WHO WROTE:  The author of this Book was no doubt Nehemiah himself, because there are portions of the Book written in the first person (Neh. 1:1-7; 12:27-47, and 12:13); with the exceptions being Nehemiah 12:11 & 22 & 23.  However, there are also portions of the Book in which Nehemiah is spoken of in the third person (Nehemiah, Chapters 8 & 9 & 10).  It is supposed that Ezra may have written these portions.  By contrast, the prominence of Ezra is probably the cause why Nehemiah uses the third person of himself, instead of the first which he uses elsewhere.  However, the Greek’s and Latin’s name this Book, “The Second Book of Ezra.”

 

 

WHAT TIME PERIOD IS COVERED:  The main history contained in the Book of Nehemiah covers about twelve years, namely, from the twentieth to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes Langimanus.  Nehemiah’s description of Artaxerxes’ character as amiable (Neh. 2:1-8), and accords with Plutarch who records him as being, “the first of the Persian monarchs for mildness and magnanimity,” “Vit. Artax.,” namely, Longimanus.

 

 

WHEN WRITTEN:  B.C. 480?

 

 

INTRODUCTION:  Another name for Nehemiah was “Tirshatha” (see my Neh. 7:65 & 70 Note).  Nehemiahmeans, “Consolation Of The Lord,” or literally, “Comforted Of Yah [God].”

 

Although the opening words, “Dibhree Nehemiah”, could mean, “the affairs of Nehemiah,” yet the fact that the first person is used in Nehemiah 1-7:5, and mostly Nehemiah 11:1-12:47, and Nehemiah Chapter 13, would render it more likely that the heading is, “The words of Nehemiah.”

 

The style of the Book of Nehemiah resembles that of the Books of Chronicles and Ezra, proving that it is of the age it purports to be; with the Hebrew word, “metsiltaim,” meaning, “cymbals,” occurring in all three Books and nowhere else.

 

By contrast, peculiar to Nehemiah are certain words and their meanings:  “sabar,” meaning, “to view,” Nehemaih 2:13 & 15; “meah,” meaning, “the hundredth part,” Nehemiah 5:11; “guwph (hiphil),” meaning, “shut,” Nehemiah 7:3; “moal,” meaning, “lifting up,” Nehemiah 8:6; “miqerah,” meaning, “read,” Nehemiah 8:8; “huyedot,” meaning, “psalms of thanksgiving,” Nehemiah 12:8; “tahalukaah,” meaning, “procession,” Nehemiah 12:31; “otsrah,” meaning, “treasurers,” Nehemiah 13:13.

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