NEHEMIAH
Author:
According to ancient Jewish tradition Ezra wrote this book, but the first verse has “the words of Nehemiah”. If Ezra wrote down this book in its present form, it is clear that he used information that came from Nehemiah.
Date:
About 430 BC.
Themes:
The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem; the opposition faced by the Jews and how they overcame it; the leadership of Nehemiah and Ezra and their efforts to teach the people and train them in true godliness.
Contents:
Nehemiah’s sorrow over Jerusalem and his prayer 1:1-11
The king of Persia sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem 2:1-10
Nehemiah inspects the walls of Jerusalem 2:11-16
“Let us build” 2:17-18
The beginning of opposition 2:19-20
Repairers of the wall and gates 3:1-32
Further opposition and how Nehemiah met it 4:1-23
The plight of the poor, Nehemiah’s actions 5:1-19
Opposition continues, Nehemiah’s behavior 6:1-14
The wall completed 6:15-19
Arrangements to protect Jerusalem 7:1-3
Nehemiah discovers the list of the returned exiles 7:4-73
Ezra reads God’s laws to the people 8:1-12
Festival of Tabernacles 8:13-18
The Jews confess their sins 9:1-3
A prayer remembering the Lord’s great deeds 9:5-37
A covenant in writing 9:38—10:39
New residents in Jerusalem and Judah 11:1-36
List of priests and Levites 12:1-26
Dedication of the wall of Jerusalem 12:27-43
Temple offerings and services 12:44-47
What happened during Nehemiah’s absence 13:1-9
Nehemiah’s reforms 13:10-31