A Study Commentary on Ezra-Nehemiah

Gregory Goswell

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© Gregory Goswell 2013. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

First published 2013

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data available

ISBN: 978-0-85234-986-1

The author’s own translation of Ezra-Nehemiah has been used in this commentary. Other Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

For Mignon

Contents

List of abbreviations

Preface

Introductory matters

Part 1: Ezra

1 The return to build the temple (Ezra 1–3)

2 The building of the temple (Ezra 4–6)

3 The return of Ezra (Ezra 7–8)

4 The problem of mixed marriages (Ezra 9–10)

Part 2: Nehemiah

5 Nehemiah returns (Nehemiah 1:1–2:8)

6 Rebuilding Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:9–6:19)

7 Covenant renewal (Nehemiah 7:1–13:3)

8 Nehemiah’s return (Nehemiah 13:4–31)

List of abbreviations

AB Anchor Bible

AUSS Andrews University Seminary Studies

AV Authorized (King James) Version

BASOR Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research

BDB Brown, Driver and Briggs (eds.), A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1977 reprint)

BHS A. Alt, O. Eissfeldt and P. Kahle (eds.), Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1967/77).

CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly

CHALOT William L. Holladay, A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1988)

Davidson J. C. L. Gibson, Davidson’s Introductory Hebrew Grammar—Syntax, fourth edition (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1994)

DCH D. J. A. Clines (ed.), The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1993–)

ed. Editor

eds. Editors

Eng. English

GKC Gesenius. Kautsch, Cowley (eds.) Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar, second edition (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1910)

GNB Good News Bible

GNT4 Kurt Aland et al (eds.), The Greek New Testament, fourth edition (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft/United Bible Societies, 1983)

Heb. Hebrew

HUCA Hebrew Union College Annual

JB Jerusalem Bible

JBL Journal of Biblical Literature

JETS Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society

JJS Journal of Jewish Studies

JSOT Journal for the Study of the Old Testament

JSOTSup Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, Supplement Series

JSS Journal of Semitic Studies

JTS Journal of Theological Studies

KB L. Koehler and W. Baumgartner, Lexicon in Veteris Testamenti ...