pin: or nail, here signifies a small settlement or holding; which Esdras begs for, to preserve even a part of the people, who, by their great iniquity had incurred the anger of God.
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