The Book of Nehemiah

Building the Community

The Book deals with more than one subject, but it has only one protagonist: Nehemiah, a zealous layman with a high rank in the Persian court.

The Chronicler introduces genealogies that come down even to later times, but the main part of the Book is taken from the memoirs of Nehemiah himself, who twice came from Susa to Jerusalem under Artaxerxes I: a first time in 445 B.C., when he remained for twelve years, and a second time shortly after.

The specific undertaking of this layman was to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (chs. 1–6) and to repopulate the abandoned city. In the course of the work, we see the beginnings of more fraternal relationships (ch. 5) and the community assembling to celebrate a solemn liturgy at which they learn the law and pledge themselves to observe it (chs. 8; 10).

The Book of Nehemiah may be divided as follows:

I: The Deeds of Nehemiah (1:1—7:73)

II: Promulgation of the Law (8:1—13:31)