OLD TESTAMENT HISTORICAL AND Tsedey Alemayehu

WISDOM LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
 The first book of Kings continues the religious history begun in the book of Joshua.
 First Kings tells of Solomon’s great kingdom and the early history of the divided
monarchy.
 Together with 2 Kings, this narrative surveys over four centuries of history, outlining
the Israelite monarchy from Solomon to the end.
 It traces the failure of the Israelite nation to maintain its covenant with God.
 The books of Kings tell the sad story of Israel’s tragic destruction because the
people were not faithful to God.
CONT.
 The books contain mostly historical narrative. However, these books are much more
than history.
 The author ties the historical narratives together with grand religious convictions. He
presents Israel’s past from a prophetic and theological point of view.
 The author rehearses the list of Israel’s kings carefully and systematically, with the
goal o critiquing each one’s faithfulness to God’s covenant.
 The books trace the consequences of sin as opposed to the benefits of obedience.
This leads us to consider further the questions of why and how the author wrote these
books.
 The two books of Kings document the covenant history of Israel from king David’s
death and Solomon’s succession to the throne through the end of the divided kingdoms
of Israel and Judah.
CONT.
 The separation of Kings from Samuel is somewhat artificial.
 Early Greek manuscripts of the OT classify Samuel and Kings as “Kingdoms” in four
volumes: Samuel = First and Second Books of “Kingdoms,” Kings = Third and Fourth
Books of “Kingdoms.”
 The division of Kings from one book in the Hebrew OT into two books in the Greek
OT was simply a matter of convenience due to the length of the record.
 English Bibles have adopted the fourfold division of the historical books in the
manner of the Septuagint (Greek OT) but retained the Hebrew title of Samuel and
Kings.
KEY IDEAS
 Kingship – good and evil
 The prophetic voice as the royal conscience
 Worship – Yahwism vs, Baalism
 Covenant blessings (repentance and restoration) and curses (judgment and exile).
AUTHORSHIP AND DATE OF KINGS
 Ancient Jewish tradition identifies Jeremiah as the author of 1 and 2 Kings.
 This association may have been based on the similarities between Jeremiah 52 and
2 Kings 24 – 25.
 It has also been noted that the history recorded in Kings gives a prominent place to
the lives of the OT prophets and the accuracy of the prophetic word in relationship to
the Israelite and Judean monarchies.
 The books themselves provide no direct information about the author, and it is
better to view the books as anonymous.
 The unknown compiler of Kings makes reference to three specific sources utilized in
assembling the “Covenant history” of Israel’s monarchies.
CONT.
 These are:
1. The “Book of the Acts of Solomon” (1 Kings 11:41)
2. The “Book o the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel” (mentioned seventeen
times, e.g. 1 Kings 14:19)
3. The “Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah” (mentioned fifteen times,
e.g., 1 Kings 15:23)
 All of them are named as resources the reader might consult for verification or
further information.
 These documents were probably official court histories kept by royal scribes (2
Sam. 8:16; 20:24 – 25) and very likely paralleled the royal records of other nations.
CONT.
 Given the available evidence, we do best to assign the books of Kings to an
anonymous compiler-author of the sixth century BC.
 Whether he was a prophet or not is uncertain, but he understood the covenantal
nature of Israel’s relationship to Yahweh and its implications for Hebrew history.
The book was probably composed in Palestine sometime between the fall o
Jerusalem (587/586 BC) and the decrees of King Cyrus of Persia that permitted the
Hebrews to return to their homeland (539 BC).
THE BACKGROUND
 The books of Kings represent a selective history of Israel from the closing days of
Kings David’s reign until the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem.
 By way of chronology, 1 – 2 Kings documents the political history of Israel during
the united monarchy, beginning about 970 BC, through the Assyrian exile of the
northern kingdom of Israel (722 BC) and the Babylonian exile of the southern
kingdom of Judah (587/586 BC).
 Two historical footnotes are attached to the end of 2 Kings
1. 25:22 – 26 recounts King Nebuchadrezzar’s appointment of Gedaliah as
governor of Judah and Gedaliah’s assassination by a group of Jewish
conspirators led by one Ishmael sometimes between 586 and 582 BC.
CONT.
2. 25:27 – 30 records the release of king Jehoiachin rom prison in
Babylon after the death of king Nebuchadressar (562 or 561 BC)
 The Kings history surveys:
 the Israelite “golden age” of united empire under king Solomon
 the split of the monarchy during the reign of Rehoboam
 the ebb and flow of the political and religious fortunes of the divided
kingdoms of Israel and Judah until their collapse.
 Israelite interaction with the surrounding foreign powers is also integrated
into the Kings account.
PURPOSE AND MESSAGE OF KINGS
 The books of Kings relate the history of the Hebrew united and divided
monarchies in their “covenant failure.”
 The Narrative focuses on the figures primarily responsible for covenant
keeping in Israel – the kings and the prophets.
 The prophetic voice has a prominent place in the story of kingship because
those divinely appointed messengers functioned as the conscience of the
monarchies.
 The history of the Hebrew nation is told through the lives of the Israelite and
Judean kings as representatives of the nation, because the fortunes of the king
and the trouble of the people were entangled.
CONT.
 Rebellion and disobedience in the form of idolatry and social injustice on the part of the king
brought divine retribution on the nation in several forms, including
oppression by surrounding hostile powers
overthrow of the royal dynasties
ultimately exile into foreign lands
 Conversely, the blessings of Yahweh’s favor in the form of peace, security, prosperity, and
deliverance from foes rested upon the people of God when the king was obedient to the law
of Moses.
 The most obvious purpose of the Kings narrative is to complete the written history of Hebrew
kingship as a sequel to the books of Samuel.
The record of Hebrew monarchies implicitly balances the notion of God’s sovereign hand in
Israel’s covenant history and the reality of human freedom and accountability for those joined
to him in covenant relationship.
CONT.
 This prophetic view of Israelite history served both to admonish the king and people
for past breaches in covenant keeping and to warn them of the grave consquences
attached to continued disobedience to Yahweh’s covenant stipulations.
 By the same token, 1 – 2 Kings contained a word of exhortation and offered a
word of hope to Israel and Judah.
 God still ruled human history and remained faithful to his agreement with the
Hebrews as his “elect”.
OUTLINE
I. King Solomon (1 Kings 1 – 11)
II. King Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:1 – 22)
III. Kingdoms of Israel and Judah from 931 to 853 BC (1 Kings 22 – 16)
IV. Prophetic Ministries of Elijah and Elisha (1 Kings 17 – 2 Kings 8:15)
V. Kingdoms in Israel and Judah from 852 – 722 BC (2 Kings 8:16 – 17:41)
VI. Kingdom of Judah from 729 – 587/586 BC (2 Kings 18 – 24)
VII. Fall of Jerusalem to Babylonia (25:1 – 21)
VIII. Historical Appendix A: Governor Gedaliah (25:22 – 26)
IX. Historical Appendix B: Jehoiachin in Exile (25:27 – 30)
IMPORTANT DATA ABOUT 1 KINGS
 Key Word: Division
Key Chapter: 12 – The dividing of the kingdom
 Key Verses: 8:22 – 26; 12:16
 Key Characters: Solomon, Rehoboam, Jereboam, Ahab, Jezebel, Elijah, Asa and
Johoshaphat
IMPORTANT DATA ABOUT 2 KINGS
 Key Word: Captivity
Key Chapter: 17 – The captivity of the Northern Kingdom; 25 – The captivity of the
Southern Kingdom
 Key Verses: 17:7 – 18; 23:26 – 27; 25:8 – 12
 Key Characters: Elisha, Jehu, Jeroboam I, Hezekiah, Josiah, and Manasseh
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS ON KINGS
 The book of 1 kings begins with Solomon’s coming to the throne and ruling all of
Israel, and it ends with Jehoshaphat’s reigning in Judah and Ahaziah’s ruling in Israel.
 This would, therefore, cover a period of about 125 years.
 The book of 2 Kings begins with the reign of King Ahaziah of Israel and concludes
with King Zedekiah, the last king of Judah.
 The years covered by this book are approximately 250.
MAJOR THEMES
 The Mosaic law
 Retribution theology
 The role and significance of Prophecy
MOSAIC LAW
 The books of Kings presents the history of Israel from the viewpoint of the Mosaic
covenant.
 During the exile, the author of Kings was able to reflect on what had occurred over
four centuries of history.
 The books assume the disasters of 722 and 587 were due to the nation’s failure to
maintain the covenant that God established at Mount Sinai.
 This is based on the so-called retribution theology of Deuteronomy.
RETRIBUTION THEOLOGY
 Deuteronomy stated clearly that Israel would succeed in the promised land only if
the people remained faithful to the covenant.
 Disobedient meant that the nation would lose the land.
 In simple doctrine of retribution Moses linked covenant faithfulness to blessings and
disobedience to future curses (Deut. 27 – 28).
 This idea became the “Bible” for the authors of the historical books.
 It provided the theological explanation for the nation’s fall and the loss of the
promised land.
 Northern Israel failed because of the crimes of Jeroboam I, and Judah because of
the wicked reign of Manasseh (1 Kings 14:15 – 16’ 2 Kings 17:22 – 23; 21:11 – 15;
24:2 – 4.
CONT.
 This retribution theology became the basis for the author’s evaluation of each king
of Israel as good and bad. Each king was evil like his father (especially Jeroboam I)
or good like his father David.
 The author of kings assumed the authority of the written Torah of God, which
became the foundation document for his “either-or” evaluation of each king.
 The blessings and curses of the Mosaic law (Deut. 27 – 28) became the
authoritative framework for the author’s interpretation of Israel’s history.
 Each king was either obedient and therefore blessed or disobedient and therefore
cursed.
 And this approach began with the assumption that the Mosaic covenant was the
authoritative word of God.
CONT.
 The story told in the books of kings is a sad one. But it emphasizes over and over
again the importance of godliness and faithfulness in our commitment to God.
 Success in our lives is too often evaluated by our external accomplishments,
measured in purely human terms.
 The books of Kings teach that personal covenant faithfulness and obedience to God
are the only measure of successful living.
THE ROLE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF PROPHECY
 The books of Kings are truly a prophetic history, interested in how the word of
Yahweh functions in history.
As such, it contains a promise-fulfillment theme throughout.
 For example, just before his death, Elisha prophesied that Israel would defeat Syria
three times (2 Kings 13:19).
 In the closing formula for King Jehoash of Israel, the author explicitly says that
Jehoash defeated Syria “three times,” making the fulfillment pattern obvious (2 Kings
13:25).
 The prophetic perspective is most apparent in the author’s theological explanation
for the fall of both kingdoms. Both had been justly earned by God’s “servants the
prophets” (2 Kings 17:23; 24:2).
CONT.
 But the nation persisted in sin, rejecting the prophetic message.
 The word of God was at work in the nations to bring them to an end, just as
certainly as it also works to bring salvation.
 The books of Kings teach the importance of hearing and obeying the word of God.
INTRODUCTION
 Like Samuel and Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles were originally one book. The text was
divided into two books when the original Hebrew was translated into Greek.
 Chronicles follows Ezra-Nehemiah in the Hebrew Bible, suggesting it was accepted
into the OT canon at a later date or was viewed as an appendix to the Writings
since it supplemented the histories found in Samuel and Kings.
 The English version follows the Greek OT in placing Chronicles after Kings and prior
to Ezra-Nehemiah.
 The Hebrew title of the book is literally “the words of the days,” or “the events” of
the monarchies.
 While the Hebrew title is characteristically taken from the first verse, here the title
phrase is actually found in 1 Chronicle 27:24.
CONT.
 The books are called “The Things Omitted” in the Greek Septuagint, that is, things
passed over by the historians of Samuel and Kings.
 The English title “Chronicles” is a shortened form of Jerome’s suggestion that the
history be called “a chronicles of the whole divine history.”
 As literary history, the books of Chronicles supplement the records of Samuel and
Kings, rehearsing the history of Israel from the patriarchs (by way of genealogy)
through the fall of the southern kingdom of Judah to Babylon.
 As theological history, the Chronicles concentrate on the legitimization of priestly
and Levitical authority and the contributions of the Hebrew united and Judahite
monarchies to the religious life of Israel.
CONT.
 A century or more after the books of Kings were written, the circumstance of God’s
people had improved little.
 It is true the exile had ended, and many faithful Jews had returned to Jerusalem
from Babylon and other parts of the world. But the Messiah had not come as some
had hoped.
 The small population in Jerusalem felt discouraged and lost. Had God forsaken his
people? Had the promises to David failed?
 The author of Chronicles looked back across the centuries of Israel’s history in order
to trace God’s covenant promises through the broken circumstances of a defeated
nation all the way down to his own day.
 His look back is intended as a message of reassurance and hope and is pertinent
for every generation of believers.
KEY IDEAS
 The retelling of the past to inspire hope in the present
 The Reigns of David and Solomon idealized
 The centrality of temple worship
 The validation of the priests and Levites as community
leaders
PURPOSE STATEMENT
 The books of Chronicles retell the story of the God of history,
more specifically the biography of the God of Israel’s history –
especially Davidic kingship.
 The sermon-like narrative is a theology of hope for the postexilic
Hebrew community, affirming that God is faithful and He will
restore Davidic kingship and fulfill his promises to raise up a
shepherd-king like David to rule over Israel (Jer. 33:15 – 16; Ezek.
34:23 – 24)
AUTHORSHIP AND DATE
 Early Jewish tradition named Ezra as the author of these books.
 Scholars have agreed for many years that the author of Ezra-Nehemiah, probably
Ezra, also wrote the books of Chronicles.
 Recent scholarship considers Chronicles the work of anonymous author in the
postexilic period, someone other than the author of Ezra-Nehemiah.
 The text itself, however, makes no specific statement of about authorship.
 On the bases on genealogies, we may assume that the author wrote these books
during the second or third generation after the exile ended.
 Many scholars have dated Chronicles to between 450 and 400 BC. This date is
supported by Chronicles’ position as the last book of the Hebrew canon.
CONT.
 The Chronicler produced what we may call the first commentary on the
Scriptures.
 Some of his information comes from sources that are unknown and
unavailable to us.
 Therefore considerable attention has been given to the numerous sources
used by the chronicler in compiling his history of Israel.
 Canonical sources are
 Pentateuch
 Samuel and Kings
 Non-canonical records such as;
 Genealogical records (1 Chron. 4:33; 5:17; 7:9, 40; 9:1, 22; 2 Chron.
12:15)
CONT.
 Letters and official documents (1 Chron. 28:11 – 12; 2 Chron. 32:17 -20;
36:22 – 23)
 Poems, prayers, speeches, and songs (1 Chron. 16:8 – 36; 1 Chron. 29:10 – 22;
2 Chron. 29:30; 35:25)
 Other histories including
 The Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah (2 Chron. 27:7; 36:8),
 The Books of the Kings of Judah and Israel (2 Chron. 16:11; 25:26; 28:26;
32:32)
 The Chronicles of David (1 Chron. 27:24)
 The Commentary on the Book of Kings (2 Chron. 24:27)
 The Directions of David, King of Israel, and the Directions of Solomon His Son (2
Chron. 35:4)
CONT.
 Prophetic writings, including
 The Chronicles of Samuel, Nathan, and Gad (1 Chron.
29:29)
 The Prophecy o Ahijah and the Visions of Iddo the Seer
(2 Chron. 9:20)
 The records of Shemaiah, Jehu and Isaiah (2 Chron.
12:15; 20:34; 32:32)
BACKGROUND (HISTORICAL)
 The genealogies of 1 Chronicles traces the heritage of covenant faith from Adam to
David, with particular attention given to the Hebrew patriarchs and the twelve sons
of Jacob.
 The actually history addressed in Chronicles spans the Hebrew united monarchy
from the close Saul’s reign to the Babylonian captivity of Judah (1020 – 586 BC).
 The accounts of David’s and Solomon’s kingships are focused on events and figures
associated with the ark of the covenant and the construction and dedication of
Yahweh’s temple.
 The chronicler’s history of the divided kingdoms virtually ignores the northern side.
 The books of Chronicles conclude with this same emphasis on Yahweh’s temple, as
expressed in the edict of Cyrus, King of Persia, permitting the return of the Hebrew
exile to Palestine to rebuild the structure (2 Chron. 36:22 – 23).
CONT.
 The backdrop for the writing of Chronicles was the postexilic
period of Hebrew history.
 Whether the books are assigned to 500, 400, or 300 BC, the
conditions in postexilic Jerusalem were essentially the same.
 Judah remained an insignificant and struggling backwater
province throughout the entire Persian period and into the Greek
period.
 Hebrew national and political life was overshadowed by the
pagan “super empires” of Persia and Greece, and Hebrew religion
was challenged by the rival temple and worship of the Samaritans,
the great Persian cult of Ahura Mazda, and the Greek mystery
religions.
CONT.
 The Chronicler’s “theology of hope” was prompted by
 the despair over the apparent failure of Zerubbabel and others to inaugurate
the messianic kingdom in Judah as predicted by Haggai and Zechariah.
 the disappointment of the seemingly shallow and short-lived religious reforms
carried out by Ezra and Nehemiah.
 The present distress would one day give way to the restoration of Israel, according to the
theocratic ideal expressed in Chronicles.
 The second exodus envisioned by Zechariah was delayed but not canceled.
 The kingdom of God would eventually break into human history, and Jerusalem would
indeed be established as the political and religious focal point of the nations (Zech. 8:1 – 8;
14:9 – 21)
PURPOSE AND MESSAGES OF CHRONICLES
 The Chronicler’s message centers on the Israelite united monarchy
and the crucial roles played by David and Solomon in establishing
and maintaining the temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem.
 The Chronicler highlighted David’s kingship to communicate the
centrality of the temple, while Solomon’s success was directly tied to
the proper worship of Yahweh.
 The new exodus and restoration of the Hebrew community
predicted by the prophets could only be realized as postexilic
Jerusalem imitated the model of past faithfulness and obedience in
worship and service to the Lord of Hosts
CONT.
 For postexilic Jerusalem, the Chronicler’s message concerned
Yahweh’s election of Israel (which was implicit in the extensive genealogical
catalogs at the beginning of the work (1 Chron. 1– 9)
 The providential activity of Yahweh in Israel’s history (as seen in accounts
of David’s and Solomon’s reign 1 Chron. 18 – 20)
 The rehearsal of Israel’s past became a guarantee of God’s continued
intervention to accomplish his covenant purpose for the Hebrews as his special
possession (1 Chron. 17:16 – 27)
 The historical review of Judah (the southern kingdom) underscored another
key message for postexilic Jerusalem, namely, the divine retribution associated
with the blessings and curses conditioning Yahweh’s covenant with Israel.
CONT.
 Respect for divinely appointed authority figures and obedience to the
covenant stipulations were absolutely essential for the success of the postexilic
community.
 The Chronicler conveyed several important purposes in Israelite history.
 His emphasis on Davidic and Solomonic kingship was intended to
demonstrate the continuity between pre-exilic and postexilic Hebrew history.
 More importantly the kingdom of Judah was set forth as the rightful heir of
the covenant promises made by Yahweh to “true Israel.”
 The incorporation of genealogies of Jacob’s descendants reminded Israel of
their former tribal unity and called the whole people once again to band
together in covenant unity before Yahweh.
CONT.
 Only by faithful adherence to Yahweh’s covenant stipulations could Israel
recapture the glory days of the past described by the Chronicler.
 The Chronicler’s fixation with the Davidic and Solomonic kingdom was more
than a plea for the return of the “good old days” of Israel’s history.
 Those kingships served as models of an “ideal” Israel under theocratic rule
for the present community.
 The centrality of the temple, the proper worship of Yahweh, and the
authoritative role of the priests and Levites in the temple service demonstrated
the supremacy of the Hebrew God and the superiority of Hebrew religion in
the face of invading paganism.
CONT.
 Finally, the chronicler’s history offered hope in postexilic
Jerusalem by assuring the present community that of the
sovereign Lord of Hosts, having been active during the
reigns of David and Solomon, would continue
providentially to intervene in Hebrew history to accomplish
the prophetic vision of Zion as the political and religious
center of the nations (Zech. 14:12 – 21)
OUTLINE
I. The Genealogies (1 Chron. 1 – 9)
II. United Monarchy: The Reign of King Saul (1 Chron. 10)
III. United Monarchy: The Reign of King David (1 Chron. 11 – 29)
IV. United Monarchy: The Reign of King Solomon (2 Chron. 1 – 9)
V. The Southern Kingdom under Judean Kings (2 Chron. 10–
36:16)
VI. The Exile (36:17 – 23)
IMPORTANT DATA ABOUT CHRONICLES
 Key Word: Temple
 Key Chapter: 12 – David made King of Israel
 Key Verse: 2 Chronicle 7:14
 Key Characters: David, Solomon, Asa,
Jehoshaphat, and Hezekiah.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATION
 The Relationship of Chronicles
 Because the contents of these books is repetitious of material in other neighboring books,
it is helpful to see the relationship of Chronicles to other Old Testament materials.
 The following charts displays this relationships:

Relationship
1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles
1 Samuel 2 Samuel A Kings 2 Kings
CONT.
COMPARISON
Samuel-Kings Chronicles
1. Viewed both North and South 1. Viewed only the South
2. Emphasis on the Throne 2. Emphasis on the Temple
3. Civil/political history 3. Sacred history
4. Emphasis on the prophet 4. Emphasis on the priest
5. Wars prominent 5. Wars less prominent
6. Indictment of the two nations 6. Encouragement of the ruminant
MAJOR THEMES
 David and His Dynasty
 The Temple and the proper Worship of God
DAVID AND HIS DYNASTY
 The figure of David casts a long shadow across the books of Chronicles.
 The genealogies emphasize David and his line. The rest of 1 Chronicles is devoted
to David’s reign.
 Second Chronicles begins with nine chapters on David’s son and successor.
 The remaining of 2 Chronicles centers on the Davidic line of kings in Jerusalem, the
heirs of the covenant promises to David.
 The Davidic covenant was established in 2 Samuel 7.
 This became one of Israel’s most important theological concepts, taking a positon
alongside the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants.
CONT.
 It provided the basis for concepts regarding the Messiah, the ideal son of David.
 The Chronicler followed 2 Samuel 7 closely in his presentation of the Davidic
covenant in 1 Chron. 17, emphasizing the enduring aspect of the divine decree.
 The author of Chronicles viewed David and Solomon together, establishing a
permanent and lasting dynasty.
 This contributed to Israel’s messianic expectation, since the Chronicler was clearly
longing for the day when a son of David would once again rule over all Israel.
 The Israelite monarchy was meant to be representative from beginning. God would
continue to function as the true King.
CONT.
 The beauty of the Davidic dynasty lies in the divine promise that the transfer of
royal power would never be broken again (1 Chron. 17:13).
 From the time of King David, Israelite kingship was placed forever in the hands of
the sons of David.
 The Chronicler also believed in an equation between the kingdom of God and the
kingdom of Israel.
 Although the books of Chronicles contain many references to illustrate this, the best
example is Abijah’s reference to “the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hands of
David’s descendants” (2 Chron. 13:8).
 David and Solomon are also central in the books of Chronicles because of their role
in building the temple and establishing true and valid religious practices in Jerusalem.
THE TEMPLE AND THE WORSHIP OF GOD
 The temple played a central role in the books of Chronicles.
 During an age when God’s people were struggling to identify themselves, the
temple provided an important symbol of God’s abiding presence with His chosen
people.
 The second temple, built under Haggai and Zechariah, established a powerful link
between pre-exilic Judah and the postexilic restoration community.
 As such, the temple formed a bridge for the postexilic community, reaching back to
their ancestors in the faith.
 The Davidic dynasty was temporarily lost, but the temple was in Jerusalem again.
CONT.
 but the temple was more than a link to the Davidic and Solomonic period.
 It represented God’s presence in the midst of His people in its most fundamental
form.
 As such, the temple also provided continuity to the Mosaic period and the
Pentateuch.
 Just as the tabernacle was God’s dwelling place in the midst of the tribes in the
wilderness, so God was once again dwelling with His people.
 The assessment of subsequent kings in the Davidic dynasty (2 Chron. 10 – 36) was
usually based on their faithfulness and allegiance to the temple and to the proper
forms of religious practice.
CONT.
 Thus the Chronicler’s emphasis on the temple ties all his major themes
together.
 The centrality of David and Solomon is related to their building of the
temple and establishing the acceptable forms of Yahweh worship.
 The success of the Davidic dynasty was dependent on continued care and
attention to the temple and right worship of God.
 For the Chronicler, royal authority was God-given but was conditioned on
covenant faithfulness.
 In this way, the author of Chronicles stands squarely at the center of biblical
thought.
INTRODUCTION
 Ezra and Nehemiah were contemporaneous reformers of the postexilic period.
 Like their predecessors Haggai and Zechariah, they had complementary ministries
in Jerusalem of both a physical and spiritual nature.
 Ezra, a priest and scribe who was skilled in the law of Moses, is best remembered
for his reading of the Torah to the postexilic community and the consequent religious
revival it inspired (Neh. 8:1 – 12).
 Nehemiah is well known for the administrative skill he demonstrated in organizing
the restoration community to repair and rebuild a large section of the wall of
Jerusalem destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BC.
 Both men came to Jerusalem from Susa in Persia during the reign of Artaxerxes I
(464 – 424 BC), and both were members of some standing in Persian royal circles.
CONT.
 By virtue of his Levitical full-blooded, it is suggested that Ezra held a position akin
to secretary or counsel for Jewish affairs in the royal cabinet (Ezra 7:1 – 6), while
Nehemiah was a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes (Neh. 1:11, 2:1 – 2).
 Prayerful zeal for the plight of the restoration community in Jerusalem motivated
both men to journey to Palestine from Persia.
Their efforts to reform the religious, social and economic life of the Hebrew city
were rooted in a nationalistic sense of pride for the tradition of the Hebrew
forefathers (Neh. 2:3) and a genuine concern for the reputation of the name of
Yahweh in the midst of pagan opposition (Ezra 9:1 – 15; Neh. 1:4 – 11).
 Ezra and Nehemiah form a single book in the Hebrew OT. Along with other
historical books it was divided into two books in the Septuagint.
CONT.
 Ezra and Nehemiah actually comprise the second volume of a two-part work by the
chronicler that presents a theological interpretation of Hebrew history.
 The two parts of Chronicles constitute the first volume of that history. The books of
Ezra and Nehemiah are placed after 1-2 Chronicles in the Greek, Latin, and English
Bibles.
 The revers order in the Hebrew OT may indicate the order of acceptance of the
books into the canon.
KEY IDEAS
 The physical construction of the city of Jerusalem.
 Yahweh as a covenant keeping God
 Religion and social reforms as the aftermath of repentance
PURPOSE STATEMENT
 The purpose of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah is to
show the numerous ways that God was faithfully at work in
restoring the people of Israel to their land after the
Babylonian exile.
 God providentially brought favor with the Persian rulers
and helped the Israelite overcome the obstacles presented
by their enemies as they rebuilt the temple and walls of
Jerusalem and established the Law of Moses as the
foundation of society.
AUTHORSHIP AND DATE
 The majority view among biblical scholars today attributed the combined books of
Ezra-Nehemiah to the postexilic chronicler.
 It is assumed that this compiler of the books of Chronicles also edited the book of
Ezra-Nehemiah because of 2 Chronicles 36:22 – 23 constitutes a closing inscription,
presupposing the introductory verses of Ezra 1:1 – 2.
 Jewish tradition identified Ezra the scribe as the chronicler of the postexilic history
narrated in 1 – 2 Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah.
 The actual composition of the books occurred in stages and was probably
completed around 400 BC.
CONT.
 The sequence of writing and compiling may be outlined as follows:
1. Ezra and Nehemiah draft individual memoirs (440 – 420 BC)
2. The chronicler combines the Ezra and Nehemiah memoir sources,
deliberately interweaving the materials
3. The chronicler adds the Sheshbazzar/Zerubbabel narrative to the memoirs
to form a prologue, or introduction, to the Ezra and Nehemiah
autobiographies.
 Ezra is one of two OT books containing substantial sections of text written in the
Aramaic language and not the Hebrew language (Ezra 4:8 – 6:18; 7:12 – 26; Dan.
2:4 – 7:28)
BACKGROUND
 The Jerusalem of Ezra and Nehemiah was little different from the Jerusalem to
which Haggai and Zechariah had prophesied some sixty years earlier (Ezra 5:1 – 2)
 The reconstructed second temple was a mere shadow of the magnificent edifice
erected by Solomon (Ezra 3:12).
 Rather than inspiring the hope of covenant restoration in the community, the building
served only as a monument to remind the people of messianic expectations dashed
by the reality of Medo-Persian domination.
 Indeed the promise of Yahweh to make Jerusalem a banner among the nations was
all but forgotten as postexilic Judah subsisted on the remote fringes of pagan empire
that was at that time controlling most of the known world (Hag. 2:20 – 23).
CONT.
 In fact the very existence of the Hebrew postexilic community appeared threatened by the
opposition of hostile enemies surrounding Jerusalem during the governorship of Zerubbabel
(%20 BC. Ezra 4:1 – 5; 5:1 – 7).
 This situation had not really changed by the time Ezra and Nehemiah arrived on the scene in
the mod-fifth century BC.
 Nehemiah’s initiative to repair the walls of Jerusalem was undertaken against considerable
resistance offered by a coalition of local alien enemies, including:
 Sanaballat – the Samaritan governor in control of the province of Judah
 Tobiah – called the Ammonite and an influential member o the Jerusalem aristocracy by
marriage
 Gashem – an Arab official
 The Arabs, Ammonites, and citizen of Ashdod (nehe. 4:1 – 9)
CONT.
 The earlier call to religious and social reform by the prophets Haggai and
Zechariah had seemingly little impact.
 Only a generation later, the prophet Malachi rebuked the people for
breaking faith with Yahweh and called them to repentance and covenantal
renewal.
 Not two generations after Malachi’s preaching, Ezra and Nehemiah
encountered similar religious apathy and social decay.
 In fact the reforms instituted by Ezra and Nehemiah were directed against
many of the very same covenant violations decried by the postexilic prophets.
CONT.
 These included:
 spiritual apathy and improper worship
 social injustice
 divorce
 intermarriage with foreign women
 neglect of the tithe
 moral laxity and abuse of authority on the part of the priests.
CONT.
 A date of 458 BC for Ezra’s arrival in Jerusalem
is preferred.
 The date for Nehemiah’s arrival in the postexilic
community is firmly fixed during the twentieth year
of the reign of King Artaxerxes I or 445 BC.
PURPOSE AND MESSAGE
 Historical
 The books of Ezra and Nehemiah report a significant
portion of the history of Israel during the post exilic, or
Persian, period.
 The highly stylized account documents key events
roughly from the edict of Cyrus in 538 BC. to
Nehemiah’s second governorship in Jerusalem.
 This record of restoration history is contained in three
distinct literary sources.
CONT.
 The essential content o the three sources may be summarized as
Follows
1. The Hebrew return to Jerusalem from Babylonian exile,
including the rebuilding of the altar and temple
2. The arrival and ministry of Ezra, including the religious
reform of the community based on the law of Moses
3. The arrival and ministry of Nehemiah, including the repair
of the Jerusalem wall and continued social and economic
reform in the restoration community.
CONT.
 The purpose of the book is historiographic, given the need to
preserve the record of the return to Jerusalem from Babylonia
by the former Hebrew exiles.
 As such, the accounts highlighted Yahweh’s faithfulness and
thereby instilled hope in postexilic Israel by demonstration God’s
providential working among human kings and governments.
 Theologically, the narrative recounting the ministries of Ezra and
Nehemiah in restoring Jerusalem physically and spiritually
affirmed Yahweh’s promises to renew the remnant of Israel.
CONT.
 Theologically
 The dominant theological idea of the memoir material of both
Ezra and Nehemiah is covenant renewal in the postexilic
community.
 It was important for the community, despairing over God’s
apparent neglect to recognize that obedience to covenant
stipulations was a mandatory prerequisite for Yahweh’s blessing
and restoration of Israel as his special possession.
OUTLINE OF EZRA
I. The Return Under Zerubbabel (Chapters 1 – 6)
II. The Return Under Ezra (Chapters 7 – 10)
OUTLINE OF NEHEMIAH
I. Rebuilding the Walls (Chapters 1 – 7)
II. Revival and Reform (Chapters 8 – 13)
IMPORTANT DATA ABOUT EZRA
 Key Words: Spiritual Restoration
 Key Chapter: 6 – The rebuilding of the Temple
 Key Verses: 1:1 – 4; 6:14 – 15
 Key Characters: Zerubbabel, Joshua the high priest, and Ezra
IMPORTANT DATA ABOUT NEHEMIAH
 Key Words: Political Restoration
 Key Chapter: 6 – The rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls
 Key Verses: 1:4 – 11; 2:17; 5:14; 6:15
 Key Characters: Nehemiah Artaxerxes and Ezra
SPECIAL CONSIDERATION ON EZRA

 The entire book of Ezra covers a period

of about eighty years.
 There is a large gap between chapters
6 and 7, where there is no recorded
history.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATION ON NEHEMIAH
 The book of Nehemiah covers a period of twelve
years from 444 – 432 BC.
 This is based on the two time notations in 1:1 and
13:6, the twentieth and the thirty-second years of
Artaxerxes reign.
MAJOR THEMES
 Yahweh as Covenant Keeper
 Restoration Period Reforms and the Seeds of Pharisaism
YAHWEH AS A COVENANT KEEPER
 The labors of Ezra and Nehemiah to rebuild and reform postexilic Jerusalem were
largely inspired by the theological truth of Yahweh as covenant keeper (Neh. 9:32).
 God’s faithfulness to His word as a keeper of covenant promise meant “there is still
hope for Israel” (Ezra 10:2).
 It was the certainty of this teaching that energized the postexilic prophets to
announce messages of hope and encouragement to the restoration community as well
(Zech. 1:3; Mal. 1:2).
 Perhaps more important was the faith of these postexilic servants who trusted God
for the accomplishment of acts that served as concrete manifestations of his covenant-
keeping ability.
CONT.
 Yahweh’s willingness to return to those who returned to Him assured the postexilic
community of His desire to bless and restore the covenant people (Hag. 2:4 – 9;
Zech. 1:16 – 17; Mal. 3:6 – 7).
 As a covenant-keeping God, Yahweh heard and responded to the petitions of
Israel and declared them “his people” (Ezra 7:9 – 10, 27 – 28).
 Indeed the very presence of the remnant of Israel in the land of Palestine was a
gracious token of God’s covenant keeping nature (Ps. 111:4 – 5, 9).
RESTORATION PERIOD REFORMS AND THE SEEDS
OF PHARISAISM
 The reordering of Hebrew Society under Ezra and Nehemiah had both immediate
and far-reaching implications.
 Two primary concerns shaped the reform of the restoration community.
 The first was the prevention of another Hebrew exile, since the loss of the land of
covenant promise was unthinkable.
 The second was the prevention of the ethnic identity of the Israelites while they
languished beneath the Persian yoke in a marginal province surrounded by hostile
people groups.
CONT.
 After the fall of the Hebrew monarchies, the scribal class in postexilic Israel was
tied solely to the temple and more narrowly focused as to function.
 These temple scribes were essentially a class of scholars who devoted themselves to
copying, preserving, publishing, and interpreting the Law of Moses for the Hebrew
people.
 Ezra is often identified as the forerunner of this scribal class (7:1 – 10).
 By New Testament times, the scribes formed a powerful religious and political class
in Judaism.
 They became major opponents of the ministry of Jesus, accusing him of violating
Jewish law (Matt. 23:2).
CONT.
Nehemiah’s Jerusalem
 Specific measures taken by Ezra and Nehemiah to ensure Hebrew possession
of the land of the promised included:
 the covenant renewal ceremony (9:38 – 10:27)
 the rehabilitation of the priesthood (Ezra 10:18 – 44)
 the reinstitution of temple ritual and Sabbath observation (Neh. 8:13 – 18;
13:15 – 22)
 the introduction of the law of Moses became the character or constitution
by which society was reorganized into priestly “temple-state.”
 Religious, social and economic policy was now determined by the Torah,
bringing a new emphasis on Hebrew “exclusiveness” and “separation” from the
Gentiles and their polluted world order.
CONT.
 Perhaps more significant was the metamorphosis that took place
in the offices of priest and scribe.
 In the pre-exilic period a scribe was a high-ranking cabinet
member of the state bureaucracy who never functioned as a priest.
 The role of the scribe was redefined with the arrival of Ezra. As
a priest-scribe he became the model for a later class of religious
professionals whose sole task was the study and exposition of
Scripture (Ezra 7:10).
 The long-term ramifications of this restructuring of Hebrew
society emerged in the attitudes and teachings of later Jud
CONT.
 The historical and theological developments traced from the postexilic period
through the intertestamental period contribute greatly to the understanding of NT
backgrounds, especially Jesus’ encounters with the religious elite of Palestine in the
first century AD.
 The zealous but misguided appeal to Mosaic law for community rule eventually led
to a pharisaical legalism that tithed with ruthless calculation but ignored the very
essence of Torah-faith, justice, and mercy (Matt. 23:23).
 To ensure community obedience to covenant stipulations related to personal purity,
the Mosaic code was “fenced in” or supplemented by a legal hedge called the oral
law, or “tradition of the elders” (Matt. 15:1 – 9).