NICOT Books of Ezra & Nehemiah, The

OUT OF PRINT. Fensham’s commentary has been reprinted in the Eerdmans Classic Biblical Commentaries series, and is available to order here.

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. 

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 strengths of this volume are clear. Fensham uses his expertise in Semitic languages to address the many linguistic difficulties which appear in these two biblical books. In addition, his use of ancient Near Eastern history and archaeology is helpful. These elements, plus generous documentation, make this a substantial commentary.”
– Biblical Theology Bulletin