Ezra-Nehemiah - Hardcover

by Gary Edward Schnittjer (Author), David G. Firth (Editor), Lissa Wray Beal (Editor)

Explore the contemporary significance of the Old Testament and hear the Word of God afresh

This volume offers insightful commentary on Ezra-Nehemiah and explores its significance for today's readers.

Respected Old Testament scholar Gary Edward Schnittjer explains that although the Ezra-Nehemiah narrative begins well, it ends in disappointment for the returning exiles. From the first verse to the last, this commentary takes seriously the faithfulness of Yahweh as it crashes into the unfaithfulness of God's people.

In addition to paragraph-level commentary, all volumes in the Baker Commentary on the Old Testament (BCOT) series feature

● a fresh translation of the Hebrew text;
● incisive comments based on the author's translation;
● linguistic, historical, and canonical insights;
● concluding reflections; and
● footnotes addressing technical matters.

Schnittjer pays special attention to the biblical connections and narrative coherence of Ezra-Nehemiah, opening it up for study, teaching, and preaching.

Ezra-Nehemiah is the second volume on the historical books in the BCOT series, following Joshua by John Goldingay. Series editors are David G. Firth (Trinity College, Bristol) and Lissa M. Wray Beal (Wycliffe College, University of Toronto).

Back Jacket

"If you want to understand Ezra-Nehemiah, start with this valuable commentary."

This volume offers insightful commentary on Ezra-Nehemiah and explores its significance for today's readers.

"Many studies on Ezra-Nehemiah falter on key theological and literary features, including the identity of God's people, the basis for including or excluding 'the other, ' and especially the nature of the book's ending in terms of the success or failure of Nehemiah's reforms. Thankfully, Schnittjer's careful exegesis, grounded in Scripture's interconnectivity, opens the way to understanding the sure message and significance of Ezra-Nehemiah within the context of redemptive history. Let this commentary be your first resource on Ezra-Nehemiah!"
--L. Michael Morales, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary

"If you want to understand Ezra-Nehemiah, start with Schnittjer's valuable commentary. He offers rich insights into what might appear to be boring lists, provides crucial background about the Persian Empire, and makes sense of hair-pulling incidents and other troubling texts. His clear, convincing presentation of this material is illuminated by many helpful tables, figures, and maps. While the biblical book of Ezra-Nehemiah ends badly, Schnittjer guides readers to see that the unifying theme of the book is the faithfulness of Yahweh."
--David T. Lamb, author of God Behaving Badly and a commentary on 1-2 Kings; Kairos University

"Schnittjer's commentary is the most textually attuned study of Ezra-Nehemiah that I've read. It attends thoughtfully to a period of Judah's story when God's work was not through signs and wonders but through archival documents, lists, letters, and decrees. The volume features rich commentary and in-depth reflections on some of the ethically challenging aspects of Ezra-Nehemiah that take seriously the concerns of modern readers but also let the text speak. I can't recommend this commentary enough!"
--Matt Lynch, Regent College

Author Biography

Gary Edward Schnittjer (PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary) is distinguished professor of Old Testament for Cairn Theological Seminary at Cairn University in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. He is an award-winning author who has written many books, including Torah Story, The Israel Story, The Verses We Hate, and Old Testament Use of Old Testament.