Es'dras (Εσδρας; Vulg. Esdras), the Graecized form, used throughout the Apocrypha (1 Esd. 8:1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 19, 23, 25, 91, 92, 96; 9:1, 7, 16, 39, 40, 42, 45, 46, 49; 2 Esd. 1:1; 2:10, 33, 42; 6:10; 7:2, 25; 8:2, 19; 14:1, 38), of the name of the scribe EZRA SEE EZRA (q.v.). In several manuscripts of the Latin Vulgate, as well as in all the printed editions anterior to the decree of the Council of Trent, and in many since that period, there will be found four books following each other, entitled the 1st, 2d, 3d, and 4th books of Ezra. The first two are the canonical books of Ezra and Nehemiah, the 3d and 4th form the subject of the articles below. They are the same which are called 1st and 2d Esdras in the English Authorized Version. For their use and relation to the canonical books see Josippon ben-Gorion (ed. Breithaupt, 1710), page 47 sq.; Trendelenburg, in Eichhorn's Biblioth. 1:180 sq.; Eichhorn, Einleit. in d. Apocr. page 335 sq.; Herzfeld, Gesct. d. Israel, page 320 sq.; Ewald, Gesch. Isr. 4:131 sq.; Keil, Einleit. in d. A. T. (ed. 1859), page 677 sq.; Davidson, Text of O.T. page 937 sq. SEE APOCRYPHA.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More