1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther by 
Ezra by
Lisbeth Fried's commentary on Ezra is the first instalment of a projected two-volume commentary on Ezra-Nehemiah. It is the first fulllength scholarly commentary on Ezra-Nehemiah to be written since 1988 and takes advantage of recent results in archaeology, of recent historical studies on the Persian Empire, and of recent studies of the influence of Hellenistic textual and legal traditions on Judean thought. It also draws extensively on the author's own research into the mechanisms by which the Persian Empire dominated and controlled its subject populations. The present volume includes a new translation of the Book of Ezra, plus annotations on each verse that compare and contrast the Greek, Latin and Syriac variations, including the text of Greek Esdras A. It also provides an extensive Introduction and chapter commentaries that discuss larger historical and literary issues. Fried concludes that Ezra-Nehemiah was written as one book at the beginning of the Hellenistic period. Although written then, it was formed from earlier texts: an Ezra memoir, a letter to Ezra from Artaxerxes II, and a Nehemiah memoir. All of these have been heavily edited, however. Fried concludes that both Ezra and Nehemiah were Persian officials, Ezra a Persian episkopos, and Nehemiah a Persian governor, and that both acted with the goals of their Persian overlords in mind, not the goals of the subject Judean population. The Judean author, writing under Hellenic domination, transformed these men into Judean heroes in order to promote the novel idea of a long tradition of foreign imperial support for local institutions-cultic, legal and physical. Fried's commentary promises to revolutionize how one reads the book of Ezra. This is the first volume in a new series of substantial works, Critical Commentaries.
Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther by
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, Nehemiah, and Esther by
Subject: "This book is a commentary on the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther"--Provided by publisher.
Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther by
The Cornerstone Biblical Commentary series provides up-to-date, evangelical scholarship on the Old and New Testaments. Each volume is designed to equip pastors and Christian leaders with exegetical and theological knowledge to better understand and apply God’s Word by presenting the message of each passage as well as an overview of other issues surrounding the text. The commentary series has been structured to help readers get at the meaning of Scripture, passage by passage, through the entire Bible. Each Bible book is prefaced by a substantial book introduction that gives general historical background important for understanding. This is volume 5b in the series.
Ezra-Nehemiah by
The books of Ezra and Nehemiah are important in appreciating the background to the post-exilic prophets and in understanding the period when Chronicles was compiled and the Psalms were arranged in their present form.
Ezra/Nehemiah by
Summary: Starting over is challenging -- especially after the devastating failure that results in exile. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah not only grapple with the effects of failure but also testify to the gracious hand of a compassionate God who restores his people in the face of insurmountable odds. The stories of rebuilding and reform in Ezra and Nehemiah are expertly handled in this latest volume of the New Beacon Bible Commentary. Dr. Jim Edlin skillfully unpacks the literary design, authorship, and textual analysis of these books, while highlighting significant theological features, such as the role of collective participation in communal restoration. Engaging, perceptive, and academically thorough, the New Beacon Bible Commentary will expand your understanding and deepen your appreciation of the meaning and message of each book of the Bible. Written from the Wesleyan theological perspective, this indispensable commentary provides pastors, professional scholars, teachers, and Bible students with a critical, relevant, and inspiring interpretation of the Word of God in the 21st century. - Publisher.
Ezra and Nehemiah by
Two features especially distinguish the Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary series: theological exegesis and theological reflection. Both of these features are fully realized in this THOTC volume on Ezra and Nehemiah by David J. Shepherd and Christopher J. H. Wright. Following an introduction and concise, verse-by-verse commentary on both books, Shepherd and Wright highlight key ways in which these Old Testament texts continue to speak to us today. They closely examine what Ezra and Nehemiah tell us about God and the people of Israel, reflect practically on leadership, and engage critically with those portions of the text (such as Ezra's dissolution of the Judeans' marriages with foreigners) that present special problems for contemporary readers. Offering deep theological insight throughout, this volume will prove essential for students, pastors, and other Christian leaders seeking to engage in theological interpretation of Scripture.
Ezra and Nehemiah by
The books of Ezra and Nehemiah tell a vital story of a community revived and restored by God's grace through gifted individuals—preparing the way for the coming Messiah. In his practical and devotional expository commentary, pastor-theologian Derek W. H. Thomas shows what this gripping narrative can teach us about kingdom life in our own time. In their different ways, Ezra and Nehemiah both prioritized the Word of God and the practice of prayer. If the church of our day is to recover and be renewed, Thomas argues, these commitments are just as vital for us as well.
Ezra and Nehemiah by
God raised up extraordinary individuals of faith to rebuild the Jerusalem temple and prepare for the coming of the Messiah. These books offer hope and comfort by showing us what God accomplishes through his people's faithful labors and, more importantly, in Jesus Christ, who fully accomplished our salvation through his perfect life, atoning death, and glorious resurrection. God continues to show his gracious mercy in Christ to his people despite their faults and failures, their self-centeredness and fickle love for righteousness. These themes give the books of Ezra and Nehemiah their power and their reason for being part of God's sacred Scriptures.
Ezrah Nehemiah by
The books of Ezra and Nehemiah relate the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon during the rule of the early Persian kings. For a long time, interpretations of these two books by Christian exegetes characterized the Judaism of the post-exilic age as narrow and nationalistic. This interpretation led to a separation of post-exilic Judaism from its pre-exilic Israelite roots that allowed for a supersessionist reading of the Old Testament based on perceived deficiencies in the religious views of the post-exilic era. Informed by recent advances in our knowledge of the Persian Empire, this commentary, demonstrates that Ezra and Nehemiah offer a compelling story of a people's attempt to reassemble the fragments of their heritage as they face the future in a greatly changed world.
Ezra - Nehemiah by
In this provocative study, Lester Grabbe presents a unique approach to Ezra-Nehemiah with the combination of a literary and historical approach. Lester Grabbe challenges commonly held assumptions about Joshua and Zerubbabel, the initial resettlement of land after the exile, the figure of Ezra and the activities of Nehemiah. Controversially, the challenge comes, not from radical theory but from paying careful attention to the text of the Bible itself.
Ezra and the Law in History and Tradition by
The historical Ezra was sent to Jerusalem as an emissary of the Persian monarch. What was his task? According to the Bible, the Persian king sent Ezra to bring the Torah, the five books of the Laws of Moses, to the Jews. Modern scholars have claimed not only that Ezra brought the Torah to Jerusalem, but that he actually wrote it, and in so doing Ezra created Judaism. Without Ezra, they say, Judaism would not exist. In Ezra and the Law in History and Tradition, Lisbeth S. Fried separates historical fact from biblical legend. Drawing on inscriptions from the Achaemenid Empire, she presents the historical Ezra in the context of authentic Persian administrative practices and concludes that Ezra, the Persian official, neither wrote nor edited the Torah, nor would he even have known it. The origin of Judaism, so often associated with Ezra by modern scholars, must be sought elsewhere. After discussing the historical Ezra, Fried examines ancient, medieval, and modern views of him, explaining how each originated, and why. She relates the stories told about Ezra by medieval Christians to explain why their Greek Old Testament differs from the Hebrew Bible, as well as the explanations offered by medieval Samaritans concerning how their Samaritan Bible varies from the one the Jews use. Church Fathers as well as medieval Samaritan writers explained the differences by claiming that Ezra falsified the Bible when he rewrote it, so that in effect, it is not the book that Moses wrote but something else. Moslem scholars also maintain that Ezra falsified the Old Testament, since Mohammed, the last judgment, and Heaven and Hell are revealed in it. In contrast Jewish Talmudic writers viewed Ezra both as a second Moses and as the prophet Malachi. In the process of describing ancient, medieval, and modern views of Ezra, Fried brings out various understandings of God, God’s law, and God’s plan for our salvation.
Ezra and the Second Wilderness by
"Ezra and the Second Wilderness addresses the relationship between Ezra, the Ezra Memoir, and the Pentateuch. Tracing the growth of the Ezra Memoir and its incorporation into Ezra-Nehemiah, Philip Y. Yoo discusses the literary strategies utilized by some of the composers and redactors operating in the post-exilic period. After the strata in Ezra 7-10 and Nehemiah 8-10 are identified, what emerges as the base Ezra Memoir is a coherent account of Ezra's leadership of the exiles from Babylon over the course of a single year, one that is intricately modelled on the multiple presentations of Moses and the Israelite wilderness preserved in the Pentateuch. Through discussion of the detected influences, allusions, and omissions between the Pentateuch and the Ezra Memoir, Yoo shows that the Ezra Memoir demonstrates a close understanding of its source materials and received traditions as it constructs the Babylonian returnees as the inheritors of torah and, in turn, the true and unparalleled successors of the Israelite cult. This study presents the Ezra Memoir as a sophisticated example of 'biblical' interpretation in the Second Temple period. It also suggests that the Ezra Memoir has access to the Pentateuch in only its constituent parts. Acknowledging not only the antiquity but also efficacy of its prototypes, the Ezra Memoir employs a variety of hermeneutical strategies in order to harmonize the competing claims of its authoritative sources. In closing the temporal gap between these sources and its own contemporary time, the Ezra Memoir grants authority to the utopic past yet also projects its own vision for the proper worship of Israel's deity." -- From the publisher.
Ezra the Scribe by
This monograph investigates the literary development of Ezra 7-10 and Neh 8. With a detailed literary critical analysis, the investigation shows that the text was produced in several successive editorial phases for at least two centuries. Thus the final text cannot be used for historical purposes. The oldest text emerged as a short narrative, entirely written in the third person. It describes how a Torah scribe (Schriftgelehrter) called Ezra came from Babylon to Jerusalem to reinstate the written Torah. In the later editorial phases, Ezra's role was transformed from a scribe to a priest who brought cultic vessels to the Temple. The editorial development reveals that the text was originally influenced by Deuteronomy and the (Deutero)nomistic theology. Later, it came under priestly and Levitical influence.
New Perspectives on Ezra-Nehemiah by
Offers a range of fresh, current views among scholars on the biblical books of Ezra and Nehemiah (traditionally, “Ezra”). These books focus on two short periods in the history of Judah in the Persian era: one recounts the events from the Cyrus Decree in 538 b.c.e. until the inauguration of the Second Temple in 515 b.c.e.; the other relates the acts of the Judean spiritual and political leaders, Ezra and Nehemiah, roughly two generations later, under the rule of Artaxerxes I, king of Persia. Ezra/Ezra–Nehemiah certainly remains the most significant written source for the study of the religious, social, and political aspects of Judah (and to some extent Samaria) in the Persian age, even in light of other biblical prophetical, literary, and historical writings from the Persian period (for example, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Chronicles, and Esther) and enlightening archaeological and epigraphical finds (for example, Elephantine and Wadi-Dalia papyri, short inscriptions, coins, seals, and bullae). Ezra–Nehemiah also presents unique instances of the literary genre memoir, late biblical historiography, and late Hebrew language. The editor hopes that the original studies gathered in this volume will lead to a better understanding of issues in Ezra/Ezra–Nehemiah and will stimulate further research on this enthralling late biblical-historical writing.
Negotiating Power in Ezra-Nehemiah by
Summary: "Donna Laird examines Ezra and Nehemiah in the light of modern sociological theorist Pierre Bourdieu. How did this context of hardship, exile, and return change what Ezra and Nehemiah viewed as important? How did they define who was a part of their community, and who was an outsider? It goes on to explore how the books engaged readers at the time: how it addressed their changing circumstances, and how different groups gained and used "social power," or the ability to influence society"-- Provided by publisher.
New Perspectives on Ezra-Nehemiah by
New Perspectives on Ezra–Nehemiah offers a range of fresh, current views among scholars on the biblical books of Ezra and Nehemiah (traditionally, “Ezra”). These books focus on two short periods in the history of Judah in the Persian era: one recounts the events from the Cyrus Decree in 538 B.C.E. until the inauguration of the Second Temple in 515 B.C.E.; the other relates the acts of the Judean spiritual and political leaders, Ezra and Nehemiah, roughly two generations later, under the rule of Artaxerxes I, king of Persia. Ezra/Ezra–Nehemiah certainly remains the most significant written source for the study of the religious, social, and political aspects of Judah (and to some extent Samaria) in the Persian age, even in light of other biblical prophetical, literary, and historical writings from the Persian period (for example, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Chronicles, and Esther) and enlightening archaeological and epigraphical finds (for example, Elephantine and Wadi-Dalia papyri, short inscriptions, coins, seals, and bullae). Ezra–Nehemiah also presents unique instances of the literary genre memoir, late biblical historiography, and late Hebrew language. The editor hopes that the original studies gathered in this volume will lead to a better understanding of issues in Ezra/Ezra–Nehemiah and will stimulate further research on this enthralling late biblical-historical writing.
Ezra and the Law in History and Tradition by
The historical Ezra was sent to Jerusalem as an emissary of the Persian monarch. What was his task? According to the Bible, the Persian king sent Ezra to bring the Torah, the five books of the Laws of Moses, to the Jews. Modern scholars have claimed not only that Ezra brought the Torah to Jerusalem, but that he actually wrote it, and in so doing Ezra created Judaism. Without Ezra, they say, Judaism would not exist. In Ezra and the Law in History and Tradition, Lisbeth S. Fried separates historical fact from biblical legend. Drawing on inscriptions from the Achaemenid Empire, she presents the historical Ezra in the context of authentic Persian administrative practices and concludes that Ezra, the Persian official, neither wrote nor edited the Torah, nor would he even have known it. The origin of Judaism, so often associated with Ezra by modern scholars, must be sought elsewhere. After discussing the historical Ezra, Fried examines ancient, medieval, and modern views of him, explaining how each originated, and why. She relates the stories told about Ezra by medieval Christians to explain why their Greek Old Testament differs from the Hebrew Bible, as well as the explanations offered by medieval Samaritans concerning how their Samaritan Bible varies from the one the Jews use. Church Fathers as well as medieval Samaritan writers explained the differences by claiming that Ezra falsified the Bible when he rewrote it, so that in effect, it is not the book that Moses wrote but something else. Moslem scholars also maintain that Ezra falsified the Old Testament, since Mohammed, the last judgment, and Heaven and Hell are revealed in it. In contrast Jewish Talmudic writers viewed Ezra both as a second Moses and as the prophet Malachi. In the process of describing ancient, medieval, and modern views of Ezra, Fried brings out various understandings of God, God's law, and God's plan for our salvation.
"According to the Law" by
Summary: Christian interpreters have struggled with the story of Ezra 9-10 for many reasons. Its apparent legalism and racism, as well as its advocacy of divorce as a solution for intermarriage, is unacceptable for many Christians, yet this incident is presented in implicitly positive terms, and the narrative forms a part of Scripture. What then should a Christian reader make of this sort of story? The troubling aspects of the incident are considered in part 1 of this volume through a detailed exegesis outlining the exiles' legal reasoning, rooted in pentateuchal laws. Part 2 then discusses questions of a broader hermeneutical framework. Saysell suggests that prior Christian assumptions, such as the combination of scriptural authority and the primacy of narrative in interpretation, can lead to an unhelpful way of reading stories that takes them as examples to follow/avoid rather than invites engagement for the renewing of the mind (Rom 12:1-2). One also needs to consider how a difficult question such as intermarriage is handled in the rest of the canon (and in tradition), which put into perspective the solution offered and constrains the meaning of the primary text. Specifically, "the holy seed" rationale (Ezra 9:2), which gives rise to the charge of racism, is shown to have flourished briefly in the Second Temple period but proved to be a dead end in the long run. A comparison with the NT treatment of a specific intermarriage crisis in 1 Cor 7:12-16, as well as with other, present-day solutions, can highlight what went wrong in the exilic reasoning and yet what constructive challenge the text as Scripture may hold for the Christian reader.
Losing the Temple and Recovering the Future by
This book explores the Jewish community's response to the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. The focus of attention is 4 Ezra, a text that reboots the past by imaginatively recasting textual and interpretive traditions. Instead of rebuilding the Temple, as Ezra does in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, the Ezra portrayed in 4 Ezra argues with an angel about the mystery of God's plan and re-gives Israel the Torah. Drawing on Walter Benjamin, the imaginative project of 4 Ezra is analyzed in terms of a constellation composed of elements from pre-destruction traditions. Ezra's struggle and his eventual recommitment to Torah are also understood as providing a model for emulation by ancient Jewish readers. 4 Ezra is thus what Stanley Cavell calls a perfectionist work. Its specific mission is to guide the formation of Jewish subjects capable of resuming covenantal life in the wake of a destruction that inflects but never erases revelation.
The Holy Seed Has Been Defiled by
In the Book of Ezra-Nehemiah, Ezra commands Yehudite men to put away their foreign wives to avoid further defiling the 'holy seed'. What is the meaning of this warning? Are Ezra's words to be understood as a concern about race-mixing or is it emblematic of some more complex set of problems prevalent in the fledgling postexilic community? Ezra's words, with their seemingly racialized thinking, have been influential in much political, religious and popular culture in the USA. It has been a backdrop for constructing racial reality for centuries, melding seemingly biblical ideologies with accepted European Enlightenment-era ideas about racial superiority and inferiority. Willa Johnson combines archaeological data with social-scientific theory to argue for a new interpretation. In this anthropological and narratological analysis, Johnson views Ezra's edict in the light of ancient Yehudite concerns over ethnicity, gender, sexuality and social class following the return from exile. In this context, she argues, the warning against intermarriage appears to be an effort to reconstitute identity in the aftermath of the cataclysmic political dominance by first the Babylonian and then the Persian empires. This book represents a postmodern interdisciplinary approach to understanding an ancient biblical socio-political situation. As such, it offers fresh perspectives on ways that interpretations of the Bible continue to reflect the ideologies of its interpreters.
Not Scattered or Confused by
Summary: "The Hebrew Bible displays a complicated attitude toward cities. Much of the story tells of a rural, agrarian society, yet those stories were written by people living in urban environments. Moreover, cities frequently appear in a negative light; the Hebrew slaves in the book of Exodus were forced to build cities, and the book of Samuel's critique of monarchy assumes an urban setting that supports that monarchy. At the same, time Ezra-Nehemiah makes restoration of Jerusalem and its wall a holy priority, and Genesis 1-11 (and subsequent references to the Primeval narrative) show a much more layered view of the dangers and opportunities of the urban context. As the world's population increasingly moves into cities, and we debate their impact on human life and the natural environment, it becomes increasingly important to know how the biblical writers understood the ways in which urban life enhances and disrupts human thriving. In this book, McEntire offers a comprehensive and hopeful understanding of the Bible and the city"-- Provided by publisher.
