Ezra] It has been argued in the note on Ezra 10:44 that the effort to fortify Jerusalem described in Ezra 4:6 was made whilst Ezra was present there, and that the failure of it destroyed for a time his influence among his countrymen. The interval that elapsed between the destruction of the newly-built walls and Nehemiah's arrival was probably not long, and during it Ezra may have remained in retirement at Jerusalem. Some, however, have supposed that after effecting the reforms described in Ezra 9:10, he returned at once to Babylon, and only revisited Palestine after Nehemiah's arrival there. The absence of his name amongst those who helped to build the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 3) has been urged in favour of this view; but there would be little reason to distinguish his co-operation from that of the other priests (Nehemiah 3:1). To bring.. of Moses] The teaching of the Law was the purpose of Ezra's journey to Jerusalem some fourteen years before.

The first day of the seventh month] This was one of the festivals (cp. Nehemiah 8:9) of the New Moon, termed in the Law the Feast of Trumpets, and kept with special rites: Leviticus 23:24; Numbers 29:1.

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