Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther

by McConville, J. G.

• ISBN13: 9780664245832
• ISBN10: 0664245838
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1985-06-01
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Pr

Summary

Set in the Persian Empire, one of the greatest kingdoms the world has ever known, the stories contained in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah provide the most comprehensive scriptural account of the restored Judean community after the Babylonian exile. The book of Esther is also set in the Persian period of Israel's history, although the concern is for a different community.Carrying forward brilliantly the pattern established by Barclay's New Testament series, the Daily Study Bible has been extended to cover the entire Old Testament as well. Invaluable for individual devotional study, for group discussion, and for classroom use, the Daily Study Bible provides a useful, reliable, and eminently readable way to discover what the Scriptures were saying then and what God is saying today.

Table of Contents

Chronological Table	xi
Jerusalem in Nehemiah's day	xii
Introduction to Ezra and Nehemiah	1	(5)
EZRA
Return (1:1-11)	6	(2)
Return! (1:1-11) (cont'd)	8	(3)
Who's Who---I (2:1--70)	11	(4)
Who's Who---II (2:1-70) (cont'd)	15	(3)
Mixed Feelings---I (3:1-13)	18	(3)
Mixed Feelings---II (3:1-13) (cont'd)	21	(2)
Flaming Darts (4:1-24)	23	(4)
How to Get Things Done? (4:1-24) (cont'd)	27	(3)
Sharper than a Two-edged Sword (5:1-17)	30	(4)
An Emblem of Grace---and Response to the Word (5:1-17) (cont'd)	34	(3)
By Decrees (6:1-12)	37	(3)
It is Finished (6:13-22)	40	(4)
Enter Ezra (7:1-10)	44	(4)
Ezra's Mission (7:11-26)	48	(3)
Ezra and Co. (7:27-8:20)	51	(4)
``Journeying Mercies'' (8:21-36)	55	(4)
A Fly in the Ointment (9:1-4)	59	(3)
If We Say We Have No Sin...(9:5-15)	62	(4)
A Desperate Remedy---I (10:1-44)	66	(3)
A Desperate Remedy---II (10:1-44) (cont'd)	69	(4)
NEHEMIAH
Trouble and Shame (1:1-11)	73	(2)
Give Success (1:1-11) (cont'd)	75	(2)
Wise as Serpents (2:1-8)	77	(4)
The Fight (2:9-20)	81	(4)
Building Together (3:1-32)	85	(4)
The Pressure On (4:1-23)	89	(3)
Dry Powder (4:1-23) (cont'd)	92	(3)
Strife Within (5:1-13)	95	(4)
True Love (5:14-19)	99	(3)
Death Throes? (6:1-19)	102	(4)
Triumph (6:1-19) (cont'd)	106	(3)
Priorities (7:1-73a)	109	(4)
The Need to Know (7:73b-8:8)	113	(5)
A Time to Dance (8:9-18)	118	(3)
A Time to Mourn (9:1-38)	121	(3)
The Surer Mercies (9:1-38) (cont'd)	124	(4)
An Oath---I (10:1-39)	128	(3)
An Oath---II (10:1-39) (cont'd)	131	(3)
Settlement (11:1-36)	134	(3)
Dedication (12:1-13:3)	137	(4)
The Joy of Jerusalem (12:1-13:3) (cont'd)	141	(3)
Epilogue---I (13:4-31)	144	(4)
Epilogue---II (13:4-31) (cont'd)	148	(4)
ESTHER
Introduction	152	(2)
King's Opening (1:1-11)	154	(2)
Queen's Defence (1:12-22)	156	(3)
A Funny Thing Happened (2:1-23)	159	(5)
Dilemma---I: Mordecai (3:1-15)	164	(2)
Dilemma---I: A Final Solution? (3:1-15) (cont'd)	166	(3)
Dilemma---II: Esther...(4:1-17)	169	(2)
Dilemma---II:...and God (4:1-17) (cont'd)	171	(3)
Half My Kingdom (5:1-14)	174	(4)
Decline...(6:1-14)	178	(3)
...and Fall (7:1-10)	181	(4)
Turnabout (8:1-17)	185	(5)
Purim (9:1-28)	190	(5)
Finale (9:29-10:3)	195	(3)
Further Reading	198