Jewish tradition identifies that chronicler as ezra, who is known from the text to have been a skilled scribe see neh. Nehemiah a2 classic bible study guide 3 nehemiah 1. He organized the synagogue, founded the order of scribes, helped settle the canon of scripture and arranged the psalms. Gods people fail to separate from surrounding nations. Ezra nehemiah commentary exilic and postexilic history. Constable title this book, like so many others in the old testament, received its title from its principal character. The book of nehemiah jerusalem walls summary overview. That is, there is no and a prophet spoke in the assembly, thus saith the. Return from babylon led by ezra, chapters 710 about 2,000 returned a. In the ancient hebrew manuscripts the books of ezra and nehemiah were written as if they were one. Walter adeney commentary on ezra expositors bible commentary 1900.
Let us pay tribute to ezra who was the first to begin a revival of bible study. This workbook was designed for bible class study, family study, or personal study. The books of ezra and nehemiah are the only completely historical books in the third section of the hebrew bible, the ketuvim writings. The land in which they lived was no longer politically dependent. Nehemiahs prayer for remnant at jerusalem, chapter 1. It is based on the german lexicon by william gesenius. The postexilic books of ezra, nehemiah, haggai, zechariah, and malachi were written about the period between 537 and perhaps 430 bc. This book, as was true in the book of ezra, has copies of letters, decrees, registers and other documents.
Nehemiah 1 2 nehemiah prays for israel and makes his request of king artaxerxes. Nehemiah lists the people who stood on the platform next to ezra as he read, and also the names of those levites who helped explain the law so people could understand it. Note how the people received revelation and responded after. The chosen people, the remnant, could no longer say that they owned their country. The only property which was absolutely their own is the law.
Barber this set, originally published in 1903, contains expositions by both conservative and liberal theologians. Ezra, a descendant of aaron, arrives in jerusalem later and instills gods laws to the postexile jewish generation. The levites did the more manual and mundane work of the temple routine. All the events described in ezra and nehemiah took place during the first half of the period of the. Roberts, ezra, nehemiah, esther, in the preachers commentary, vol. Ezranehemiah asbury bible commentary bible gateway. Ezra records the events relating to the first two groups, and discusses especially the rebuilding of the temple. Study the bible online using commentary on nehemiah and more.
Lexical there are several excellent lexicons available for ancient hebrew. Although ezra is a continuation of the historical books begun with joshua, the precaptivity and captivity books could be profitably studied before beginning with ezra. Nehemiah served as judahs governor for 12 years, from artaxerxes 20th year 444 b. The questions contain minimal human commentary, but instead urge students to study to understand scripture. The book covers the period from the fall of babylon in 539 bc to the second half of the 5th century bc, and tells of the successive missions to jerusalem of zerubbabel, ezra, and nehemiah, and. Nehemiahs distress for the misery of jerusalem, his prayer. Ezra and nehemiah played a key part in the religious restoration of the jewish people after the exile. Hebrew and english lexicon of the old testament by francis brown, s. Nehemiah commentary matthew henry commentary on the.
In english bibles, they are usually split into two, with the book of nehemiah appearing as a separate book from ezra, but in the hebrew tradition, they are one book, entitled ezra, and nehemiah is simply the second part of ezra. Nehemiah also explains the form of this assembly, with the people standing up as ezra opens the scroll and starts to read, and concluding with an amen, amen. Restoration and reformation among the jews returning from captivity keywords. Fenshams study on the books of ezra and nehemiah is a contribution to the new international commentary on the old testament. These books contain much that edifies and that strengthens faith in the unfailing leadership of god. Just as acts narrates the early history of the church through the work of the apostles, ezranehemiah narrates the reestablishment of the people of god after the exile through the work of sheshbazzar, zerubbabel, ezra, and nehemiah. Also, he probably was the writer of 1 and 2 chronicles and of psalm 119, which exalts the word of god. The themes are returning to jerusalem after the exile, rebuilding the temple, restoring the wall, and then learning to walk before the lord with sincerity and purity. Nehemiah led the third 3rd exodus back to jerusalem, 94 years after zerubbabel 1st exodus of approx. Over 100 pages of expositional sermons, functions much like a commentary. Nehemiah, who was a contemporary or served around the same time as ezra, was a cupbearer to the king in the persian empire. Williamson the books of ezra and nehemiah are vital and significant records of times as tumultuous as our own, as israel returned from the babylonian captivity and undertook the rebuilding of the temple, even while beset. Hebrew bible links ezra and nehemiah, as did the septuagint translators. Ezranehemiah is the old testament equivalent of the acts of the apostlesit is a book of new beginnings.
Book of ezra and nehemiah covers the events of the jews returning from the babylonian captivity. Chronological order for ezrahaggaizechariahnehemiah. His discussion on the sources of these books, the date of writing, the chronological order of ezra and nehemiah, as well as several other issues, is thorough and. The jews are counted and are permitted to return to judah to rebuild the temple. Roman catholics long associated the two, calling the. Record of gods providence the books of ezra, nehemiah, and esther are unique among the historical writings in that they give us no new communication from god within the context of the respective stories themselves. Ezra and nehemiah tyndale old testament commentaries. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. Allen explores ezranehemiah as a single literary text. Please identify the section you wish to read, and then use your readers searchfind feature to navigate to it. On this first page you will see an outline of this commentary. The introductory material itself is worth the cost of the book.
Williamson is one of the best in the word biblical commentary series. The books of ezra and nehemiah the new international. The seventhday adventist commentary reference series is a set of volumes produced primarily by seventhday adventist scholars, and designed for both scholarly and church member use. Zerubbabel and nehemiah both play a part in restoring gods temple, while zerubbabel takes charge over governing affairs, and nehemiah rebuilds the walls of jerusalem. The talmud, the massoretic text, as well as the septuagint treat the books of ezra and nehemiah as one. The septuagint greek translation also had the same title, as does the hebrew bible. Artaxerxes i issues decree for ezra to return and establish worship ezra 7. The jews kept ezra and nehemiah together for many years. The most important works are by dod genesis, chadwick exodus and mark, kellogg leviticus, blaikie joshua, i and ii samuel, adeney ezra, nehemiah and esther, maclaren psalms, moule romans. As the drama unfolds, we see how international politics, nationalist pride, wise leadership, political intrigue and opportunism, internal dissension and compromise. Date if the final compilation of ezranehemiah happened as described in the previous paragraph, then the date of writing logically followed soon after the close of nehemiahs ministry in jerusalem. Providing clear exposition based on solid contemporary scholarship, this commentary by f.
Charles fensham examines the books of ezra and nehemiahtwo books of scripture that are especially important for understanding the last century of old testament jewish history and for marking the beginnings of judaism. Brief explanations of the technical resources used in this commentary series. Ezranehemiah commentary exilic and postexilic history. Books of ezra and nehemiah, two old testament books that together with the books of chronicles formed a single history of israel from the time of adam. Ezra and nehemiah are a single book in the jewish canon. Ezra and work back to table of contents back to table of contents. Before this time israel is the title by which the chosen. Near 520 bc after the takeover by nebuchadnezzar, ultimately king cyrus of persia arose to power, and he decided to aid the jews to return to jerusalem.
So begins derek kidner in this introduction and commentary to the books of ezra and nehemiah which chart the jews return from exile to jerusalem and the beginnings of that rebirth. Some have claimed that the inspired writer of the book was ezra, but horne states. Books of ezra and nehemiah old testament britannica. Life after destruction goes on in ezra and nehemiah. Ezra and nehemiah illustrate, by a series of instructive examples, how a few people can do great things for god when led by godfearing, sincere, unselfish, but fearless and determined leaders. If ezra was the writer, he was copying from the journal of nehemiah. Read nehemiah commentary using matthew henry commentary on the whole bible complete. It includes the sevenvolume seventhday adventist bible commentary, the twovolume seventhday adventist encyclopedia, as well as the single volumes seventhday adventist bible dictionary, seventh.