Introduction to Nehemiah

Name

The book of Nehemiah is named for Nehemiah, the central character of the book. The Talmud and the Hebrew Bible combine the books of Ezra and Nehemiah into a single volume. However, there is evidence that they were originally written and intended to be separate books. The lists in Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7 are basically the same, and it would be unusual to include to of the same lists in the same book.

Author

Authorship of Nehemiah is attributed to Nehemiah himself based on the fact that most of the book is a first-person memoir.

Genre

History

Literary Form

Narrative

Time Frame

Ezra’s return and his reforms in Jerusalem began in 458 B.C. Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem 14 years later in 444 B.C. The book was probably written shortly after the conclusion of the events described in the book, or approximately 430 B.C.

Emphasis

The emphasis of Nehemiah is on:

• To document the return of the Jews from captivity led by Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem.
•  To document the restoration of the Jewish nation under Nehemiah’’s leadership.
•  To trace the genealogy of the returned exiles.
• To document the reforms undertaken, the spiritual rebirth, the backsliding, and the revival of the people.

 Outline

1. Rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem 1:1 – 6:19
2. Restoration of the Community and Reforms 7:1 – 13:31