Back Ground Information on Ezra 20230427 #BibleStudy #Amen #Love #Christian #VictoryinJesus

Back Ground Information on Ezra 20230427?#BibleStudy #Amen #Love #Christian #VictoryinJesus

?

?

Ezra

?

?

Introduction

Name.

Josephus (Against Apion 1. 8), Jerome (Preface to the Commentary on Galatians), and the Talmud (Baba Bathra 15a) considered the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah as one. Also the Hebrew Bible has the books together as a single work. However, there is evidence that the two books were originally separate. The lists in Ezr_2:1-70 and Neh_7:1-73 are basically the same. This would militate against the idea that the two books were originally one, for it would seem strange to repeat the same list in one volume. The name Ezra for the title of the first work comes from the major person in the second half of the book, who also appears in Neh_8:1-18 and Neh_12:1-47 of the Book of Nehemiah.

The name of the Book of Ezra is complicated by the way the Septuagint named some of its books. In the Septuagint the name Esdras (Ezra) refers to a number of books. First Esdras (also called Esdras A) is an apocryphal book. Second Esdras (Esdras B) contains the canonical Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. However, sometimes Nehemiah is called Esdras C (or G if one accurately reflects the third Heb. letter, which is gimel). The Apocrypha has still another Esdras, alternately called II Esdras or IV Esdras.

Canonicity.

The Book of Ezra has been accepted as canonical since before the time of the Septuagint (ca. 200 b.c.), which may have been only about 250 years after the book was written. Few scholars in modern times have therefore questioned the canonicity of the Book of Ezra.

Author.

Though Ezra is not referred to in the book as having written it, he has long been supposed to be the book’s author. Internal evidence points to this fact for in 7:27-9:15 the author refers to himself in the first person. Hebrew tradition also has considered Ezra the author. He was a priest and a scribe of the Law (Ezr_7:21). Undoubtedly Ezra had documents at his disposal for the historical sections in chapters 1-6. Many Bible students have noted similarities between the style of Ezra and the style of 1 and 2 Chronicles. Therefore some suppose that Ezra was the author of all three. (See comments in Introduction to 1 Chron.)

Date.

The Book of Ezra covers two distinct time periods. Chapters 1-6 cover the 23 years from the edict of Cyrus to the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem (538-515 b.c.). Chapters 7-10 deal with the events after Ezra returned from Babylon (458 b.c.). The two exceptions are Ezr_4:6, which refers to an event in the reign of Xerxes (485-465) and Ezr_4:7-23, which parenthetically include a letter written later during the reign of Artaxerxes (464-424). The time of writing of the completed book could not have been earlier than about 450 b.c. (when the events recorded in Ezr_10:17-44 took place). Ezra was a contemporary of Nehemiah (Neh_8:1-9; Neh_12:36).

Historical Setting.

The setting of the book is the postexilic era when the faithful Israelites were returning from Babylon to Judah so that they could reestablish their temple worship. In all the books written during the postexilic period the temple and temple worship are vital subjects. (These include 1 and 2 Chron.; Ezra; Neh.; Hag.; Zech.; and Mal. — all except Es. in which the people were unfaithful to the command of the Lord given through Isaiah and Jeremiah to return to the land after the Captivity.) The people who returned to the land of promise were publicly acknowledging that they believed God would reestablish the nation and usher in a time of kingdom blessing.

There were three returns from Babylon to the land of Israel (in 538, 458, and 444 b.c.), just as there had been three deportations from the land to Babylon (605, 597, and 586 b.c.). The first return was led by Zerubbabel (Ezra 1-6; Hag.; Zech.) in 538 b.c. The rebuilding of the temple was of vital importance for this group. The second return was under Ezra (Ezra 7-10) in 458 b.c. The people needed reforming; they needed to return to their covenant obligations. The third return was led by Nehemiah in 444 b.c. Nehemiah’s concerns were to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and, as in Ezra’s time, to lead the people back to obedience to the Lord. The Book of Malachi was probably written in Nehemiah’s time. The events in the Book of Esther occurred between the events recorded in Ezr_6:1-22 and Ezr_7:1-28. (See the chart “The Three Returns from Exile.” Also see the chart “Chronology of the Postexilic Period” near Ezr_1:1.)

The Text.

Nearly a fourth of the Book of Ezra was written in Aramaic; the rest was written in Hebrew. The Aramaic sections (67 of 280 verses) are 4:8-6:18 and Ezr_7:12-26. The material in these verses was mainly copied from official correspondence for which Aramaic was the standard language (lingua franca) of the day.

Purpose.

The Book of Ezra was written not simply to record miscellaneous historical facts in the history of Israel during the Jews’ return to the land. This book, like all books in the Bible, had a theological purpose. The purpose of Ezra’s book can be seen by reflecting on the audience for which it was written. As stated earlier, the book may have been written around 450 b.c. Thus the original readers were exiles who had returned under Zerubbabel and Ezra, but who were then wavering in their relationship to God. Ezra wrote to encourage the remnant to be involved in true temple worship and to remind them to fulfill their covenantal obligations because of God’s mercy. The highlight of the book is in chapters 9-10, which tells of the people’s proper response after sin was found in their midst. Ezra wanted his readers to emulate that same attitude of dependence on God, which believers of all times should have.

?

?

THE BIBLE KNOWLEDGE COMMENTARY

An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty

Based on the New International Version

by

John F. Walvoord

Roy B. Zuck

Cook Communications Ministries

?

?

Ezra

?

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

THERE can be no question who was the penman of this book of God. Ezra, whose name it bears, was evidently the writer of it. Though indeed if he literally was the scribe of the whole, he must have been an ancient man at his death, for it contains in point of history a period of at least 80 years. It begins with the first year of the reign of Cyrus, which was about 536 years before the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ; and closeth somewhat about the 456th year before the Christian era.

The name of Ezra is not without signification, for it implies an helper. And certain it is that he well answered to this name, for his ministry must have been highly beneficial to the church of God in the critical period in which he lived. And I conceive the Lord hath made his labors a blessing and an help to the church, in all the intermediate periods, to the present hour.

The Reader will have a better apprehension of the several contents of this book, and will enter with more clearness of understanding into the design of the Holy Ghost in causing this faithful record to have been committed to writing, and handed down to the church, if he considers before he begins the perusal of it, the precise time of the church to which it refers, and connects also with the reading of it the view of the several contemporary writers in the church, whose ministry and labors were exercised much about the same era. What Ezra hath here stated, as an history, will have great light thrown upon it, if the Reader consults what the prophets, who ministered in the successive ages before, had predicted should be accomplished. If he looks no further back than the ministry of Isaiah, and traces in the writings of the prophets that follow to Micah, the sacred writings of those inspired men will be of great use to the advantageous reading the book of Ezra. And although the prophets Haggai and Zechariah did not begin their ministry so early by many years as Ezra, yet as they were both engaged in the Lord’s service before that Ezra finished his labors, a reference to those parts of scripture will be highly profitable.

Another interesting point for the pious Reader to observe before he enters upon the perusal of this book of God, will be to call to mind the state of the church at this period of its history. The Babylonish captivity was now over. The church was liberated from Babylon, though still tributary to the Persian government which succeeded it. And such of the people as the Lord had inclined to return to Jerusalem, were now inhabiting again their beloved city, though all in ruins. But the kingly government which their fathers possessed, was lost. Such was the state of God’s Israel at the period when Ezra wrote and begun this scriptural record.

I have only to detain the Reader with a request, before he enters upon the perusal of the book of Ezra, that both at the commencement and through every part of it, he will be on the lookout in every chapter and verse, more or less, as the several portions may direct, for a glimpse, (if it be but a glimpse), of him to whom the whole is intended to minister, and on whose account alone it becomes most highly interesting. The Holy Ghost hath never, in any one period of the church, left himself without witness that it is to Jesus he is ministering, and all the records he hath graciously given the church, by whatever servant he hath thought proper to send, they all, like so many rivulets directing their course towards the sea, point to Jesus. This was he of whom Moses and the prophets did write. This was he whose day the patriarchs saw afar off, rejoiced in the prospect, and was glad. And this was he for whose sake Jehovah declared himself to Cyrus two hundred years before Cyrus was born, that he had called him by name, and commissioned him to the deliverance of his people, when opening before him the two-leaved gates into Babylon. See Isa_45:14. And the same is he whose redemption we are equally interested in, whom the fathers looked forward to, and whose faith we would desire to follow, considering the end of their conversation; Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever.

Reader! let you and I pray the Almighty Spirit, even God the Holy Ghost, who caused this scripture to be written, that he will bless it to our perusal, and more especially in that sweet and most precious part of it which contains Jesus; that in whatever part of scripture he is spoken of, or under what shadow soever he is veiled, like Ezra, we may be scribes, as he was, well instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, to find and bring forth out of the treasury things new and old. And, as Ezra, it is said, (Ezr_7:10; Ezr_7:16,) prepared his heart to teach in Israel, and was a ready scribe in things which are divine; so may we be prepared, from the same gracious source, to discover somewhat in every page of him, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Oh! Lord! do thou, with whom is the residue of the Spirit, grant both to him that writes, and the eye that reads, increasing testimony to the truth as it is in Jesus; that as these things are written that we might believe that Jesus is the Son of God; so in believing we may have life through his name, Amen.

?

Poor Man's Commentary

Robert Hawker

Published in 1805; public domain.

?

?

A Literary and Historical Introduction to Ezra and Nehemiah

Ezra-Nehemiah: One Book

Although English translations of the Bible regard Ezra and Nehemiah as two separate books, in actuality they were written as one continuous work. In the earliest versions of the Hebrew Bible, Ezra-Nehemiah appeared as a unit. This is also true for the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, in which Ezra-Nehemiah stands as one book called Esdras B (or Esdras II). The textual history of Ezra-Nehemiah seems confusing at first, with the ancient Greek and Latin versions of the Bible employing a variety of names and textual variants. However, the modern interpreter may trust the authenticity of the text as it stands in English Bibles but should regard Ezra-Nehemiah as a single book with two parts.

Ezra-Nehemiah: A Collection of Sources

The reader of Ezra-Nehemiah will quickly notice diverse literary elements, including autobiographical stories, extensive lists, letters, and third-person descriptions. One may be surprised to discover that the book includes both Hebrew and Aramaic languages. Ezra 4:8-6:18 and Ezr_7:12-26 were written in Aramaic while the rest was written in Hebrew. The author of Ezra-Nehemiah did not compose his work out of completely original material, but, rather, collected many older sources and edited them into a continuous and well-ordered account. The sources found in Ezra-Nehemiah include:

1. Royal decree(s) (Ezr_1:2-4; Ezr_6:3-5)

2. Lists of people (Ezra 2; Neh. 7, 11, 12)

3. Aramaic letters (Ezra 4:8-6:12; Neh_7:12-26)

4. Ezra's memoirs (portions of Ezra 7-10, perhaps Neh. 8)

5. Nehemiah's memoirs (most of Neh. 1-7 and 13, perhaps other sections of Nehemiah).

The fact that the editor of Ezra-Nehemiah used sources like these strengthens the historical reliability of the work. It also prepares the reader to interpret the text with sensitivity to its components and overall structure. The person who penned the collection that we read as Ezra-Nehemiah did not simply paste things together in a random or even chronologically-rigid way. Rather, he carefully wove the strands together to produce a coherent and theologically-textured literary fabric—one that also tells a good story.

The Author of Ezra-Nehemiah

We do not know exactly who edited the disparate sources that make up Ezra-Nehemiah. Scholars have often identified him with the person who composed 1 and 2 Chronicles, known as "The Chronicler." This conclusion is based on theological similarities between the books of Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah and upon a telling overlap between the last verses of 2 Chronicles and the first verses of Ezra. (Ezr_1:1-3 reproduces 2Ch_36:22-23 almost verbatim.) Stylistic and theological variations between Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah suggest, however, that the author of the later work was closely related to the Chronicler but was not the same person. In the end, we are left with a variety of ingenious theories about the author or authors of Ezra-Nehemiah but without any indubitable choice. We do know, however, that he was a careful scholar who affirmed the sovereignty of God and longed for the full restoration of Israel.

The Date of Composition

As in the case of authorship, we cannot achieve certainty about when the unidentified editor collected sources and composed Ezra-Nehemiah. Of course this must have happened after the events described, which could establish the earliest possible date at around 430 B.C. Most scholars agree that the final editing of the book happened no later than 300 B.C. Many of the sources in Ezra-Nehemiah, however, are earlier than 430 B.C.; the decree of Cyrus (Ezr_1:2-4; Ezr_6:3-5), for example, was given in 538 B.C.

The Genre and Purpose of Ezra-Nehemiah

Commentaries and Old Testament introductions rarely consider the nature of Ezra-Nehemiah. Conservative scholars simply assume that it is a work of history, and critical scholars become so wrapped up in questions of sources and composition that they easily overlook the nature of the finished work. To be sure, Ezra-Nehemiah should be considered a work of history along the lines of 1 and 2 Chronicles. Thus, in English Bibles Ezra-Nehemiah joins the "historical" books. The Hebrew canon, however, places it among the "Writings" (the third section of the Scriptures, following the Law and the Prophets). To identify Ezra-Nehemiah as history, however, does not mean that it was composed according to modern standards of historiography. For example, a basic chronological sequence gives order to the book, but Ezr_4:6-23 intentionally disrupts the chronological flow. The author wanted to tell what happened, but not as a listing of mere facts. Rather, he recounted the facts according to his theological commitments, and, I might add, according to divine inspiration.

Ezra-Nehemiah was written, therefore, not simply to recount what happened. If we read only to find out what went on 2,400 years ago, then we will miss the point. The author wanted to instruct and to edify by telling a story of restoration through Ezra and Nehemiah. He selected certain primary sources and carefully crafted his account in order to illustrate something profound about God and God's restoration of His people.

Chronological Puzzles in Ezra-Nehemiah

As mentioned above, the author of Ezra-Nehemiah structured his work by an overarching chronological schema. He does not, how ever, tell his story in a strictly chronological order. The text in Ezr_4:5 places the action within the reign of Darius, king of Persia from 522 to 486 B.C. Then chapters 5 and 6 continue telling the story of what happened during his reign, but Ezr_4:6-23 interrupts the sequence by describing what happened while Artaxerxes I was king (Ezr_4:7-23; 465-423 B.C.). This shows that while the author values chronology he does not always describe events in the order in which they occurred. Of course this does not mean that he is either deceptive or a poor historian. The idea that history must always be recounted chronologically is ours, not his.

Because the author exercises literary freedom in his account, certain chronological puzzles plague those of us who look for the precise order in which things happened. One such puzzle concerns Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel. Ezr_1:8 identifies Sheshbazzar as "the prince of Judah" who led the people from Babylon to Jerusalem, and Ezr_5:14-16 recognizes him as the "governor" who laid the foundation for the temple. But when chapter 2 lists those who returned from Babylon, Sheshbazzar is not mentioned. Chapter 3 pictures Zerubbabel as the one who superintended the founding of the temple, moreover, the prophet Haggai applies the title of "governor" to him (for example, Hag_1:1). Yet Ezra-Nehemiah never spells out the relationship between Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel, nor does it clarify the apparent confusion of their roles. While scholars have offered several theses to explain this oddity, I regard it as a historical puzzle that may not have a definitive solution simply because the author chose to pay attention to other things in his writing.

The historical relationship between Ezra and Nehemiah has also vexed commentators. A cursory reading of the text seems at first to explain their relationship quite clearly: Ezra came to Jerusalem thirteen years before Nehemiah, who, upon arriving in Judah, served alongside Ezra for an unspecified duration of time. This may in fact be exactly what happened, but, upon closer inspection, the text causes us to wonder about this order of events. For example, King Artaxerxes sent Ezra to Judah to teach the Law in the seventh year of Artaxerxes (Ezr_7:7-10). According to the story, Ezra did not fulfill this assignment until after Nehemiah arrived, some 13 years later (Neh_2:1; Neh_8:1-12). How odd! Moreover, in the autobiographical source material from Ezra and Nehemiah, neither person mentions the other (except for Neh_12:36). Finally, what Ezra did accomplish in his first year appears to have been forgotten completely by Nehemiah only a few years later. In fact, it seems never to have happened at all (Ezra 9-10; Neh. 13). Ezra ends up looking like a procrastinator who failed in significant aspects of his mission. Yet this certainly does not match his elevated status within Jewish tradition, where he stands as a second Moses. Could it be, scholars have wondered, that the author of Ezra-Nehemiah rearranged the order of events here, much as he did in Ezra 4? Did Ezra actually follow Nehemiah? Gallons of academic ink have been spilled in an attempt to offer solutions to this vexing problem.

In this commentary I assume that Ezra preceded Nehemiah, just as the text states. Objections to this position have been answered by scholars, and I feel it provides the best perspective from which to understand Ezra-Nehemiah. At any rate, the author of Ezra-Nehemiah wanted his readers to view the ministries of Ezra and Nehemiah as concurrent and complementary. I do want to add, however, that holding a high view of scriptural authority does not compel one to place Ezra before Nehemiah. This would be true only if the author intended to provide a rigidly chronological order of events. But if the author wanted, instead, to tell a theologically-shaped story by a creative use of historical sources, then we could accept any number of historical theses and still uphold biblical inerrancy or infallibility. Generally speaking, advocates of either of these positions on biblical authority qualify their views in terms of the writer's intentions and rightly so! I believe that, in theory, the author of Ezra-Nehemiah could have altered the chronology of events without being deceptive or in any way untruthful since chronology was not his main intention. But I also believe that, in fact, he placed Ezra and Nehemiah in their actual order.

If these last sentences have confused you thoroughly, let me give an example to explain further. As a preacher I always try to tell the truth, especially in my illustrations. I know so many Christians who doubt the credibility of preachers because they have heard too many far-fetched stories. Unlike some preachers, I do not use "poetic license" as an excuse for exaggeration or fabrication. But sometimes I do change details in a story. Suppose I want to illustrate a sermon with a story that someone has shared with me in strictest confidence. I will ask that person for permission to share "a version" of his or her story. I promise to change enough relevant details, including names, so that no one will be able to identify the individual involved. My congregation understands and supports this practice. Therefore, since I do not intend or pretend to reveal privileged information in preaching, one would scarcely accuse me of being untruthful. Analogously, if the author of Ezra-Nehemiah intended to present a theological painting rather than a factual photograph, then only one who ignored his intentions would accuse him of being errant or fallible.

Overview of the Contents of Ezra-Nehemiah

Ezra-Nehemiah tells the story of the restoration of Judah after the Babylonian exile. It focuses on events that happened between 538 B.C. and 430 B.C. (or so). The time-line chart at the end of this introduction places the major events of Ezra-Nehemiah in a helpful chronological framework.

Ezra-Nehemiah can be divided into four major sections:

I. Restoration of the Temple Ezra 1:1-6:22

II. Restoration of Covenant Life, Phase One: The Work of Ezra Ezra 7:1-10:44

III. Restoration of the Wall through Nehemiah Neh. 1:1-6:19

IV. Restoration of Covenant Life, Phase Two: Ezra and Nehemiah Work Together Neh. 7:1-13:31

The theme of restoration ties the whole book together. Somewhat surprisingly, Ezra himself does not appear until the last four chapters of the book bearing his name. Nehemiah, on the other hand, dominates the first six chapters of the Book of Nehemiah. For a more detailed overview of the contents of Ezra-Nehemiah, see the outline that appears at the end of this introduction.

The Place of Ezra-Nehemiah Within the History of Israel

The story of Ezra-Nehemiah can best be understood within the context of Israelite history, which begins with God's covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12. God told Abram (soon to be called Abraham) to go from his country to a new land in which God would make from Abram's seed a great and blessed nation (Gen_12:1-3). Abraham trusted God and entered into a covenantal relationship with Him (Gen_12:4; Gen_15:6).

Although Abraham settled in the Land of Promise, his great-grand children were driven to Egypt by famine. There they spent more than 400 years in bondage to the Pharaohs until God delivered them through the leadership of Moses. In that context God made another covenant with Israel, as found in Exodus:

And Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel." So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the LORD commanded him. Then all the people answered together and said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do."

—Exo_19:3-8 (emphasis added)

Israel would be God's "special treasure" and "holy nation" if the people obeyed His voice and kept His covenant: the Law revealed on Mt. Sinai.

After a series of missteps, Israel conquered the Land of Promise and became God's holy nation. Unlike other nations, Israel had no human king. God was their only sovereign, who ruled through human judges. But the people were not satisfied with a divine king. They wanted to be just like the other nations, so they clamored for a human king. In spite of their rejection of God as king, God nevertheless heeded their wishes in anointing King Saul over Israel.

Once the human kingship had been established, God again updated his covenant with Israel, this time through King David. As Psalm 89 records, God said:

I have made a covenant with My chosen,

I have sworn to My servant David;

"Your seed I will establish forever,

And build up your throne to all generations."

—Psa_89:3-4

If the descendants of David disobeyed God, then He would punish them, but He would not remove David's line from the kingship of Israel, which would last forever (Psa_89:30-37).

In the following years, David's kingdom deteriorated, falling from glory into ruin. His grandchildren divided Israel into two kingdoms: the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. Because the kings of the north led the people to reject God and worship the Baals, in 722 B.C. God raised up Assyria to destroy the northern kingdom.

Matters in Judah appeared to be better for a while, as the people occasionally listened to the prophets who called them back to God. But, increasingly, Judah also rejected God. Meanwhile, the once mighty Assyrian Empire fell to the Babylonians in 612 B.C. Seven years later the infamous dictator Nebuchadnezzer ascended to the throne of Babylon, with his sights set upon Judah, and in 587 B.C. Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians. Nebuchadnezzar's men killed the leaders of Judah, burned the temple in Jerusalem to the ground after pillaging its sacred contents, and took the best and brightest citizens of Judah back to Babylon as prisoners.

The year 587 B.C. appeared to be the end of the dream for the children of Israel. The nation promised to Abraham had completely collapsed. God's special people, named in the Mosaic covenant, were special no more. The Davidic kingdom had been completely ruined, along with the temple, the center of Jewish worship. The multifaceted covenant between God and His people appeared to have been decimated through the unfaithfulness of Israel.

In exile the people yearned for the day when God would rebuild the nation. The prophet Ezekiel looked forward to spiritual restoration, when "dry bones" would come to life again (Eze_37:4 ff.). Jeremiah had prophesied the defeat of Babylon and the reestablishment of Israel (Jer_50:1-5). Isaiah was even more specific about how this would happen:

Thus says the LORD to His anointed,

To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held—To subdue nations before him

And loose the armor of kings,

To open before him the double doors,

So that the gates will not be shut:

'I will go before you

And make the crooked places straight;

I will break in pieces the gates of bronze

And cut the bars of iron.

I will give you the treasures of darkness

And hidden riches of secret places,

That you may know that I, the LORD,

Who call you by your name,

Am the God of Israel.

For Jacob My servant's sake,

And Israel My elect,

I have even called you by our name;

I have named you, though you have not known Me….'

I have raised him up in righteousness,

And I will direct all his ways;

He shall build My city

And let My exiles go free

Not for price nor reward,"

Says the LORD of hosts.

—Isa_45:1-4, Isa_45:13

As the people in exile yearned for God's restoration, Jeremiah and Isaiah promised deliverance from the Babylonians through God's anointed, Cyrus, who would restore Israel.

In the context of the history of Israel through the Exile, then, we read Ezr_1:1 :

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom.

The appointed time had come—restoration was at hand.

Resources for Studying Ezra-Nehemiah

Teachers and preachers of Ezra-Nehemiah are blessed with a wealth of resources for studying this ancient document. Although I know that taste in commentaries varies widely, nonetheless I would make a few suggestions. I believe that one who embarks upon the serious study of a biblical book should, if at all possible, have access to at least two commentaries on that book. Since you have this commentary already, I will suggest other options.

The Word Biblical Commentary volume on Ezra, Nehemiah by H.G.M. Williamson is detailed, innovative, and clear. This is an academic commentary, to be sure, full of scholarly arguments, extensive references, and plenty of Hebrew. It demands time and thought, but rewards those who are willing to invest what is required.

A third commentary I would recommend is Derek Kidner's volume in the Tyndale Old Testament Commentary series. This text is solidly conservative and persuasive in its arguments. Since this commentary is quite short, it gets to the point quickly. After Kidner, evangelical communicators would appreciate the New International Commentary on the Old Testament volume by F. Charles Fensham. I have found it particularly useful when looking for biblical cross-references. Additional commentaries will be cited in the bibliography.

In addition to having two solid commentaries, students of the Old Testament should have a detailed Bible atlas and at least one quality Bible encyclopedia or dictionary. Several years ago I decided to spend most of my "book allowance" on volumes like these for my personal research library. These usually cost more than popular books, but they pay off handsomely in years of regular use.

?

The Preacher's Commentary

Copyright ? 1982-1992 by Word, Inc.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, except for brief quotations in reviews, without written permission from the publisher.

?

?