Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther (Daily Study Bible Series | DSB)

by J. Gordon McConville

Publisher:

Westminster John Knox

, 1985

Overview

The Daily Study Bible Series: Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther The complete Daily Study Bible—Old Testament follows the brilliant pattern of William Barclay's popular Daily Study Bible—New Testament. Written by accomplished interpreters of the OT, these volumes combine the depth of scholarship, the critical style, and the grace that characterized Barclay's writing.

Contents

Top Highlights

“The events that occur under Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah are not God’s last word. The ‘restoration’ is nothing in itself, but—in terms of a wider biblical theology—merely a necessary setting of the stage for a far greater act of God in which his search for human obedience within the covenant is finally gratified in the life of Jesus of Nazareth—at once himself God and, in his humanity, representative ‘Israel’.” (Page 5)

“As cupbearer he occupied a position of immense influence within the Empire because of his closeness to the king, a closeness which could actually make the cupbearer second only to the king himself.” (Page 74)

“As God had ‘stirred’ Cyrus, so also he stirs the returnees ‘to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord’ (v. 5). God’s ‘stirring’ does not diminish the required obedience; rather it draws attention to it, and shows that it proceeds ultimately from his own prompting. Obedience, nevertheless, it is. And when, in verse 4, reference is made to those who opt to remain in Babylon, a value judgment is implied by the author. A similar idea is contained in verse 11, where the technical term Gola—frequent in Ezra—refers not to the exiles in general but expressly to those who heard God’s call and returned.” (Pages 9–10)

“Rather they correspond to issues which faced the community at the time. And they often show signs of modification and conscious reapplication of the laws in question.” (Page 132)

“The job is not quite done, however. The walls may be up, but the city has as yet an inadequate population” (Page 110)

Product Details

• Title: Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther
• Author: J. Gordon McConville
• Series: Daily Study Bible Series
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Print Publication Date: 1985
• Logos Release Date: 2001
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Bible. O.T. Esther › Commentaries; Bible. O.T. Ezra › Commentaries; Bible. O.T. Nehemiah › Commentaries
• Resource ID: LLS:29.20.3
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-02-12T07:38:42Z

About J. Gordon McConville

J. Gordon McConville (PhD, Queen’s University, Belfast) is professor of Old Testament theology at the University of Gloucestershire, where he has taught for more than twenty years. Prior to coming to Gloucestershire, he held positions at Tyndale House, Trinity College Bristol, and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University. He has authored or edited many books, including the Dictionary of the Old Testament: Prophets and commentaries on Deuteronomy, Joshua, 1 and 2 Chronicles, and Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. McConville is the general editor of the Exploring the Old Testament series and coauthored the Prophets and Historical Books volumes in the series.