A Study Index of Nehemiah
Chapter 1
— prayer of Nehemiah, the cup-bearer to the Persian king
— the remnant who are in Judea are in great affliction and reproach
— the wall of Jerusalem was broken down
— and the gates thereof are burnt with fire
— Remember, the word that Thou commanded Thy servant Moses
— saying, ‘If ye transgress, I will scatter you among the nations’
~ Chapter 2
— Nehemiah, seeking leave from the Persian court
— the king said unto him, “For what dost thou make request?”
— “If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors
— that they may convey me over until I come into Judah
— when Sanballat and Tobiah heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly
— that a man had come to seek the welfare of the children of Israel
— and they despised and laughed at Nehemiah to scorn, and said,
— “What is this thing that ye do? Will ye rebel against the king?”
A Study of Chapters 1 and 2 HERE ~ —— ~
Chapter 3
— Eliashib the Jewish high priest, works against Ezra and Nehemiah
— the Jewish community built various section of the walls and gates
— but their nobles “put not their necks to the work of their Lord”
— the constant mention and identity of priests, Levites and Nethinim
— indicates concern with the sacerdotal quarter and Temple service
— Nethinim are Temple assistants in ancient Jerusalem
— sheep gate, dung gate, fish gate, water gate, horse gate, east gate
~ Chapter 4
— Sanballat was wroth and felt great indignation toward the Jews
— “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves?
— Will they make sacrifice? Will they finish the sacrifice in a day?
— Will they revive the stones out of the rubbish which are burned?”
— and Tobiah added, “Indeed that which they build, if a fox go up
— even that fox could break down their stone wall”
— and Nehemiah prayed: “Hear, O our God, for we are despised
A Study of Chapters 3 and 4 HERE ~ —— ~
Chapter 5
— Nehemiah was very angry; hearing the people’s cry
— “We, our sons and our daughters are many
— therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat and live”
— “We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses
— that we might buy corn because of the dearth”
— and Nehemiah rebuked the nobles and the rulers
— and said unto them, “Ye exact usury, every one from his brother”
— “Restore, I pray you, to them even this day what is theirs”
~ Chapter 6
— Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem and the rest of their enemies, saying
— “Come, let us meet in one of the villages in the plain of Ono”
— and Shemaiah persisted, “Let us meet together in the house of God
— within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple”
— “My God, think Thou Tobiah and Sanballat according to their works
— prophetess Noadiah and other prophets who have put me in fear”
A Study of Chapters 5 and 6 HERE ~ —— ~
Chapter 7
— the wall was built and Nehemiah set up the doors
— and the gatekeepers, singers and Levites were appointed
— a register of genealogy of those nobles and rulers who came first
— the children of Tobiah; is this a case of the record being forged?
— some sought their genealogy among the priests
— but couldn’t be found; they couldn’t prove their ancestors as priests
— So the priests and the Levites, the gatekeepers and the singers
— and the Nethinim and all Israel, dwelt in their cities
~ Chapter 8
— the people gathered around the street before the Water Gate
— and Ezra brought out the Book of the Law of Moses to be read
— on a pulpit, Ezra read from morning until midday
— he blessed the Lord their God; and all the people responded, “Amen”
— and Ezra explained the Law of Moses before the congregation
— and the Levites caused the people to understand the Law in Aramaic
— this process of understanding of the Law gave rise to the Targum
— at first the Targum was remembered orally; later, it was written down
A Study of Chapters 7 and 8 HERE ~ —— ~
Chapter 9
— the re-establishment of the Feast of Tabernacles
— confessed their sins and iniquities of themselves and their fathers
— stood and read the Book of the Law for one fourth part of the day
— and another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God
— protection by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night
— revealed to them the holy Sabbath, its precepts, statutes and laws
— but they rebelled against Thee, cast Thy law down and do evil
— so God delivered them into their enemies; who vexed them
~ Chapter 10
— a register of genealogy in Judea and Jerusalem who were sealed
— and the rest of the people; perhaps those not sealed
— understood not signing by the laity, including priests and Levites
— sealed that we wouldn’t give their daughters unto the heathens
— nor take their daughters for our sons
— that they would not buy wares on the Sabbaths nor any Holy Festival
— continual burnt offering of the Sabbaths, new moons and the Feasts
— tithes and offerings of firstfruits, all manner of trees, wine and oil
A Study of Chapters 9 and 10 HERE ~ —— ~
Chapter 11
— surrounded by enemies, Jerusalem avoided by the returning Jews
— casting of lots to bring one in ten to dwell in the holy city
— the priests, Levites, Nethinim and the children of Solomon’s servants
— and the people blessed all the men that willingly offered themselves
— it was the king’s command that portion should be for the singers
~ Chapter 12
— a registry of priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel
— the name Ezra included, perhaps then he was at a very young age
— Seraiah; the high-priestly family name
— Eliashib included; he was of the priestly Seraiah line; betrayed Ezra
— name Shemaiah included; he was deemed a false prophet
~ Chapter 13
— they read in the Book of Moses; in the audience of the people
— Ammonite and Moabite shouldn’t come into the congregation of God
— but Eliashib, the high priest, was allied with Tobiah, an Ammonite
— Eliashib had prepared for Tobiah a great chamber in the house of God
— some sought their names among those reckoned as priests and Levites
— but their name were not found, deleted: forged from the priesthood
— Nehemiah asked: “What evil is this that ye profane the Sabbath day?
— Nehemiah purified the priests and Levites from anything forbidden
A Study of Chapters 11, 12 and 13 HERE ~ —— ~
Joel
A Prophecy of Esau and Jacob 