Nehemiah
Book Type
Book of History; the sixteenth book of the Old Testament; the sixteenth book of the Bible.Introduction to the Book of Nehemiah
The book of Nehemiah is about strength under pressure—having the fortitude to follow Yahweh, no matter what. In 445 BC the king of Persia sent Nehemiah, his Jewish cupbearer, to oversee the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem. Nehemiah was accompanied by Jewish exiles—descendants of the captives who were taken to Babylon in 586 BC. When they arrived in Judah, the people already living there opposed the changes they wanted to make. But despite opposition, Nehemiah and his supporters finished the wall.Nehemiah left a comfortable job as an assistant to the king of Persia in order to help the demoralized people of Jerusalem. His new work involved motivating the people to rebuild the city’s walls in spite of their neighbors’ opposition. Nehemiah’s work was not just with bricks and mortar. He also mediated a financial crisis, initiated religious reforms with the help of Ezra the scribe, and reorganized civic responsibilities in Jerusalem. Nehemiah demonstrated that with faith, prayer, integrity, and God’s help, God’s servants can succeed.See the Introduction to Ezra Theme & Overview
Nehemiah travels from Susa in Elam to Jerusalem in Judah to lead the Jews in rebuilding the city walls. The Babylonians conquered Judah in 586 BC. Persia conquered Babylon in 539 BC and shortly thereafter allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem. Despite opposition, the returned exiles rebuilt the temple (see the book of Ezra). But by 445 BC the challenges of rebuilding their homeland had demoralized the Jews, and the wall of Jerusalem remained in rubble. The King James Study Bible says Nehemiah succeeded in having himself appointed governor of Judah with authority and resources to rebuild the city walls. He was a man of skill and daring. He first surveyed the walls at night, to avoid detection by those who might oppose the work. Then he assembled a labor force and, dividing the walls into sections, he supervised the building process. The project was completed in the remarkably short time of 52 days despite facing determined opposition: mockery; armed raids; a ruse to draw him outside the city, without doubt to murder him; blackmail; and finally, a prophet hired to foretell his death. In every case he met the challenge with courage, wisdom, and an invincible determination to complete the task for which God had called him. If you’ve ever faced an overwhelming task or felt inadequate to meet a challenge, you’ll identify with Nehemiah. Originally a single work, the books of Ezra and Nehemiah were intended to encourage the Jewish community to remain obedient to God’s covenant in the face of hardship. Decades after the Babylonian exile had ended, the people were struggling to restore Jerusalem, where insecurity abounded and so did ungodly values.In the face of this adversity, Nehemiah faithfully perseveres. For Nehemiah, loyalty to God and His people looks like leaving his position as the king’s cupbearer—a trusted and esteemed role. Nehemiah then acts upon the plans God places on his heart, acting with integrity and calling others to do the same (2:12; 7:5).Nehemiah continually calls the Jews’ attention to their identity, as people in relationship with Yahweh. Being God’s people comes with responsibilities, challenges, and sacrifices. In each new generation, God’s work continues, and His people, who today are those who have chosen Jesus, carry it forward. We are called to make the world a more just and God-honoring place.The theme of Nehemiah is the Lord’s protection of his people and the need for their faithfulness in keeping the Torah (the Mosaic law) and their faithfulness in worship.Key Themes1. The Lord hears prayer (1:4–6).2. The Lord works providentially, especially through powerful rulers, to bring about his greater purposes (e.g., 2:8).3. The Lord protects his people; therefore, they do not need to be afraid (4:14).4. The Lord is merciful and faithful to his promises despite his people’s persistence in sin (9:32–35).5. Worship is at the center of the life of God’s people, and it includes the willing, joyful giving of their resources (10:32–39).6. God’s people need to be on their guard against their own moral weakness (ch. 13).Author
Ezra is the most likely author, as the book was originally probably written as a single text, following the passages contained in the book of Ezra.Recipients
Nehemiah was written to the Jewish people who had recently returned to Jerusalem and the surrounding area following seventy years of exile in Babylonian captivity. The book of Ezra emphasizes the spiritual aspects of God's renewal, while the book of Nehemiah focuses more on renewal of the city and civil government. Even in the midst of Jerusalem's renewal, the attention remains on God's sovereign power to provide. He enables Nehemiah to lead people to Jerusalem, the rebuilding of the city's walls, and the ability to withstand opposition during times of difficulty.Date
Between 457 and 444 BC.Background
Nehemiah starts where Ezra left off, in 444 BC. Ezra has led a third group of exiles back to Jerusalem and now Nehemiah leads a fourth. This continuity is evident in that Ezra and Nehemiah were treated as a single book in antiquity.The events of Nehemiah occur between 444 and 432 BC during King Artaxerxes’ reign over the Persian Empire (which included Judah). While the text of Nehemiah portrays Artaxerxes positively in his dealings with the Jews, historical sources present a broader picture: He killed his opponents—including his older brother Darius, who was the true heir to the throne. He also put down two significant rebellions (in 460 and 448 BC). Nehemiah’s return to Jerusalem took place shortly after the second rebellion. Nehemiah was likely Artaxerxes’ choice for governor of Judah because the ruler wanted a loyal subject overseeing the area, which was strategically located between Babylon (modern-day Iraq) and unstable Egypt.The narrative is set in two cities: Susa and Jerusalem. Susa (sometimes translated “Shushan”) was the empire’s winter capital and was located on the Karkheh River, roughly 150 miles north of the Persian Gulf. Nehemiah was the royal cupbearer in the palace at Susa (Neh 1:11). Once he became governor of Judah, he lived in Jerusalem, which is the setting for Nehemiah 2:11–13:31.During Nehemiah’s tenure as governor, Judah was less than 900 square miles, small enough that it could be ruled from a single fortification. The non-Jewish people living in Judah strongly opposed the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s wall: The building of the wall would effectively allow the Jews to secure the city as a central fortress—and, thus, to once again dominate the region. On the other hand, if the wall was not restored, the Jews would essentially be unable to resist an enemy’s attack.Sanballat the Samaritan, Tobiah the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arab—the governors of their respective regions—led the foreigners. They ruled over the nations surrounding Judah on three sides: Samaria in the north, Ammon in the east, and Arabia in the south.After the Jews had spent several decades in exile in Babylon, God caused the Persian king Cyrus to decree in 538 BC that they could return to their homeland to rebuild their sacred Temple (Ezra 1:2–4). About 50,000 people returned to Jerusalem at that time. After arriving, they built an altar and joyfully worshiped God (Ezra 3:1–13).When they started rebuilding the rest of the Temple, the Jews were threatened by local people who had settled in the city. These opponents turned the Persian authorities against the Jews (Ezra 4:1–5). After fifteen years of frustration, work on the Temple finally began again during the reign of Darius I (521–486 BC), primarily through the prophetic encouragement of Haggai and Zechariah (Ezra 5:1–5). This time, the Persians fully supported the rebuilding of the Temple (Ezra 6:1–12).About sixty years later, in 458 BC, Ezra the scribe brought a group of several thousand pilgrims back to Jerusalem (Ezra 7:1–8:36). Before long, he learned that some of the leaders and priests had married wives who did not worship Israel’s God. Ezra saw this as a threat to the unity and purity of the nation, and he knew it would eventually cause God to punish the people with another exile from the land (Ezra 9:1–15). After Ezra’s emotional prayer confessing their sin, some of the others agreed that the intermarriage was wrong.Ezra did not solve all the problems in Jerusalem. The people still did not have a secure city with rebuilt walls and gates. Numerous enemies still opposed their presence in Jerusalem. They needed a strong civic leader who could help them preserve the independence, economic vitality, security, and sanctity of Jerusalem. God sent a new leader, Nehemiah, to address these issues.The Purpose & Audience (Reasons for the letter)
Prayer. Nehemiah based his service on prayer. He earnestly prayed for God to rescue the people from their despised situation, and God answered by sending Nehemiah (1:1–2:8). When foreigners opposed restoring the walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah asked God to judge them (4:4–5; 6:14). Nehemiah prayed for divine support when he dealt with people who were driving fellow Jews into slavery (6:14), those who were not tithing (13:14), and people who were not keeping the Sabbath (13:22). Prayer provided the power to accomplish God’s will. Six times Nehemiah repeated a refrain asking the Lord to “remember” Nehemiah or his opponents (5:19; 6:14; 13:14, 22, 29, 31).Nehemiah was a genuine leader, an excellent administrator, and a man of prayer.… Nehemiah’s single-mindedness of purpose, attention to detail, and dependence on God were combined in a man who can simply be labeled as a servant of God.
M. BRENEMAN
Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, p. 59
God’s Providence. The book of Nehemiah emphasizes that God sovereignly controls the lives of individuals and nations. God is great and awesome, able to restore people from exile (1:8–9), to promote one of his servants to be the king’s cup-bearer and later the governor of a province (1:11; 2:8, 18), and to give success in rebuilding the walls (2:20; 6:16). God protects his people (4:4–5, 9, 20) and frustrates the plans of the wicked (4:14–15). The same God who created heaven and earth (9:6), called Abram from Ur, and gave the land to Israel (9:7–8) was able to accomplish his will through Nehemiah.Dedication to God’s Word. The authoritative law of Moses contained God’s instructions on how his people should live. God had made a “covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands” (1:5). However, his people had not obeyed the instructions God gave to Moses (1:7–9), so they were in danger of God’s punishment. Ezra read from the law of Moses (8:1–3) to restore the nation. In response, some of the people dedicated themselves to following the law by separating themselves from unbelievers (10:28), keeping the Sabbath, and giving their tithe for the Levites (10:29–39; 12:44).Courage against Opposition. Nehemiah was courageous in dealing with opposition. Sanballat, Geshem, and Tobiah opposed the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls (2:10) and mocked the work of God’s people (2:19; 4:1–3). In addition, Arabs, Ammonites, and people from Ashdod plotted to attack the builders (4:7–9, 11; 6:1–14). Nehemiah responded to this opposition by posting guards and praying for God’s help (4:6–23). Nehemiah also confronted internal conflict from members of the community who abused the poor (5:1–13), who married foreigners (9:1–2; 10:28–30; 13:23–28), and who did not tithe or keep the Sabbath holy (10:31–39; 13:10–22). Nehemiah’s courage and prayer enabled him to succeed in addressing these problems.Key Verses (ESV)
Nehemiah 1:3: " And they said to me, 'The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.'" Nehemiah 1:11: "'O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.' Now I was cupbearer to the king."Nehemiah 6:15–16: "So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God."Key Passages (NLT)
Ne 1:1–2:12 These are the memoirs of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In late autumn, in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was at the fortress of Susa. Hanani, one of my brothers, came to visit me with some other men who had just arrived from…Ne 2:17–3:1But now I said to them, “You know very well what trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace!” Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation…Ne 7:73–8:18So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Temple servants, and some of the common people settled near Jerusalem. The rest of the people returned to their own towns throughout Israel. In October, when the Israelites had settled in their towns,…Ne 10:38–11:2“A priest—a descendant of Aaron—will be with the Levites as they receive these tithes. And a tenth of all that is collected as tithes will be delivered by the Levites to the Temple of our God and placed in the storerooms. The people and the Levites must bring these offerings of grain, new…Ne 13:14–31Remember this good deed, O my God, and do not forget all that I have faithfully done for the Temple of my God and its services. In those days I saw men of Judah treading out their winepresses on the Sabbath. They were also bringing in grain, loading it on donkeys, and bringing their wine,…Structure & Outline 1
The book begins with a distressing report that the wall of Jerusalem was in ruins, followed by the announcement of Nehemiah’s mission (1:1–2:8). Nehemiah then travels to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall (2:9–7:73). Like the work to restore the temple in Ezra 3–6, the fortification of the wall incites opposition, but the project is finished eventually (Neh 3–4; 6:15–7:4). Along the way, Nehemiah enacts an initial reform to deal with conflicts and injustice among the people, leading by example (5:1–19). He also foils a conspiracy his enemies had concocted against him (6:1–14).After the wall is restored, Nehemiah focuses on restoring the Jewish people. Ezra the priest reads God’s law, and the people respond by confessing their sin (chs. 8–9) and drafting a covenant (a contract) outlining the basic rules of the community (10:28–39). After the wall of Jerusalem is dedicated, the people worship at the temple (12:27–47). A series of further reforms follows (13:4–31).Outline • The wall is rebuilt (1:1–7:73) • The covenant is renewed (8:1–10:39) • Society is reformed (11:1–13:31)Outline 2
This book consists of thirteen chapters and includes two main sections. The first section is the majority of the text: the first twelve chapters. This section concentrates on Nehemiah's first trip to Jerusalem as its appointed governor. Following a time of fasting and mourning in Babylon, God providentially allows Nehemiah to travel to Jerusalem to rebuild the city (Nehemiah 1:1—2:20). The first course of action is to rebuild the city's walls (Nehemiah 3:1—7:4). Once completed, after a fifty-two-day period, Nehemiah reflects on his return under Zerubbabel (Nehemiah 7:5–73). The end of chapter 7 transitions to the coming of Ezra, and a spiritual renewal of the people (Nehemiah 8—10). After hearing a declaration of the law of the Lord, the people repent (Nehemiah 8:13—9:37). The Jewish priests then renew the covenant with the people of God, resulting in a time of celebration (Nehemiah 9:38—10:39).Nehemiah's next efforts focus on the resettlement of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 11:1—12:26). The people of Israel dedicate the walls of the city to the Lord, including much celebration (Nehemiah 12:27–47).The second main section of the book is found in chapter 13. Years later, Nehemiah returns for a second term as governor. He is dismayed at some of the sin he finds among the people of the city. He cleanses the city from foreign gods and marriages, ending with a sincere call to the Lord: "Remember me, O my God, for good" (Nehemiah 13:31).