Study the Books of Ezra & Nehemiah in the Bible

The books of Ezra & Nehemiah in the Bible can be hard to follow, but here I break it down to relate it to the rest of the Old Testament.

THE BOOKS OF EZRA & NEHEMIAH: THE JEWS RETURN FROM EXILE

The Israelites (also referred to as the Hebrews or Jews) have been through a lot. After their rescue from Egypt, entering the Promised Land, receiving their own King, and going into civil war, neighboring countries attack and overthrow them.

The northern kingdom of Israel was exiled by the Assyrian nation and then the southern kingdom of Judah was exiled by Babylonians. Later, Babylon takes over Assyria and eventually everyone is overthrown by the Persian Empire.

Fortunately, when the Persians enter the picture, it is good news for the Jews, as the Persian King Cyrus allows the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple (which the Babylonians destroyed) in Jerusalem.

It’s been 70 years of exile and a new generation has risen up. Many people are accustomed to their new life and don’t want to leave, but for those who do, they are now allowed. There are three waves (or return trips) in which they go back to their homeland.

1st group led by Zerubbabel in 538 BC
2nd group led by Ezra in 457 BC
3rd group led by Nehemiah in 444 BC

The mission of these three groups upon return is:

Rebuilding the Temple
Restoring worship and repentance
Rebuilding walls to fortify the city of Jerusalem

A KINGDOM WITHOUT A KING

While the Israelites never again receive a king of their own, they are given their land back and freedom to worship their God. However, they are met with opposition all throughout their efforts, but with the help of these three men (Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah), they get the temple, worship and wall restored.

During this time, they are still ruled by the Persian empire, and you can read more details of these times and stories in the books of Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, and Esther.

THE BOOKS OF EZRA & NEHEMIAH PRINTABLES

Open up your Bible, read through Ezra & Nehemiah and print out these visual notes to guide you as you read. You can order these in my shop:

SHOP EZRA & NEHEMIAH PRINTABLES

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So a few years ago, I made this Old and New Testament Summary Printable, and now I’m working my way through each book of the Bible! To get the rest of the printables, check out my Timeline Bundles for the best deal: