Introduction to the book Nehemiah
The 16th Book of the Bible: The Restoration of Jewish Life in Jerusalem
We read in the book Nehemiah (“the Lord has comforted”), that he originally held a high position at the Persian royal court under King Artaxerxes (Artasasta). In April or May of 445 B.C., the king appointed him governor of the province of Judah.
In Jerusalem, Nehemiah began building the wall together with the returned Jews.
On the one hand, to restore the place’s status as a city; on the other, to protect the temple and worship from the surrounding pagans.
In the spiritual realm, a renewal took place through the priest Ezra, and together they implemented political reforms and dedicated the restored city wall of Jerusalem.
Resistance comes not only from the surrounding pagan regions but also from leading Jews seeking their own advantage.
Together, the books of Ezra and Nehemiah cover the period from 538 to 433 B.C.
It is a time of restoration of Jewish life in the Promised Land, taking place both externally with the construction of the second Temple and Jerusalem, and “internally” with the purification from foreign beliefs and the establishment of religious worship.
In contrast to its modern successor state, Iran—which has set the complete destruction of Israel as its firm goal—the kings of the Persian Empire were a blessing to God’s people, allowing them to return from exile and rebuild Jerusalem.
In Christian Bibles, the Book of Nehemiah is classified as one of the historical books. In the Hebrew Tanakh, the scroll is placed at the end, together with Ezra, among the three prophetic-historical books of the Writings (Ketuvim), between Daniel and Chronicles.
Outline of the Book of Nehemiah:
Chapters 1–2 – Nehemiah’s Return to Jerusalem
Chapters 3–7 – Restoration of the City Wall
Chapters 8–10 – The People’s Commitment to God’s Laws
Chapters 11–13 – Reforms and the Dedication of the City Wall
Content of the book of Nehemiah:
- Nehemiah chapter 1
- Nehemiah chapter 2
- Nehemiah chapter 3
- Nehemiah chapter 4
- Nehemiah chapter 5
- Nehemiah chapter 6
- Nehemiah chapter 7
- Nehemiah chapter 8
- Nehemiah chapter 9
- A call to praise God; a reminder of God’s miraculous deeds and acts of grace in times past, up to the leading of His people into the Promised Land
- The people’s sinful behavior toward God’s blessings during the wilderness journey and upon taking possession of the Promised Land
- Once in possession of the land, the people continue their sinful behavior, disregarding the prophets and God’s long-suffering, until God delivers them into the hands of the Gentiles
- A plea for renewed grace and faithfulness, and for relief from the-admittedly well-deserved-sufferings they have endured from the time of Assyrian rule to the present
- Nehemiah chapter 10
- Nehemiah chapter 11
- Nehemiah chapter 12
- Nehemiah chapter 13