After seventy years of exile, God's people were allowed to go home. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah — originally a single book in the Hebrew Bible — tell the story of how they returned to Jerusalem, rebuilt the temple and the city walls, and, most importantly, renewed their relationship with God.
The setting
In 539 BC Persia conquered Babylon. The next year, King Cyrus issued a decree allowing the Jews to return and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1–4). This fulfilled the prophecies of Jeremiah and Isaiah. Over the next century, three main groups returned:
| Leader | Approx. date | Main task | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zerubbabel (with Jeshua the priest) | 538 BC | Rebuild the temple | Ezra 1–6 |
| Ezra | 458 BC | Teach God's law | Ezra 7–10 |
| Nehemiah | 445 BC | Rebuild Jerusalem's walls | Nehemiah 1–13 |
Ezra 1–6: Rebuilding the temple
The first group of about fifty thousand returned under Zerubbabel, a descendant of King David. They rebuilt the altar and began offering sacrifices. When the foundation of the temple was laid, there was both joy and weeping: younger people shouted for joy, while older people who remembered Solomon's temple wept (Ezra 3:12–13).
Opposition from neighbouring peoples stopped the work for about sixteen years. Then God sent the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to encourage the people, and the building resumed. The second temple was completed in 516 BC and dedicated with great joy (Ezra 6).
Ezra 7–10: Ezra the teacher
Decades later, Ezra — a priest and "a ready scribe in the law of Moses" — led a second group home. His priorities are summed up in one verse:
"For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments." (Ezra 7:10, KJV)
Notice the order: study, then practise, then teach. When Ezra found that many people had married partners from surrounding nations who worshipped other gods, he was grieved and led the people in confession and reform.
Nehemiah: Rebuilding the walls
A burden and a prayer (Nehemiah 1–2)
Nehemiah was cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes — a trusted position. When he heard that Jerusalem's walls were still broken down and its people in distress, he "sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed" (1:4). His prayer is a model of confession and faith.
When the king noticed his sadness, Nehemiah "prayed to the God of heaven" in a moment (2:4) and then boldly asked permission to go and rebuild. The king agreed and gave him letters and timber.
Building with a sword and a trowel (Nehemiah 3–6)
Nehemiah inspected the walls by night and then rallied the people: "Let us rise up and build" (2:18). Chapter 3 lists the many families who each repaired a section — priests, goldsmiths, merchants and even daughters.
Enemies such as Sanballat and Tobiah mocked, threatened and plotted. Nehemiah responded with prayer and practical action: half the people worked while half stood guard, and the builders kept their weapons ready (4:16–18). He also dealt with injustice among the Jews themselves, stopping wealthy people from exploiting the poor (chapter 5).
Despite everything, "the wall was finished… in fifty and two days" (6:15). Even the enemies recognised that "this work was wrought of our God" (6:16).
The law read and the covenant renewed (Nehemiah 8–10)
Once the walls were built, the people gathered, and Ezra read the book of the law aloud from early morning until midday while the Levites explained its meaning (8:8). The people wept as they understood. Nehemiah told them:
"Neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10, KJV)
They celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles, confessed their sins (chapter 9) and signed a covenant to obey God's law (chapter 10).
Later reforms (Nehemiah 13)
The book ends honestly: after Nehemiah was away for a time, the people slipped back into old sins, and he had to correct them again. Reform needs ongoing faithfulness.
Lessons from Ezra and Nehemiah
- God keeps his promises — the return fulfilled prophecy.
- Worship and God's word come first — the altar and temple, then the teaching of the law.
- Prayer and action go together — Nehemiah prayed and planned.
- Opposition is normal in God's work; perseverance wins.
- Everyone has a part — each family repaired its section of the wall.
- Understanding Scripture brings joy — and changes lives.
- Leadership requires integrity — Nehemiah refused privileges that burdened the poor (5:14–15).
Continue with the book of Esther, set in Persia during the same period, or go back to the Babylonian exile. Nehemiah is a favourite book for church leaders — see our leadership books.