When was Nehemiah written?

It is however questionable whether it has always been one single book. Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7 contain a nearly identical list of the returning Jewish genealogies, which would be a repetition difficult to understand if contained in a single work. But if the two books were individual books to start with the reason for the importance of the genealogies after the exile in each book would be a very good explanation. Later the books were differentiated and separated again as we know it in modern Bible editions.

The first verse of Nehemiah reads: "The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah". The author writes mostly in the first person "I" throughout the book (Neh. 1:1-7:5; 12:31-13:31). The chapters 7 and 10-12 contain lists of names on which the author Nehemiah could rely.

According to his own statement Nehemiah travelled twice from Shushan to Jerusalem. The first journey took place in the 20th year of Artaxerxes I., king of Persia, and lasted until the king's 32nd year (Neh. 2:1; 5:14; 13:6). After this Nehemiah undertook a second journey to Jerusalem (Neh. 13:6-7). King Artaxerxes reigned from 464 to 424 BC. So Nehemiah's first stay lasted from 445 to 433 BC and the second stay probably followed soon after. The book of Nehemiah can therefore have been composed up to around 400 BC.

These books constitute but one book in the Hebrew; called by the Jews "words or acts of the days," i.e. journals or diaries, rendered chronicon by Jerome and with us chronicles from the Latin Vulgate. The title by the Septuagint Paraleipomenon, "things omitted," is a most objectionable one. The special design of these books is manifestly of God and as worthy of its Divine Author as any other portion of Holy Writ. The close of the Babylon captivity is indicated more than once, and moreover is regarded as a past historical fact (1 Chron. 6: l5). The closing verses (2 Chron. 36:22-23) constitute the opening words of the book of Ezra, in which the history contained in the Chronicles is continued. Ezra therefore may safely be regarded as the writer and compiler of the Chronicles, and the time at or during the restoration to Palestine. In the Hebrew canon these books stand last in order. The books of Chronicles cover the same ground and time as the books of Kings, while having a special character of their own. The first nine chapters contain divine genealogical records from Adam, and which enabled the returned remnants from the Captivity to verify their various Jewish claims.

Ezra (help) covers a period of about eighty years, and records the doings, the work and the worship of the Judah remnants who returned to Jerusalem from the Chaldean exile. The distinguished ecclesiastical historian and ready scribe whose name is attached to this book has ever been highly venerated amongst the Jews, and is generally regarded as the inspired editor and compiler of the Old Testament. When, where, and by whom this book was written are questions easily answered — after the return from the Babylon captivity, in Palestine, and by Ezra. The change from the first to the third person, as in chaps. 7, 10, in nowise affects the authorship; John the Apostle habitually does so in his Gospel. Similar instances might be adduced from Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, and elsewhere. Yet Professor Smith (in his Lectures on the Old Testament in the Jewish Church, page 321) says, "One asks for proof that any Hebrew ever wrote of himself in the third person." Is human learning to be trusted in the things of God? What is man in presence of these Divine and imperishable records? The books of Ezra and Nehemiah anciently formed but one work; they are still spoken of by Roman Catholic writers as the 1st and 2nd books of Esdras. There are two portions of this book written in the Syriac or Aramean language — that spoken in Babylon and Assyria — viz., Ezra 4:8 to 6:18; and Ezra 7:12-26.

Nehemiah (whom the Lord comforts). The administration of Nehemiah, "the Tirshatha" (Persian title, meaning governor) over Judea lasted about thirty-six years. The rebuilding of the city and generally the civil condition of the returned Jewish remnants are the main subjects of this the last historical book of the Old Testament, written about 420 B.C. The Temple and the ecclesiastical state of things are characteristic of Ezra. The one book is thus the counterpart of the other. Work and worship are marked features of Ezra, while work and conflict are as distinctly characteristic of Nehemiah.

The commission granted to Nehemiah anent the rebuilding of the city and reconstruction of the civil polity according to Moses, recorded in Nehemiah 2, marks the commencement of the seventy weeks or 490 years of Daniel's celebrated prophecy (Dan. 9:25). The book was written by Nehemiah (Neh. 1:1), after his return from the court of Persia (Neh. 13:6); in Greek and Latin Bibles it is called the "second book of Ezra."

As a matter of interest we might note that this return of Nehemiah marks the commencement of the 70 weeks of Daniel that we read of in Daniel 9:25. Permission for the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem was given by Artaxerxes: the commission to build the temple was given by Cyrus. The book of Nehemiah is historically almost the last book of the Old Testament; only Malachi being written later and that by a only a few years. We have then a description of the state of the Jewish nation only just prior to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, whilst we in our day are living just prior to the second coming of our blessed Lord. There are then surely lessons for ourselves to be learned from a consideration of this book and particularly from the life of the one who is predominant in it.

The book of Nehemiah is the latest of the historical books of the Old Testament. It is the continuation of the history of the company of people which had returned under Zerubbabel and Ezra to the land. In Ezra we saw the remnant getting back and rebuilding the temple, the place of worship. In Nehemiah we have the record of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, and the restoration of the civil condition of the people, the partial and outward reestablishment of the Jews in the land. The book bears the name of Nehemiah, because he is the leading person in the recorded events, and likewise the inspired author of the main portion of this record. Two other persons by the name of Nehemiah are mentioned in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. One was the son of Azbuk (Neh. 3:15) and the other belonged to the returning remnant under Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:2 and Neh. 7:7). From these, Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah must be distinguished. His genealogy is obscure. Besides being the son of Hachaliah, the only other mention of his family is found in chapter 7:2; there he speaks of his brother Hanani. Some class him as a priest for the reason that he heads the list of priests. But his name is given there as the princely leader of the people. As to his office, he carried two titles. He is called "Tirshatha" in chapter 8:9, which means ruler or governor. In chapter 12:26 his title is also governor; the word used is "pechah," the Turkish word "pasha."

There can be no doubt that this man of God wrote chapters 1 to 7:5; it is an autobiography. Chapter 7:6-73 is a quotation of a register of names, which differs in numerous places from the register in Ezra 2:1-70. Both were probably copied from public documents, perhaps from the book of Chronicles mentioned in chapter 7:23. The discrepancies between Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7 show that Nehemiah did not copy from Ezra's record. Chapters 8 to 10, it is claimed by some, were not written by the hand of Nehemiah. It has been suggested that Ezra is the author. The remaining section, chapters 11 to 13, bears the clear mark of Nehemiah's pen.

The historical narrative ends B.C.445, the only recorded intervention of God subsequently being the touching prophecy of Malachi (B.C.397). Then for nearly four centuries there is silence till the veil is lifted with the story of the marvelous intervention of God in the affairs of this world in sending His beloved Son into it, thus fulfilling many a glowing prophecy recorded on Old Testament page.

This chapter begins by recapitulating the names of the priests and Levites who returned to the land with Zorobabel. In verses 10 and 11 we find the enumeration of the high priests, beginning with Jeshua of the book of Ezra. Joiakim, his son, had succeeded him. Eliashib, the son of Joiakim, who had served as a priest during the days of Nehemiah, is the last high priest whom the Old Testament shows exercising his functions. Nehemiah 13 will go on to depict this man in colors that make him an object of disapproval. Joiada succeeds Eliashib, his father, who according to Nehemiah 13:6 and 7, was still priest after the year 443 B.C.; no details are given us about him. Jonathan or Johanan (vv. 11, 23), the son of Joiada and grandson of Eliashib, is called, in verse 23, as also in Ezra 10:6, Jehohanan the son of Eliashib, according to the custom of the Jews which occurs so frequently. He lived without exercising the office of priesthood, when Ezra came to Jerusalem. Jaddua is the last priest named in the Old Testament. He exercised his functions under the reign of Darius, the Persian (336-330 B.C.), and, if we depend upon history, he was still high priest at the time of Alexander the Great's invasion of Palestine. As is frequently the case in the historical and prophetical books, this passage, inspired like all others, was added later to the book of Nehemiah, in order to complete the information given by the sacred writer.

This is the important register of the high priests, the descendants of Jeshua, or Joshua. From now on in the history of the Jewish people chronological reckonings were no longer made by means of the reign of kings, but by the successions of the high priests. Jaddua is unquestionably the same who is mentioned by Josephus, the Jewish historian. In his high priestly robes he met Alexander the Great as he besieged Jerusalem, and was the means of saving Jerusalem. Alexander fell on his face when he saw Jaddua, for the great king claimed to have seen this very scene in a dream vision. Inasmuch as Jaddua was not in office till a considerable time after the death of Nehemiah, the name Jaddua must have been added later, under the sanction of the Spirit of God, so that Jaddua's descent might be preserved.

The heads of the priestly houses in the time of Joiakim (the son of Jeshua, verse 10) are here recorded, as well as the heads of the Levitical houses. The sentence, "also the priests, in the reign of Darius the Persian" (Darius Codomannus 336-331), was probably added later, under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Further comment on the recorded names is not needed.

According to ordinary computation Nehemiah came up B.C. 445, returned in twelve years, i.e. 433, and came back "after certain days," see chapter 13:6. Hattush came with Zerubbabel, B.C. 536.

Nehemiah was the cupbearer in the palace of Shushan, serving Artaxerxes the King. When he learned the deplorable condition of the people in the land of his fathers, he sat down, wept and prayed. The king discovered the source of Nehemiah's sorrow, and permitted him to go, giving him full authority to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and to help his people. This was in the year 445 B.C. Nehemiah reached the city the same year, and was for twelve years actively engaged in the welfare work of Jerusalem. The city wall was finished and the work done in spite of the many hindrances and obstacles the enemy put in the way. Sanballat, the Moabite, and Tobiah, the Ammonite, were Nehemiah's chief enemies. With them were allied the Arabians, Ammonites and Ashdodites. They tried to hinder the work by mocking the workmen, then by threatening them with violence. When their attempts failed to arrest the restoration of the wall, then they tried craft. Nehemiah came out victorious. And there were also internal troubles among the people, threatening disruption. Thus as Daniel the prophet had announced, the wall was rebuilt and the work finished in troublous times (Dan. 9:25).