Welcome back to Bible Gateway’s weekly Look at the Book series of short blog posts and infographics introducing you to the books of the Bible. Here we continue the work of Ezra with his second book, Nehemiah.
Scroll to the bottom if you’d prefer to see (and save) this article as an infographic. You’ll also find a handy 30-day reading guide. Or, for a challenge, you can do it in one week using the 7-day reading guide below.
Summary
Describes the events after the first waves of Israelites returned to the land. It shows how God used Nehemiah — cupbearer for the Persian king Artaxerxes I — to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and protect it from enemies.
- Category: History
- Theme: Reconstruction
- Timeline: 445-432 BC
- Written: Around 440 BC, most likely by Ezra
Key Verse
“The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.” — Nehemiah 2:20 (NIV)
Home at Last
Nehemiah recounts the third wave of returning exiles.
- Zerubbabel leads the first wave around 520 BC
- Ezra leads the second wave around 458 BC
- Nehemiah leads the third wave around 445 BC
God used Nehemiah’s prayers, plans, and passion to accomplish great things. Nehemiah not only led the people to reconstruct Jerusalem’s walls but also helped restore Jewish tradition and faithfulness to God in the community.
7 Day Reading Guide
(See 30-day guide below.)
- Day 1: Nehemiah 1-2
- Day 2: Nehemiah 3-4
- Day 3: Nehemiah 5-6
- Day 4: Nehemiah 7
- Day 5: Nehemiah 8-9
- Day 6: Nehemiah 10-11
- Day 7: Nehemiah 12-13
One Book
There is internal and external evidence that Ezra and Nehemiah were originally one book.
Access the rest of the series. Browse Bible studies for each book of the Bible. Or right-click on the infographic below to download and save the image for your reference.
Chris Fann is the Senior Digital Marketing Manager for Harper Christian Resources. He loves the smell ofa baseball glove, coffee, and old books. He lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan with his wife, 2 teenage boys, and their dog, Freya.
