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CHAPTER 16 – Nehemiah: 445 B.C.-Approx. 410 B.C.

Nehemiah is the sixteenth book of the Bible following Ezra, the fifteenth book of the Bible. These two books appeared in the Hebrew Bible as one book with the title “Ezra” which is the name of a man who is a main character in the book. The Septuagint divided it into two books. The English title comes down to us from Jerome’s Latin Vulgate which has the title Liber Nehemiae, “The Book of Nehemiah.”

Authorship

According to Jewish tradition, the combined book of Ezra and Nehemiah in the Hebrew Bible had Ezra, the priest, as its chief author with Nehemiah being the one to complete the work. The book of Nehemiah was written by about 400 B.C.

Summary

The book of Nehemiah covers the period 445 B.C. to approximately 410 B.C.

The book opens with news coming to Nehemiah in Persia about the condition of the Jews in Jerusalem. Nehemiah, the king’s cupbearer, weeps, fasts, and prays, asking God to grant him favour with the king of Persia.

Nehemiah asks king Artaxerxes of Persia for permission to go to Jerusalem, for letters to grant him a safe journey, and letters regarding timber from the king’s forest to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. So, God causes the king to grant Nehemiah all his request.

In Jerusalem, Nehemiah inspects the walls by night. He then encourages the Jews to build the walls and the people rise up to build. Amid the scorn of their adversaries, Nehemiah had faith in God.

Next, comes the names of the builders and the work they did. Their enemies ridicule them and threaten to attack but prayer was made to God for His protection. So, Nehemiah set a watch day and night. The Jews express fear and Nehemiah encourages them to trust in God, arms the people, plans for battle, and so the work continues.

The people then complain of debts, mortgages, and their bondage to their fellow Jews. Nehemiah rebukes the usurers and causes them to make restitution. He also points the people to his own example of not taking an allowance as governor and his own hospitality.

The adversaries send messages to Nehemiah that he should meet with them, but Nehemiah refuses because he knows that they mean to harm him. Next, the adversaries come to Nehemiah with an open letter containing accusations which Nehemiah denies. After this, a Jew urges Nehemiah to hide with him in the Temple for fear. But Nehemiah knows God had not sent this Jew to him, that he had been hired by the Jews’ enemies.

The wall is completed in 52 days. There are secret communications between the nobles of the Jews and the Jews’ adversaries, who send letters to Nehemiah to put him in fear.

Nehemiah then plans a census based on a register of the genealogy of the Jews who had previously returned from Persia. The census is taken. Nehemiah next puts some of the priests out of the priesthood because their record was not found in the register. The people then give gifts to the Temple.

Next, the people gather together and ask Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses. So, Ezra reads from it in their hearing. The people understand the reading and they go away celebrating this. On the second day, Ezra again reads to the people, who on hearing of the feast of the seventh month, celebrate it.

After this, the people assemble for a fast, confessing their sins and the sins of their ancestors. Some of the Levites encourage the Jews to bless the Lord, to remember God’s goodness to them, and to remember their own sins. The princes, Levites, priests, and the people, then make a covenant with God to live according to God’s law which was given to them by Moses.

The Jewish rulers then dwell in Jerusalem. Lots are cast to select the remaining dwellers of Jerusalem and the rest who will dwell in the other cities of the province of Judah. The Jews then dedicate the walls of Jerusalem to God and organise the priests and Levites in the Temple.

After this, the Jews separate themselves from the mixed-race multitude of people. Next, Nehemiah cleanses the Temple from the household stuff of an enemy of the Jews which were in one of the outer rooms. Nehemiah then returns to the king of Persia and after certain days he again obtains leave from the king to go back to Jerusalem. There Nehemiah causes the people to re-establish the portions given to the Levites.

Nehemiah then finds that the Jews are violating the Sabbath day by doing work, bearing burdens, and buying and selling on the Sabbath. So, he shuts the city gates before the start of the Sabbath and he chases away the foreign merchants lodged outside the city walls.

After this, Nehemiah finds that the Jews had intermarried with the surrounding nations contrary to God’s command. He, therefore, contends with the people and causes them to reform. Lastly, is the record that Nehemiah appoints the priests and the Levites to their work.

Themes

• Prayer by a godly leader who trusts in God.
• Satan at work to cause opposition to God’s people.
• A determination to work according to God’s will.
• A desire to hear God’s words.
• Disobedience to God’s commands.
• Repentance.
• The rich taking advantage of the poor.

God as Revealed in the Book

• God grants His people favour with the ungodly.
• God answers the prayers of those who trust in Him.
• God gives people a heart to do His will.

Connections with the Rest of the Bible

God said of the Jews, “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” Mark 7:9. So, God said to them, “Ye are cursed with a curse.” Malachi 3:9. “Nevertheless he [God] left not himself without witness” (Acts 14:17) for God has always had a few faithful and godly people, that is, a “remnant.” 2 Kings 19:4.

The Bible gives no record of the Jews after the book of Nehemiah’s account ends in 410 B.C. until the book of Matthew resumes the narrative starting in approximately 5 B.C. God describes this period of roughly 400 years by saying, “For a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without [God’s] law.” 2 Chronicles 15:3.

Spiritual Applications

Pray to God sincerely and ask God to help you to do His will, believing that God will help you, and thus you will be enabled to make the spiritual applications noted below:

• Be determined to work according to God’s will.
• Have a desire to hear God’s words.
• Do not take advantage of the poor.
• Do not fear nor be discouraged by opposition from Satan.

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