the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Commentaries
Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible Gill's Exposition
Nehemiah's Prayer After Hearing Jerusalem's Condition.Chapter 2
Nehemiah Granted Permission to Rebuild Jerusalem's Walls.Chapter 3
Rebuilding the Walls; List of Workers and Tasks.Chapter 4
Opposition to Rebuilding; Workers Remain Vigilant.Chapter 5
Nehemiah Addresses Social Injustices and Debt.Chapter 6
Plots Against Nehemiah; Wall Completed Despite Threats.Chapter 7
List of Returned Exiles and Leaders.Chapter 8
Ezra Reads the Law; People Respond in Repentance.Chapter 9
Confession of Sins and Recounting God's Faithfulness.Chapter 10
Covenant Renewal and Commitment to Obey God's Law.Chapter 11
List of Residents in Jerusalem and Surrounding Towns.Chapter 12
Dedication of the Wall and Temple Service Reorganization.Chapter 13
Nehemiah's Final Reforms; Correction of Various Abuses.
- Nehemiah
by John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH
This book is, by the authors of the Vulgate Latin and Arabic versions, called the "Second" Book of Ezra, it being a continuation of the same history, and was by the Jews reckoned as one book with Ezra; Kimchi on Isaiah 9:7, calls it Ezra, so the Talmud a; and it has been quoted by Christian writers under his name; see the argument of the book of Ezra; but not as if it was written by him; for it is a clear case it was written by Nehemiah, whose name it bears, as appears from Nehemiah 1:1 and throughout Nehemiah speaks of himself under the first person; and the style also is very different from that of Ezra, being plainer and easier than his. It has always had a place in the canon of Scriptures, both with Jews and Christians; and is of use to show the fulfilment of the prophecy of Zechariah, and especially of Daniel concerning the building of the wall of Jerusalem in troublesome times; to carry on the history of the Jews, and describe the state of the church in those times, what opposition was made to it, and what enemies it had, and what must be expected when any work of God is set about; it is the last of the historical books that was written, as is thought, and contains an history of the space of about twelve years, from the twentieth of Artaxerxes to the thirty second of his reign, see Nehemiah 1:1.
a T. Bab. Succah, fol. 37. 1. & Gloss. in ib. fol. 12. 1.
