Nehemiah
INTRODUCTION
THE MAN
The name, Nehemiah, means Comfort of Jehovah or (Whom) Jehovah has comforted (see Word Studies, end of the next chapter) The man himself was a government official, in contrast to Ezra, who was a priest. This results in a different methodology for accomplishing his goals, but there is no difference in compassion between the two men. The importance of the position which he held in Persia under Artaxerxes may be guessed from the fact that he could ask for the position of governor over Judah as a personal favor, and get it. The character of the man is revealed in that he even desired it, and that he served in that capacity, with all its complications and burdens in preference to the surroundings of the palace in the largest empire of his world. In this he reminds us of Moses.
The man's humility is evidenced by his hesitancy to tell us of his position as cupbearer till the end of the first chapter, and from his neglecting to tell us the position to which he was appointed until chapter 10, and then as a passing reference.
There are a number of similarities between Ezra and Nehemiah. Both utter intercessory prayers for the people. Both rest for three days on their arrival in Jerusalem. Both describe opposition by the Samaritans and an assortment of their neighbors. Both recognize the need of preserving the identity of Israel against intermarriage with foreigners. Both books consist of two halves, with a time lapse between, although Nehemiah is in both halves of his book, having returned after an interval in Persia. God had a use for both of these men, as He can use persons of all kinds of talents and backgrounds and methods of operation today.
THE BOOK
The title is taken from its opening sentence and from its chief character. In some versions, however, it is titled II Esdras, and Ezra is called I Esdras. In the Hebrew text these were at one time one book. Don-'t confuse these with I, II Esdras in the O.T. Apocrypha.
The major subject is the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem after the exile. The events described took place beginning twelve years after the close of the book of Ezra. Within a century the great Greek philosophers and generals will arrive on the world's scene to remold the political situation completely.
It is interesting that, if our dating for these two books is correct, the Jewish people made their first priority the rebuilding of their Temple and the restoration of their religious forms. Even when they had been impelled by fear of their neighbors, they had built an altar instead of a wall; they had trusted in God instead of their own strength (Ezra 3:3). But trust in God does not mean blindness to physical realities, nor doing nothing in the face of dangers; so now they rebuild the wall.
The book also deals with an effort to revitalize the population of Jerusalem; to renew the nation's spiritual life through public reading of the Law, with Ezra's co-operation; to restore the details of the observance of feasts and ceremonials and contributions described in the Law, and to require an oath of loyalty of all the citizens of the land. It closes with a grand portrayal of the dedication of the wall with marching choirs and impressive offerings, followed by the dissonant but necessary condemning of those who had been tempted into disobedience to the Law by contracting marriages to unbelieving foreigners.
AUTHORSHIP
From the amount of autobiographical material in the book, it is reasoned that Nehemiah was either its author or its most extensive contributor. Some ascribe its authorship to Ezra because it was combined with Ezra in the Hebrew Scriptures. However, The Twelve, all the Minor Prophets, were in one book, and no one would ascribe all of them to one author. Others would assign it to the author of Chronicles because of similarity of materials, thus combining Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah under one anonymous authorship. We see no reason to doubt its intimate connection with Nehemiah.
OUTLINE OF THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH
I.
The Wall is Rebuilt, and Reforms are Instituted at Nehemiah's First Visit: Chapter s 1-7
Ch. 1
Nehemiah hears of Jerusalem's helplessness.
Ch. 2
Nehemiah comes to Jerusalem.
Ch. 3
The rebuilding of the wall, section by section, is described.
Ch. 4
The enemies try ridicule and rumor to block construction,
Ch. 5
Internal difficulties arise and are overcome.
Ch. 6
The enemies resort to tactics of diversion, but the wall is completed.
Ch. 7
Nehemiah finds the list of the first exiles to return.
II.
The Law is Read in Public, and its Ceremonies are Resumed: Chapter s 8-10
Ch. 8
The Law is read, and the Feast of Booths is kept.
Ch. 9
The Levites lead in a psalm of confession.
Ch. 10
The people make vows of faithfulness.
III.
Persons Bound by Vows are Listed, and Reforms on Nehemiah's Second Visit are Described: Chapter s 11-13
Ch. 11
The genealogies of residents of Jerusalem and names of other cities are listed.
Ch. 12
The genealogies of priests and Levites are given, and the wall is dedicated.
Ch. 13
Foreigners are expelled and religious reforms are instituted to purify the nation.
REFLECTIONS ON NEHEMIAH
Before we bid farewell to Nehemiah, let's take a look back at the man.
One of his most noticeable characteristics is his use of the short and frequent prayers, instant prayers, perhaps. Prayer is not as large a feature of the O.T. as of the N.T., but here is a person who had become a master of the art. His one lengthy prayer (Nehemiah 1:5-11) is a model of intercession.
He saw the value of the community, the fellowship, the close contact with others for mutual protection. Much of his effort went to bringing people together within the walls of Jerusalem.
He recognized the value of the services of the people, and made frequent appeals to them for co-operation and commitments. He was able to organize them to accomplish in a few days what they hadn-'t been able to do in a century.
He was practical enough to foresee dangers and to prepare to meet them, thus perhaps averting them. He saw the value in getting people to pledge together to reform their ways of living. He shared in the great and thrilling moment of the wall's dedication which must have lifted the spirits of the people for some period of time.
We may learn much from this one of God's heroes, and we can praise God for supplying leaders of this calibre for those times when His people are faced with great burdens.
PROJECT
Remember the way we reviewed the book of Ezra? Let's try the same thing with Nehemiah. There are thirteen Chapter s; chapter seven divides the book in half; it is a repeat from Ezra 2 of the names of the first captives of Israel to return from Babylon.
Now, the first half of the book can be divided in half again. In the first three Chapter s, (1) Nehemiah hears of Jerusalem's helplessness; (2) he gets permission from King Ahasuerus of Persia and comes to Jerusalem; (3) the rebuilding of the wall, section by section, is described. Chapter s 4-6 enlarge on problems involved in the wall's reconstruction. (4) Their enemies try ridicule and rumor to block construction; (5) internal difficulties (indebtedness, mortgage foreclosures, enslavement) arise and are overcome; (6) the enemies resort to tactics of diversion (rumors, lies, a plot to discredit or destroy Nehemiah), but the wall is completed in 52 days. Then they needed residents, which is the reason for (7) republishing the list of first returnees as prospects for new settlers in the city, as already noted.
Chapter s 8-13 also may be divided in half. First there is the great revival: (8) affecting the intellect, the Law is read one day, then through the Feast of Booths; (9) affecting the emotions, there is a psalm or prayer of confession; (10) affecting the will or actions, the people sign vows of faithfulness. Then in the last three Chapter s, (11) the residents of Jerusalem and the names of surrounding settlements are listed; (12) genealogies of priests and Levites are given, and the wall is at last dedicated, which is the climax of the book; (13) foreigners are expelled and religious reforms are instituted to purify the nation.
Now get out thirteen cards or slips of paper and write a title of a chapter on each, leaving off the number; then mix them up (the following list is already mixed), and practice arranging them in order.
The genealogies of priests and Levites are given, and the wall is dedicated.
The enemies try ridicule and rumor to block construction.
Nehemiah comes to Jerusalem.
Foreigners are expelled and religious reforms are instituted to purify the nation.
Nehemiah hears of Jerusalem's helplessness.
The rebuilding of the wall, section by section is described.
The people make vows of faithfulness.
Nehemiah finds the list of the first exiles to return.
The Law is read and the Feast of Booths is kept.
The enemies resort to tactics of diversion, but the wall is completed.
The Levites lead in a psalm of confession.
Internal difficulties arise and are overcome.
The genealogies of residents of Jerusalem, and names of other cities, are listed.
Bibliography
Materials from the following sources appear in this book.
Adenay, Walter F. Expositor's Bible, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1900.
Barton, G. A. Archaeology and The Bible. Philadelphia: American Sunday School Union, 1916.
Bernstein, Philip S. What The Jews Believe. New York: Farrer Straus and Young, 1950.
Buttrick, G. A., Ed. The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. III. New York: Abingdon Press, 1954.
Durant, Will. The Story of Civilization: Our Oriental Heritage. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1935.
Eggleton, John E. Discovering The Old Testament. Portales, N.M.: Christian House Press, 1978.
Ellicott, Charles John. Ellicott's Commentary on The Whole Bible, Vol. III. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959.
Gesenius, William. Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1957.
Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry's Commentary, Vol. II. New York: Revell.
Hutchins, Robert Maynard, Ed. Great Books of The Western World, Vol. VI. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 1952.
Ironside, H. A. Notes on The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. Neptune, N.J.: Loizeaux Bros., 1972.
Josephus, Flavius. The Complete Works (Antiquities of the Jews, Wars of the Jews). William Whiston, Tr. Chicago: Thompson and Thomas, 1899.
Keil, C.F., and Delitzsch, F. Commentary on The Old Testament, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1966.
Keller, Werner. The Bible As History. New York: William Morrow and Co., 1956.
Luck, G. Colman. Ezra and Nehemiah. Chicago: Moody Press, 1961.
McCown, C. C. Biblical Archaeologist, Vol. XX, No. 3 (Sept., 1957), The -Araq el-Emir and the Tobiads. New Haven: American Schools of Oriental Research.
Myers, Jacob M. The Anchor Bible, Ezra-Nehemiah. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday and Co., Inc., 1965.
Myers, Jacob M. The Anchor Bible, I, II Esdras. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday and Co., Inc., 1974.
National Geographic Society. Everyday Life in Bible Times. Washington: National Geographic Society, 1967.
Pritchard, J. B. Ancient Near East Texts. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1955.
Ryle, H. E., Ed. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1897.
Smith, Joseph. The Book of Mormon. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 1948.
Suetonius. The Lives of The Twelve Caesars. Joseph Cavorse, Ed. New York: Random House, 1931.
Wright, G. E. Biblical Archaeology. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, (Hardback) 1957; (Paperback) 1960.
Young, E. J. An Introduction To The Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1963.
Young, Robert. Analytical Concordance To The Bible. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970.
Bibles:
King James Version (KJV)
New American Standard Bible (NASB). LaHabra, CA.: Foundation Press, 1973.
New Catholic Edition of The Holy Bible. New York: Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1957.
New English Bible with The Apocrypha. London: Oxford University Press, 1970.
The Living Bible. Wheaton, III. Tyndale House Publishers, 1971.