Esdras (disambiguation)

Esdras is a Greek form of the name Ezra. The name is also used in the titles of several biblical books. Their numbering varies among the Septuagint, the Vulgate, and different English and Eastern European Bible traditions.

Biblical books

• Ezra (Book of Ezra) - The canonical biblical book describing the return of Jewish exiles from Babylon and the restoration of religious life in Jerusalem. In the Vulgate numbering system, it is called the First Book of Esdras.

• Nehemiah (Book of Nehemiah) - The canonical book describing Nehemiah's work in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. In the Vulgate numbering system, it is called the Second Book of Esdras.

• 1 Esdras - An ancient Greek work that retells material found in Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah, with additional material about three young men who debate what is strongest. In the Vulgate numbering system, this work is called the Third Book of Esdras, or 3 Esdras. It is included among the Apocrypha in many English Bibles and is accepted as Scripture in the Eastern Orthodox tradition.

• 2 Esdras - An apocalyptic work associated with Ezra. In many modern English editions of the Apocrypha, this is called 2 Esdras; in the Vulgate numbering system, it is called the Fourth Book of Esdras, or 4 Esdras. Its Latin form contains sixteen chapters, including material often distinguished by scholars as 5 Ezra and 6 Ezra.

Differences in numbering

The numbering of these books is not uniform. The Vulgate traditionally numbers Ezra, Nehemiah, 1 Esdras, and the Ezra apocalypse as First, Second, Third, and Fourth Esdras, respectively. In many modern English editions, the names Ezra and Nehemiah are used for the first two books, while the apocryphal works are called 1 Esdras and 2 Esdras.

Some Eastern European traditions use different numbering again. Consequently, a reference to a numbered book of Esdras should be interpreted in light of the Bible edition or historical source in which it appears.

Reference in Luther's Table Talk

In Martin Luther's Table Talk, Chapter 01, section 24, Luther refers to the third and fourth books of Esdras. The saying about wine, the king, women, and truth appears in 1 Esdras 3:12 in common English numbering. That work is called Third Esdras in the Vulgate numbering system.

The passage is therefore relevant to understanding the different titles used for these books, although the wording of Luther's comparison between the third and fourth books remains an apparent inconsistency that should not be silently corrected.

See also

• Ezra
• Book of Ezra
• Book of Nehemiah
• 1 Esdras
• 2 Esdras
• Apocrypha
• Septuagint
• Vulgate
• Luther's discussion of Esdras in Table Talk, Chapter 01, section 24