NICOT: The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah

Providing clear exposition based on solid contemporary scholarship, this commentary by F. Charles Fensham examines the books of Ezra and Nehemiah - two books of Scripture that are especially important for understanding the last
century of Old Testament Jewish history and for marking the beginnings of
Judaism. A biblical scholar well known for his expertise in ancient Near
Eastern studies, especially Ugaritic, Fensham places Ezra and Nehemiah against
the ancient Near Eastern environment. In his introduction Fensham discusses the
original unity of the books as well as the problems of authorship. He then
treats the historical and religious background of the books, taking special
note of the development of a Jewish religious society in postexilic times. Text
and language are examined next, followed by a thorough bibliography. The
commentary proper, based on FenshamÉs own fresh translation of the biblical
texts, is richly documented and displays cautious good judgment, willingness to
consider different options, a sensible approach, and keen insight into the
religious meaning of these key Hebrew texts.
'In the Old Testament we
read GodÉs word as it was spoken to his people Israel. Today, thousands of
years later, we hear in these thirty-nine books his inspired and authoritative
message for us.' These twin convictions, shared by all of the contributors to
The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, define the goal
of this ambitious series of commentaries. For those many modern readers who
find the Old Testament to be strange and foreign soil, the NICOT series serves
as an authoritative guide bridging the cultural gap between todayÉs world and
the world of ancient Israel. Each NICOT volume aims to help us hear GodÉs word
as clearly as possible.
'This book is traditional in its approach to
these two books. [...] Fensham further argues that the Chronicler was
responsible for both Ezra and Nehemiah. The emphasis of this volume is on
history and culture, but other aspects, like philology and theology, are
treated as well.' - Tremper Longman
Series: New International
Commentary on the Old Testament.
Recommended € 37,90