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The Expositor's Bible: Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther

Chapter 76: Transcriber's note:
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About This Book

A scholarly commentary traces the return from exile, explaining Cyrus's decree, the organized migration, and the rebuilding of the temple while contrasting the second exodus with the earlier deliverance. It examines Ezra as scribe and reformer, his concern with foreign marriages and legal observance, and Nehemiah as pragmatic leader, prayerful organizer, and builder of the city walls who pursues social and religious reform. The work interweaves reflection on prophecy, covenant, law, and the shaping of a post‑exilic religious identity, and concludes with a study of the court narrative in Esther, narrating court dynamics, a conspiratorial threat, and the community's preservation through intervention.

[178] Neh. iii. 11.

[179] 2 Chron. xxvi. 9; Jer. xxxi. 38.

[180] 2 Kings xiv. 13.

[181] Neh. ii. 10.

[182] Neh. ii. 10.

[183] Ezra iv. 13.

[184] Neh. ii. 20.

[185] Neh. iv. 1.

[186] Neh. iv. 3.

[187] Conder, "Bible Geography," p. 131

[188] Neh. iv. 4.

[189] Neh. iv. 8, 11.

[190] Neh. iv. 9.

[191] Neh. v. 13.

[192] Exod. xxii. 25.

[193] Neh. v. 11.

[194] Deut. xv. 1-6.

[195] E.g., Isa. v. 8.

[196] Exod. xxi. 7.

[197] Neh. v. 7, 10, where instead of "usury" (A.V.) we should read "pledge."

[198] Deut. xv. 3-6.

[199] Deut. xv. 7, 8.

[200] Luke vi. 34.

[201] Gal. vi. 2.

[202] James i. 5.

[203] At Ono. This place has not yet been found. It cannot well be Beit Unia, north-west of Jerusalem, near Beitin (Bethel). Its association with Lod (Lydda) in 1 Chron. viii. 12 and Neh. xi. 35, points to the neighbourhood of the latter place.

[204] Neh. ii. 19.

[205] Neh. vi. 10.

[206] 1 John iv. 1.

[207] Neh. vi. 11.

[208] Rom. xiv. 14.

[209] Neh. vi. 16.

[210] Neh. vii. 1-3.

[211] Neh. vii. 4.

[212] Neh. vii. 5-73 = Ezra ii.

[213] 1 Esdras ix. 37-55.

[214] Neh. viii. 9.

[215] Neh. x. 1.

[216] Ezra iv. 7-23.

[217] Ezra vii. 25, 26.

[218] Neh. vi. 15.

[219] Neh. viii. 2.

[220] Lev. xxiii. 24.

[221] In Neh. viii. 4 six names are given for the right-hand contingent and seven for the left-hand. But since in the corresponding account of 1 Esdras fourteen names occur, one name would seem to have dropped out of Nehemiah. The prominence given to the Levites in all these scenes and the absence of reference to the priests should be noted. The Levites were still important personages, although degraded from the priesthood. The priests were chiefly confined to ritual functions; later they entered on the duties of civil government. The Levites were occupied with teaching the people, with whom they came into closer contact. Their work corresponded more to that of the pastoral office. In these times, too, most of the scribes seem to have been Levites.

[222] Not translating it into the Aramaic dialect. That would have been a superfluous task, for the Jews certainly knew Hebrew at this time. Ezra and Nehemiah and the prophets down to Malachi wrote in Hebrew.

[223] Neh. x. 30.

[224] Exod. xxxiv. 16.

[225] Neh. x. 31.

[226] Lev. xxv. 2-7.

[227] Neh. x. 35-39.

[228] Lev. xxvii. 30; Num. xv. 20 ff., xviii. 11-32.

[229] Strictly speaking, the Hexateuch, as "Joshua" was undoubtedly included in the volume. But the familiar term Pentateuch may serve here, as it is to the legal requirements contained in the earlier books that reference is made.

[230] Neh. viii. 9.

[231] Neh. viii. 14, 15

[232] Neh. viii. 12.

[233] LXX. Ezra ix. 6-15.

[234] Neh. ix. 8.

[235] Neh. ix. 31.

[236] Neh. ix. 32.

[237] Herodotus, vii. 89.

[238] Neh. xiii. 13.

[239] Neh. xii. 1-7.

[240] E.g., Ezra viii. 33; where the high-priest is passed over in silence.

[241] Neh. x. 29.

[242] Ibid.

[243] 2 Macc. i. 19-22.

[244] Lev. vi. 13.

[245] Mal. iii. 8-12.

[246] Pages 271-273.

[247] קִדּש, Piel of קדשׁ

[248] חָנַךְ

[249] Deut. xx. 5-7.

[250] Neh, iii. 1.

[251] Ezra vi. 16.

[252] Still in the earlier scene, the dedication of the temple, the sacred use of the building makes the act of initiation to be equivalent to consecration. There the connection gives the special association.

[253] Neh. xii. 43.

[254] Neh. xiii. 4.

[255] Neh. xiii. 6.

[256] Neh. x. 31.

[257] Neh. xiii. 14.

[258] Neh. xiii. 22.

[259] Neh. xiii. 31.

[260] Esther iv. 14.

[261] Ibid.

[262] Psalm cxxxvii. 9.

[263] On the supposition that the writer is not here recording historical facts in the life of Amestris, the real queen of Xerxes, who we know was not murdered.

[264] Esther v. 13.

[265] Esther iii. 15.

[266] Esther ii. 5, 6.

[267] Page 358.

[268] John v. 1.

Transcriber's note:

Variations in spelling have been preserved except in obvious cases of typographical error. Hyphenation is inconsistent.

Page 371: "As in the case of Judas, there is thought to be no call...." Missing word "is" has been inserted.