Book of Nehemiah•WBT

Outline

1. Nehemiah Returns to Jerusalem to Rebuild Its Walls (1:1-2:20)
   1. Nehemiah learns of Jerusalem’s dilapidation (1:1-11)
   2. Nehemiah gains permission to return and inspects Jerusalem’s walls (2:1-16)
   3. First signs of opposition (2:17-20)
2. The Wall Is Built, Despite Difficulties (3:1-7:4)
   1. The people work systematically on the walls (3:1-32)
   2. Opposition intensifies, but the people continue watchfully (4:1-23)
   3. Nehemiah deals with injustices in the community; Nehemiah’s personal contribution to the project (5:1-19)
   4. A conspiracy against Nehemiah, but the wall is finished (6:1-7:4)
3. A Record of Those Who Returned from Exile (7:5-73)
4. The Reading of the Law, and Covenant Renewal (8:1-10:39)
   1. The law is read (8:1-8)
   2. The people are to be joyful (8:9-12)
   3. The people keep the Feast of Booths (8:13-18)
   4. A prayer of confession, penitence, and covenant commitment (9:1-38)
   5. Signatories and specific commitments (10:1-39)
5. The Population of Jerusalem and the Villages; Priests and Levites (11:1-12:43)
   1. Those who lived in Jerusalem and the villages of Judah (11:1-36)
   2. High priests and leading Levites since the time of Zerubbabel (12:1-26)
   3. Dedication of the walls (12:27-43)
6. Nehemiah Deals with Problems in the Community (12:44-13:31)
   1. The administration of offerings for the temple (12:44-47)
   2. Ejection of Tobiah the Ammonite from the temple (13:1-9)
   3. Dealing with neglect of the offerings (13:10-14)
   4. Dealing with Sabbath breaking (13:15-22)
   5. The problem of intermarriage again (13:23-29)
   6. Summary of Nehemiah’s temple reforms (13:30-31)