Nehemiah

Author: Probably Ezra, appropriating Nehemiah’s memoirs

Audience: The people of Judah who had returned from exile in Babylonia

Date: Sometime after 430 bc

Theme: God uses Nehemiah to lead his people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and to rebuild their distinctive identity as God’s people.

Introduction

See Introduction to Ezra.

Just as God used the world powers to judge his people, so he used them to restore his people to their land.

Outline

I. Nehemiah’s First Administration (chs. 1–12)

A. Nehemiah’s Response to the Situation in Jerusalem (ch. 1)

1. News of the plight of Jerusalem (1:1–4)

2. Nehemiah’s prayer (1:5–11)

B. Nehemiah’s Journey to Jerusalem (2:1–10)

1. The king’s permission (2:1–8)

2. The journey itself (2:9–10)

C. Nehemiah’s First Actions Upon Arrival (2:11–20)

1. His nocturnal inspection of the walls (2:11–16)

2. His exhortation to rebuild (2:17–18)

3. His response to opposition (2:19–20)

D. List of the Builders of the Wall (ch. 3)

1. The northern section (3:1–7)

2. The western section (3:8–13)

3. The southern section (3:14)

4. The eastern section (3:15–32)

E. Opposition to Rebuilding the Wall (ch. 4)

1. The derision of Sanballat and Tobiah (4:1–5)

2. The threat of attack (4:6–15)

3. Rebuilding the wall (4:16–23)

F. Social and Economic Problems (ch. 5)

1. The complaints of the poor (5:1–5)

2. The cancellation of debts (5:6–13)

3. Nehemiah’s unselfish example (5:14–19)

G. The Wall Rebuilt Despite Opposition (ch. 6)

1. Attempts to ensnare Nehemiah (6:1–9)

2. The hiring of false prophets (6:10–14)

3. The completion of the wall (6:15–19)

H. List of Exiles (7:1–73a)

1. Provisions for the protection of Jerusalem (7:1–3)

2. Nehemiah’s discovery of the list of returnees (7:4–5)

3. The returnees delineated (7:6–72)

4. Settlement of the exiles (7:73a)

I. Ezra’s Preaching and the Outbreak of Revival (7:73b–10:39)

1. The public explanation of the Scriptures (7:73b–8:12)

2. The Festival of Tabernacles (8:13–18)

3. A day of fasting, confession and prayer (9:1–37)

4. A binding agreement (9:38)

5. A list of those who sealed the agreement (10:1–29)

6. Provisions of the agreement (10:30–39)

J. New Residents of Judah and Jerusalem (ch. 11)

1. New residents for Jerusalem (11:1–24)

a. Introductory remarks (11:1–4a)

b. Residents from Judah (11:4b–6)

c. From Benjamin (11:7–9)

d. From the priests (11:10–14)

e. From the Levites (11:15–18)

f. From the temple staff (11:19–24)

2. New residents for Judah (11:25–36)

a. Places settled by people from Judah (11:25–30)

b. Places settled by people from Benjamin (11:31–35)

c. Transfer of Levites from Judah to Benjamin (11:36)

K. Lists of Priests and the Dedication of the Wall (ch. 12)

1. Priests and Levites from the first return (12:1–9)

2. High priests and Levites since Joiakim (12:10–26)

3. Dedication of the wall of Jerusalem (12:27–43)

4. Regulation of the temple offerings and services (12:44–47)

II. Nehemiah’s Second Administration (ch. 13)

A. Abuses During His Absence (13:1–5)

1. Mixed marriages (13:1–3)

2. Tobiah’s occupation of the temple quarters (13:4–5)

B. Nehemiah’s Return (13:6–9)

1. His arrival (13:6–7)

2. His expulsion of Tobiah (13:8–9)

C. Reorganization and Reforms (13:10–31)

1. Offerings for the temple staff (13:10–14)

2. Abuse of the Sabbath (13:15–22)

3. Mixed marriages (13:23–29)

4. Provisions of wood and firstfruits (13:30–31)