1 esdras 5:69 - For we likewise, as you⌃, do obey your Lord, and do sacrifice to him from the days of Asbasareth the king of the Assyrians, who brought us hither.
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What does "1 esdras 5:69" mean?
This verse comes from the apocryphal book of 1 Esdras, which is included in the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) and the Vulgate (Latin Bible) but not in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) or Protestant Old Testament. It's a part of a longer passage where various groups are offering to help rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile.
To understand the verse, let's break it down:
"For we likewise, as you, do obey your Lord, and do sacrifice to him...": This group is claiming that they also worship the same God as the Jewish people and demonstrate this through obedience and sacrifice. They're trying to establish a common ground and shared faith.
"...from the days of Asbasareth the king of the Assyrians, who brought us hither.": This is the key to understanding their identity and claim. They are saying that they have been worshipping this God since they were brought to the land by an Assyrian king named Asbasareth (this name is not found elsewhere and is likely a corruption or different rendering of a known Assyrian name, like Esarhaddon). This implies:
They are not originally from the land of Judah. They were relocated there by the Assyrians. This was a common practice in the Assyrian Empire to control conquered territories and prevent rebellion. They would move populations around, replacing them with people from other conquered areas.
They have been worshipping the same God as the Jewish people since before the exile, but as a part of their relocation and presumably syncretic religious practices (mixing of religions and cults).
Therefore, the verse means:
The group speaking is claiming that they are also worshippers of the same God as the Jewish people, and have been since they were resettled in the area by the Assyrian king Asbasareth. They are trying to align themselves with the returning Jewish exiles and gain acceptance, likely hoping to participate in the Temple rebuilding efforts.
Why is this important?
This passage is important because it highlights the complex religious and ethnic landscape of Judea after the Babylonian exile. The returning exiles were not returning to an empty land. Other groups, like the Samaritans, had already been living there for decades, some of whom practiced a syncretic form of Judaism mixed with their own beliefs. These groups often clashed with the returning exiles, as seen in the book of Ezra where their offers of help are rejected. The returning exiles, under leaders like Ezra and Nehemiah, were determined to maintain the purity of their religion and ancestry, and viewed these other groups with suspicion. The verse demonstrates the efforts of these groups to be accepted by the returning exiles, while also revealing the historical context of their presence in the land.
1 esdras 5:69 - For we likewise, as you⌃, do obey your Lord, and do sacrifice to him from the days of Asbasareth the king of the Assyrians, who brought us hither.
What does "1 esdras 5:69" mean?
This verse comes from the apocryphal book of 1 Esdras, which is included in the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) and the Vulgate (Latin Bible) but not in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) or Protestant Old Testament. It's a part of a longer passage where various groups are offering to help rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile.
To understand the verse, let's break it down:
"For we likewise, as you, do obey your Lord, and do sacrifice to him...": This group is claiming that they also worship the same God as the Jewish people and demonstrate this through obedience and sacrifice. They're trying to establish a common ground and shared faith.
"...from the days of Asbasareth the king of the Assyrians, who brought us hither.": This is the key to understanding their identity and claim. They are saying that they have been worshipping this God since they were brought to the land by an Assyrian king named Asbasareth (this name is not found elsewhere and is likely a corruption or different rendering of a known Assyrian name, like Esarhaddon). This implies:
They are not originally from the land of Judah. They were relocated there by the Assyrians. This was a common practice in the Assyrian Empire to control conquered territories and prevent rebellion. They would move populations around, replacing them with people from other conquered areas.
They have been worshipping the same God as the Jewish people since before the exile, but as a part of their relocation and presumably syncretic religious practices (mixing of religions and cults).
Therefore, the verse means:
The group speaking is claiming that they are also worshippers of the same God as the Jewish people, and have been since they were resettled in the area by the Assyrian king Asbasareth. They are trying to align themselves with the returning Jewish exiles and gain acceptance, likely hoping to participate in the Temple rebuilding efforts.
Why is this important?
This passage is important because it highlights the complex religious and ethnic landscape of Judea after the Babylonian exile. The returning exiles were not returning to an empty land. Other groups, like the Samaritans, had already been living there for decades, some of whom practiced a syncretic form of Judaism mixed with their own beliefs. These groups often clashed with the returning exiles, as seen in the book of Ezra where their offers of help are rejected. The returning exiles, under leaders like Ezra and Nehemiah, were determined to maintain the purity of their religion and ancestry, and viewed these other groups with suspicion. The verse demonstrates the efforts of these groups to be accepted by the returning exiles, while also revealing the historical context of their presence in the land.