My goal over the coming weeks is to deliver nehemiah chapters 14 so that you can have the full picture of this man and what he endured in faithful service to our. When god has work to do, he will never want instruments to do it with. In the hebrew bible the book of nehemiah comfort of jah forms a unity with the preceding book of ezra compare with the notes on ezra. You will also find options for commentaries on nehemiah that help pastors, teachers, and readers with application of the bible, commentaries that approach the scripture versebyverse, classic christian commentaries, and much more. Nehemiah commentary matthew henry commentary on the. He prevailed with the king to send him to jerusalem with a commission to build a wall about it, and grant him what was necessary for it v. Best nehemiah commentaries updated for 2020 best bible. As we look at the life of nehemiah, we will learn many qualities of service and leadership. It tells the story of a man whose name was nehemiah. The book of nehemiah, one of the history books of the bible, continues. After this long time, the walls of the city of jerusalem were still in rubble. Study the bible online using commentary on nehemiah and more. Nehemiah s distress for the misery of jerusalem, his prayer.
He was a very important official who worked for the king of persia. The books of ezra and nehemiah were originally combined into a single book. Nehemiah was a man of character who loved and feared god. This volume has many strengths and practical suggestions for treating problem passages, and follows a good and logical outline of the combined texts. The book of nehemiah shows us the kind of significant impact one individual can have on a nation. The book of nehemiah has been, since the 16th century, a separate book of the hebrew bible. The colony of returned exiles seems to have made little progress during that long period. Introduction, outline, and selected bibliography for the books of ezra nehemiah, by david malick at the biblical studies foundation. With the books of ezra and nehemiah, the continuous historical narrative of the old testament comes to a close.
Study basics about bible books, people, dates, places, and content, and take webbased selftests. Exegesis and theology page 4 the blog of brian collins. Hanani arrives with others from jerusalem, who have come to persia to seek out nehemiah and enlist his help. Nehemiah was a person of prayer who risked his life of power, privilege and lux ury to bring stability, reform and spiritual awakening to the people of jerusalem. The book of nehemiah with explanatory notes 1878 w b pope. Read the book of nehemiah from the bible with full chapters, highlighted popular verses, and helpful bible commentary for studying scripture. The book of nehemiah is about strength under pressurehaving the fortitude to follow yahweh, no matter what.
T hough no author is claimed in the book of nehemiah it is believed that ezra or nehemiah wrote the book. The people gathered and asked ezra to bring the book scroll of the law of moses which the lord had given to israel 8. Nehemiah overview matthew henrys complete commentary on. Preaching guide for ezranehemiah unfinished hope compiled by brian hope, jeff vanderstelt, nathan cedarland, and paul dean this document represents the work of pastors and theologians in the american pacific northwest. On this view, ezranehemiah has a threepart structure. Nehemiah with book summary versebyverse bible commentary.
James rosscup writes that barnes includes 16 volumes on the old testament. Jun 18, 2012 an urban ministry exegesis of nehemiah june 18, 2012 a leader can make a positive change in the inner city with the hope of restoring poor people to a closer relationship with jesus christ. This article is also available and sold as a booklet. Sep 14, 2017 gods call to action exegesis of nehemiah 1. These verses give the list of the kings of judah from solomon to zechariah. Barber this set, originally published in 1903, contains expositions by both conservative and liberal theologians. The book of nehemiah is designed to teach us that only with gods help can we actually change ourselves and recover from the damage and ruin of the past. These events take place about a century after the jewish exiles were allowed to return from babylonia to jerusalem after a lengthy exile. For spiritual renewal, gods people must read his word. The book of nehemiah does not specifically name its author, but both jewish and christian traditions recognize ezra as the author.
How nehemiah wrestled with god and prevailed we read in the foregoing chapter. In an individuals life the rebuilding of the walls is a picture of reestablishing the strength of that life. In 445 bc the king of persia sent nehemiah, his jewish cupbearer, to oversee the rebuilding of the wall of jerusalem. Nehemiah worked as the cupbearer to the persian king artexerxes. He was a highranking official in the persian kings court. Nehemiah 2 commentary matthew henry commentary on the. Before that date, it had been included in the book of ezra.
If i had to rank the best leaders in the bible, the top one would obviously be jesus. Preaching outline for ezranehemiah pg 35 tim mackies notes on ezranehemiah. It also serves as an example to us that we need to be constantly reminded of gods word. Nehemiah jehovah comforts is a famous cupbearer, who never appears in scripture outside of this book. 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. The book of nehemiah begins 15 years after the book of ezra ends.
These two books were originally a single work, and most commentaries treat them together. Read nehemiah commentary using commentary critical and explanatory on the whole bible. Jewish tradition identifies nehemiah himself as the primary author of this historical book. Nehemiah 8 shows us four marks of spiritual renewal related to gods word. And it came to pass in the month of nisan, in the twentieth year of king artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that i took the wine and gave it to the king.
I want to recapture where we finished last time because it is pertinent to where we pick scripture up in nehemiah 6. Fenshams study on the books of ezra and nehemiah is a contribution to the new international commentary on the old testament. Best commentaries and books on nehemiah logos bible software. The previous chapter on ezra describes the earlier two returns.
Nehemiah, by general account, comes after ezra, though as fensham observes, both men may have worked concurrently. But they did return, and in the days of ezra, they rebuilt the temple and laid a spiritual foundation for israel once again. A selection of the best commentaries and bible study resources on the book of nehemiah. And it came to pass in the month chisleu, in the twentieth year, as i was in shushan.
Personal ambition is sunk in desire for public good. He oversees the rebuilding of jerusalems walls and defenses, so aggressively that israels enemies complain to artaxerxes. Nehemiahs agency for the advancing of the settlement of israel we have a full account of in this book of his own commentaries or memoirs, wherein he records. After nehemiahs great grief could no longer be hidden, the king inquired as to what. Walter adeney commentary on ezra expositors bible commentary 1900. The goal of this document is to serve as an aid to pastors in preparing sermons. Selfish motives are abandoned for generous impulses. A critical and exegetical commentary on the books of ezra. Hanani arrives with others from jerusalem, who have come. Ezra stresses the religious restoration of the remnant when writing of the erection of the altar, the building of the temple and the law of jehovah that is the word of god. The former governors not ezra, who was no governor, nor zerubbabel, but others between him and nehemiah, whom he forbears to name. Top 5 commentaries on the books of ezra and nehemiah. Nehemiah would help the jews to build the walls round jerusalem again.
God sent nehemiah to judah in order to do a special task. Publication date 19 topics bible, bible publisher edinburgh, clark. Although the books bear different names they follow each other without paragraph and the numeration of the masorah is listed at the end of nehemiah for both books. An urban ministry exegesis of nehemiah christopher l. Provides old testament students with a most excellent tool for the analysis and exegesis of ezra and nehemiah. For over one hundred years, the international critical commentary series has held a special place among works on the bible. It is no new thing for those who are in places of trust, to seek themselves more than. The same man wrote both books ezra and nehemiah are one book in the hebrew canon. Later that year, nehemiah traveled to israel, leading the third of three returns by the jewish people following their seventy years of exile in babylon. As with the books of ezra and esther, named after his contemporaries see introductions to ezra and esther, the book. Study the bible online using commentary on nehemiah and. The following are five of the most helpful commentaries on ezranehemiah. Nehemiah was accompanied by jewish exilesdescendants of the captives who were taken to babylon in 586 bc.
The book of nehemiah opens in the persian city of susa in the year 444 bc. Nehemiah lived at ease, and in honour, but does not forget that he is an israelite, and that his brethren are in distress. General resources for nehemiah check the scripture index for links and study resources pertaining to specific pericopes. The book of nehemiah was likely written between 445 and 420 b. The book of nehemiah is a book of the hebrew bible, thought to be a continuation of the book of ezra, and is sometimes called the second book of ezra. Nehemiahs distress for the misery of jerusalem, his prayer. It has sought to bring together all the relevant aids to exegesislinguistic and textual no less than archaeological, historical, literary and theologicalwith a level of comprehension and quality of scholarship unmatched by any other series. The book is a first person account of the events from the perspective of nehemiah. This is based on the fact that the books of ezra and nehemiah were originally one. Key personalities include nehemiah, ezra, sanballat, and tobiah. Nehemiah the civilian, as contrasted with ezra the ecclesiastic, is brought before us in this book as the patriot deliverer of his people. Much of the book is written from his firstperson perspective. Publication date 19 topics bible, bible publisher edinburgh, clark collection robarts.
Nehemiah commentary commentary critical and explanatory. Preaching guide for ezranehemiah unfinished hope compiled by brian hope, jeff vanderstelt, nathan cedarland, and paul dean. As sequel of the book of ezra the book of nehemiah reports the third return to jerusalem in 445 bc. Apr 06, 2019 on this view, ezranehemiah has a threepart structure. The prayer next reminds god of his own words nehemiah 1. Please contact the publisher to obtain copies of this resource. The other seven chapters of the book are occupied with some details of nehemiahs government of the people after the completion of the walls. Nehemiah wrote it to records the events of returning to jerusalem and rebuilding the walls in 445 b. Introduction to the book of nehemiah, new american bible. He offered the defining example of servant leadership, was perfect in every way, changed the lives of billions of people in 3 years of ministry, and even rose from the dead the second best leader in the bible is going to place way behind jesus, but i think there are several people who could qualify. The books of ezra and nehemiah new international commentary. Nehemiah served in secular offices, using his position to bring back to the jews order, stability, and proper focus on god. This book continues the history of the children of the captivity. Charles fensham the books of ezra and nehemiah new international commentary on the old testament, 1983.
Read and study nehemiah, including book summary, with the versebyverse bible commentary. He was a person who understood that his life belonged to. The application of these passages to the then condition of things is at first sight somewhat loose, since part of the people were already. Nehemiah lived at ease, and in honour, but does not forget that he is an israelite, and. Ezra and nehemiah are challenging books for contemporary readers. Jerusalem had a temple but there was no protection for the city from further attack. Its members settled down, and much of their enthusiasm cooled, as we see from the reforms which ezra had to inaugurate fourteen years before nehemiah. It is about the return from exile and the rebuilding of jerusalem opening. God uses all manner of people in all manner of places doing all manner of work. The other seven chapters of the book are occupied with some details of nehemiah s government of the people after the completion of the walls. Proper exegesis requires understanding the text within which the verse or chapter it is found in. This book, as was true in the book of ezra, has copies of letters, decrees, registers and other documents. An urban ministry exegesis of nehemiah june 18, 2012 a leader can make a positive change in the inner city with the hope of restoring poor people to a closer relationship with jesus christ.
The typical patriot is purely disinterested in principle. Book of nehemiah overview insight for living ministries. The people have suffered from hostile neighbors and crop. Nehemiah commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole. The best commentaries for those seeking to understand these books are the commentaries by fensham and williamson below. An easyenglish bible version and commentary 2800 word vocabulary on the book of nehemiah. Read nehemiah commentary using matthew henry commentary on the whole bible complete. At the end of his leave of absence from the king he came back to babylon, and after certain days he came again to jerusalem nehemiah 2. A critical and exegetical commentary on the books of ezra and. Book of nehemiah simple english wikipedia, the free. A critical and exegetical commentary on the books of ezra and nehemiah by batten, loring w. Nehemiah, who held high office in the persian court, came to israel to secure the country, among other things.
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