Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther (Teach the Text Commentary Series)

Andrew J. Schmutzer and Douglas J.E. Nykolaishen

• Publisher: Baker Books
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781493412648
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Commentary

The Teach the Text Commentary Series utilizes the best of biblical scholarship to provide the information a pastor needs to communicate the text effectively. The carefully selected preaching units and focused commentary allow pastors to quickly grasp the big idea and key themes of each passage of Scripture. Each unit of the commentary includes the big idea and key themes of the passage and sections dedicated to understanding, teaching, and illustrating the text.

Ezra and Nehemiah (Douglas J. E. Nykolaishen)

Ezra and Nehemiah

Douglas J. E. Nykolaishen

Introduction to Ezra and Nehemiah

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah are a faith-inspiring record of God fulfilling his promises to his people in the postexilic period. These texts say so much about the central theological themes in the Bible that by the time their story is finished, the reader has a better framework for appreciating the New Testament, let alone the Old. Yet that is not how these books are typically perceived. Ezra and Nehemiah do not report the kinds of miracles seen in Exodus or 2 Kings or Daniel. Instead, there are several lists that may seem tedious and a plot that may be confusing and difficult to follow at times. However, with a little orientation to the books, their powerful relevance begins to come into view. The rest of this introduction will focus on providing this necessary orientation.

Boundaries of the Text

Ezra-Nehemiah is not two books but one. There is no known Hebrew manuscript that separates the book into two parts before AD 1448. The tradition of presenting Ezra and Nehemiah as separate books in Greek Christian Bibles is no earlier than Origen in the third century AD, and even he referred to them as 1 and 2 Ezra, much like 1 and 2 Chronicles, which are to be read as one literary work. To understand the flow of the narrative and interpret any single passage correctly in context, the reader must think in terms of the whole from Ezra 1 to Nehemiah 13.

A related question involves the relationship of Ezra-Nehemiah to Chronicles. Because Christian Bibles place Ezra immediately after 2 Chronicles, and because the last two verses of Chronicles are almost identical with the first two and a half verses of Ezra, many interpreters have thought that Ezra-Nehemiah should be read as a continuation of Chronicles. But the Hebrew Bible has historically treated Ezra-Nehemiah as a work separate from Chronicles. In fact, several elements, including the slight differences between the Chronicles and Ezra versions of the “overlapping” text, are recognized by many scholars as indicating that Chronicles was probably written separately and even later than Ezra-Nehemiah. Thus, while Ezra-Nehemiah forms one continuous book, it is not joined to Chronicles.

Method of Composition

One may not read long in Ezra-Nehemiah before encountering a list of names of persons or cities, a document inserted by the narrator but written by someone else, or a change between third-person narration and autobiography. These features make the flow of the book seem less smooth than that of books like Samuel and Kings and, therefore, harder to follow. The cause of this is that the author of Ezra-Nehemiah made extensive use of source material when composing his inspired work. Most of the lists of names (e.g., Ezra 2:1–70; 8:1–14; Neh. 7:6–73; 11:3–24) were probably compiled years before Ezra-Nehemiah was written and simply inserted by the author where they suited his purpose. When the story involved decrees issued by a king, or letters sent between parties, the author chose in several instances to include the actual text of the documents rather than merely summarizing their contents (although he possibly did some paraphrasing of the wording, since that was acceptable within the conventions of ancient history writing). In Ezra 4:11–16, 17–22; 5:7–17; 6:6–12; 7:12–26, the letters are even presented in Aramaic, without translation into Hebrew. The use of documents can also be seen in the sections where Ezra and Nehemiah, although characters in the story, speak in the first person (e.g., Ezra 9:1–15; Neh. 1:1–2:20). It seems the author of the biblical book had access to records Ezra and Nehemiah had written about their activities and selected excerpts from them to include in his narrative.

The large amount of source material incorporated into the book means that the number of words originating with the author—the amount of the text in the author’s voice—may be smaller than readers usually expect. However, the author usually does give enough introduction to the documents he uses that careful readers can see how they contribute to the flow of the story. In any case, readers need to think about how the documents and details chosen for inclusion relate to the message of a passage and of the book as a whole, even if the author does not always spell this out as clearly as we might like.

Another potential stumbling block involves the chronological order of events narrated in the book. In some instances it seems that events have been presented in an order different from how they happened in history. A particularly good example is in Ezra 4, and the commentary there explains why the author did this. But this can be confusing for readers, and there are several points in the book where some scholars have suggested that the historical sequence has not been preserved. Probably the most frequent suggestion along these lines is that Nehemiah 8 (and possibly 9 and 10 as well) has been moved from its original historical location after Ezra 10 (or 8) to suit the author’s purpose, although similar suggestions have been made for other passages also. Such attempts to reconstruct history are subjective and speculative.

It is difficult to be sure about the complete sequence of events in Ezra-Nehemiah, but it seems the author generally intended to follow a historical order (e.g., “After these things . . . ,” Ezra 7:1; 9:1). This commentary assumes that events are in chronological sequence unless the weight of evidence demands otherwise. But as far as chronology is concerned, it is even more important to recognize that the author of Ezra-Nehemiah did not intend to provide a comprehensive history of the era he described. The first event in the book happens in 538 BC, and the last event sometime between 432 and 424 BC. From this span of over a hundred years, the author has selected episodes or events that occurred within eight discrete years. This makes it clear that the story is very selective, including only those things the author thought had relevance for what he was trying to teach readers, and his aim was not to provide a complete history of this period. While the author can be trusted to be historically truthful, it is far more important to follow his didactic intention than to seek the solution to every historical question. The author has not seen fit to provide enough information to fully reconstruct the history in every case.

Author and Date

Who exactly did write Ezra-Nehemiah is difficult to say. Jewish tradition recorded in the Talmud claims it was written by Ezra. He did write much of the text included in Ezra 7–10, and he may even have been the author who composed Ezra-Nehemiah in its final form, but there is nothing in the book itself that indicates who composed it.

There are similar issues with the book’s date. It must have been written sometime after the last document it used. The lists of high priests in Nehemiah 12:10, 22 end with Jaddua, who probably served between about 410 and 370 BC. It makes sense to assume that the book was given its present form between those dates. Ezra may possibly have still been alive then, but if so, he would have been very old.

It seems wisest to conclude that the author of Ezra-Nehemiah is no longer known, but that it was someone living in postexilic Judea, with access to the documents contained in the book, between about 410 and 370 BC. This person seems to have been concerned to show his fellow Judeans that the events he records are evidence of God’s gracious acts on behalf of their community and to present examples of behavior from which they should learn.

Historical Setting

At the most likely date of writing, the Jewish people were dispersed in several areas of the ancient Near East. Most continued to live in the region of Babylon, where they had been brought as exiles at the fall of the kingdom of Judah in 586 BC, or in the years leading up to it. After living for several generations in that region, most families felt quite settled, and some had even become rather prosperous. Many lived in the region that came to be known as Judea (also referred to as Yehud). These were mostly descendants of those who had traveled from exile in Babylon to the area around Jerusalem during the period described in Ezra-Nehemiah. Some, perhaps, were never taken into exile. There was also a significant community of Jews in Egypt and possibly still some small communities in other parts of the ancient Near East, such as Assyria. All these Jews, except possibly those in Egypt, were under the rule of the Persian Empire, which had dominated the region since 539 BC.

The author probably writes mainly to the Jews in Judea. He expects them to know that Judea is relatively small and unimportant in the political context of the Persian Empire, and that it was like this in the days about which he writes. He also expects them to know that they occupy a location close enough to Egypt, a constant source of rebellion, to be strategically significant to the Persians. Because of this, Judea sometimes received favorable consideration from the Persians out of proportion to its size. In general, the author assumes readers know the social, economic, and political circumstances experienced by subjects under Persian rule and are familiar with the names of Persian kings. Since modern readers are not, the commentary will explain relevant background at appropriate points.

Table 1. Persian Kings over the Jews from Cyrus the Great to Darius II

Cyrus the Great	539–530 BC
Cambyses	530–522 BC
Darius I	522–486 BC
Xerxes	485–465 BC
Artaxerxes I	465–424 BC
Darius II	424–404 BC

It is equally or even more important to understand the spiritual context of which the author assumes readers are aware. The status of the Jewish community in Babylon at the beginning of Ezra-Nehemiah can be understood from 2 Chronicles 36:15–21. Their ancestors had disobeyed God and refused to listen to the prophets God sent to warn them of impending judgment. Eventually God brought the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar to attack and destroy the Jerusalem temple, the city wall, and much else in the city also. Many people were killed, and others were taken into exile in Babylon.

These actions constituted the realization of one of the possible outcomes foretold by God when he made his covenant with Israel. Deuteronomy 28:1–14 describes the blessings that Israel will experience if they faithfully worship God and obey his commands, and Deuteronomy 28:15–68 and 29:25–28 describe the curses they will suffer if they disobediently turn away to worship idols. The Israelites were unfaithful to God, and the threatened punishment came in stages. The kingdom of Israel was first divided into a northern and a southern kingdom after the reign of Solomon. The northern kingdom was destroyed and taken into exile by the Assyrians in 722 BC, and the southern kingdom, the subject of 2 Chronicles 36, suffered a similar fate in 586 BC.

Interestingly, however, Deuteronomy does not leave the matter there. Deuteronomy 30:1–10 envisions a scenario in which the curses for disobedience have come upon Israel and they have been dispersed among the nations. It goes on to promise that even in such circumstances God will bring Israel back to the promised land and bless them if they turn their hearts back to him in faithful obedience. God even promises to change their hearts so they will truly love him. God elaborates on this promise of restoration in his messages through the biblical prophets, adding many particulars, including the promise of a new covenant with Israel in Jeremiah 31:31–34. More details will be given at relevant points in the commentary.

At the beginning of Ezra, then, the Jerusalem temple is in ruins and the Jewish community is in exile in Babylon because of the unfaithfulness of their ancestors. But they also know of God’s promise to bring them back to the land of Judea and restore his blessing to them there if they return to him. The author tells the story against this spiritual background.

Literary Structure

Ezra-Nehemiah is composed of four main sections. In Ezra 1–6 the Judeans are permitted to return to Jerusalem and vicinity to rebuild the temple and resume worship there. They encounter considerable opposition from the surrounding people, and the project is delayed. But God enables them eventually to complete the project.

Ezra 7–10 tells about Ezra coming from Babylon to Jerusalem to ensure that the Judeans understand God’s law and live by it. The surrounding people do not oppose this mission directly, but they represent a temptation that leads to some Judeans disobeying God’s law. Ezra does see some progress, but the success of his mission is not completely clear.

Nehemiah 1–7 describes Nehemiah’s efforts to travel to Jerusalem and lead a project to rebuild the ruined city wall. He too encounters stiff resi...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Teach the Text Commentary Series
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Welcome to the Teach the Text Commentary Series
• Introduction to the Teach the Text Commentary Series
• Abbreviations
• Ezra and Nehemiah (Douglas J. E. Nykolaishen)
• Esther (Andrew J. Schmutzer)
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Contributors
• Index
• Back Ad
• Back Cover