Books of Ezra-Nehemiah Summary: A Complete Animated Overview

BibleProject creates free resources to help you experience the Bible. Everything we make is funded by generous supporters around the world. You can see our entire video library, check out our other resources, and give at bibleproject.com/.

It makes me think that. No matter what we do, if God is not there and doesn't support it, it's not going to happen. Our efforts will be useless. The body without the Spirit is dead. Their efforts were only physical...maybe it was a lesson. Nothing can come together without God.

This whole book feels so relevant for today, often times we make our own plans and get angry when they don’t work out bc deep down, nothing has changed. It’s good and humbling to see this every once in a while, thank you! God bless you in Jesus name :)

When Nehemiah begins to rage against those building markets around the temple of the Lord, I was reminded of how this points to Jesus zeal for his fathers house when he "cleansed the temple" and "drove them out" in the same way. It all points to Jesus!

I am never disappointed when I click on a Bible Project video! Thank you!

I usually like watching these overviews after I finish reading a book, but I can't help feel that some of the key points of Ezra and Nehemiah have been altered, and some of the information is simply wrong. 1) Zerubbabel didn't allow other inhabitants (who worshipped God along side other pagan gods) to participate in the rebuilding of the temple because it was clear they had ulterior motives in trying to form a partnership with the returning exiles solely so that they can hinder their efforts in re-establishing a presence in Jerusalem and/or have leverage over the usage of the temple (which would've certainly meant worshipping the pagan gods alongside the true God, which is obviously a grave sin that led to exile from Jerusalem in the first place). Then after the inhabitants' help was denied, they did everything they could to stop the construction of the temple. So it was a wise move to deny having these badly motivated people be a part of God's work. A very important detail that seems to have been omitted and the resulting interpretation thus skewed. I understand the narrator wants to promote a vision of unity based on the word of the Prophets, but this shouldn't excuse the danger of forming alliances with those who explicitly go against God. 2) The inhabitants that rebelled against the construction of the temple were those who weren't carried off to Babylon during the exile, and they intermarried with the pagan people and this led to the formation of a faith that mixed the worship of the true God with the worship of false pagan gods. The Israelites returning from exile were supposed to set themselves apart from this kind of improper worship, and after correctly not allowing the inhabitants to assist in the building of the temple, they then went on to marry them. God may have not commanded it, but since Ezra was an expert on The Book Of The Law and was well aware of the consequences of pagan worship (i.e exile), he didn't need a separate command from God to make a proper judgment on the matter. (and I'm not sure if this is accurate, but apparently, most of the wives renounced their worship of pagan gods and promised to worship the real God. Only 114 couples refused to renounce their pagan worship and were either forced to divorce or be excommunicated from the community. Also, while divorce was not encouraged, it was allowed by law) 3) 5:49 is where the video just outright lies. Nehemiah didn't "provoke them to hostility" ("them" being the surrounding inhabitants). Nehemiah was met with resistance as soon as he set foot in Jerusalem and even before he announces his plan to rebuild the wall of the city, "When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel" [Nehemiah 2:10]. These enemies constantly threatened him and his people up until the completion of the wall, and all he ever did in response was pray to God to take care of his enemies for him and to strengthen the will of his people to complete the job, along with arming them and setting up guards to keep watch (day and night) to be ready for an attack at any moment.

You guys doing great ! Your contribution is brilliant. In JESUS name stay blessed.

After reading the comments, it shows even further that the books itself should also be read and not just watch the video. I adore Bible Project and take it's interpretation as a viewpoint. Before each book I read, I watch their video. Then after I read the book, I watch the video as a recap. Things that stand out that I am still lost on, I research. It encourages me to find out more. Thank you Bible Project for your wonderful works. May you continue to be blessed.

So if it wasn't the KING who brought peace; and it wasn't the TEMPLE that brought peace; and it wasn't the LAND that brought peace... *Psst*, Jesus, you're on.

Nehemiah 8:10: "The Joy of the Lord is your strength!" 🙏

As usual Bible Project always delivers. Great production and I continue to ask God to bless this ministry. However, this teaching on Nehemiah caused me to go back to Scripture to verify its accuracy [which is what we are to do as believers- Acts 17:11/1 Thess 5:21] and while I am no theologian, the idea that Nehemiah should have included the "enemies" of Israel in the rebuilding of the walls is not what is expounded within Scripture. I encourage my fellow believers to read this Book again. Opposition to the rebuilding of Jerusalem had been going on for 90 years by those who settled in the area when the Jews were taken captive. Further, the Moabites and Ammonites were bitter enemies of Israel. The fact that Nehemiah did not accept their assistance was not racial prejudice. Yes, God loves all people and desires all nations to know and love him. But while God wants all to come to him, he warns believes to stay away from those bent on evil. The relationships established by Jews and pagans caused their captivity in the first place. And today, the same principle applies. Jesus asked that we remain in the world but not part of it. How does that translate for the believer? Win as many souls for Christ as you can but if you know that your friendship/partnership/fellowship with certain unbelievers will cause you to sin, then would it not be better to refrain from doing so? That varies from believer to believer and varies depending on the circumstance. What might trip me up, may not trip you up. There are some people and circumstances I avoid altogether because why allow myself to be tempted in the first place. Conversely, I have been able to maintain friendships with unbelievers even though they oppose my faith strongly because God gave me to grace to remain strong and stand my ground. Anyways, I encourage the Bible Project to continue their good work, I hardly have occasion, to question their theology and will continue to be an avid fan. God Bless.

While I have been blessed by the Bible project, I feel that they have missed the entire point of Ezra 4. There are strong reasons that the offer for help was refused. The despised Samaritans of Jesus' time were descendants of the people identified in II Kings 17, who combined their worship of God with those of idols.

Those people who wanted to help in Ezra chapter 4 are not grandchildren of the Israelites, but the Samaritans. These people wanted to serve the God of their new land, but they did it in the wrong way. It says in verse 2: "....ever since Esarhaddon king of Assyria BROUGHT us here."

let's start by saying that I'm not a radical right and that I've enjoyed every video and that I feel the teaching has been solid, up to this one. it's a very strange interpretation to emply that Ezra got it all wrong and that the people hadn't commented sin. Time and time again in the histories of Kings and Chronicals we are giving the example of leaders marrying "the people of the land" and how that influence led to the worship of the gods of the land. This teaching crossed the line to "having an agenda." I'm not sure what that agenda is and I haven't given up on you...yet.

After reading the Bible, I always come here to watch the overview of each chapter and it sure does create more understanding.. thank you for this !

I love how you split the books up into sections, really helps with studying. I've been in church all my life and very few people have shown how to open up the bible like you guys have. Be blessed and continue what you are doing, this surely is a blessing what you are doing.

these overview videos are soo good im literally binge watching all of it. its literally better than netflix

The Bible makes sense now! 🎉 Total clarity has been achieved! Praise God for the Bible Project! ❤

reminds me a lot of the world today, how we argue so much over the best ways to patch the growing tensions in ways similar Ezra and Nehemiah, and how these, like anything we do without the guidance of the Lord, eventually disappoint us, and that in the end it is all a heart problem. The world needs a new heart, salvation. Without the blessing of God there is no victory.

I have been watching and recommending the Bible Project for a number of years, this is the first time I felt troubled with their interpretation of the biblical text. I have begun a study on Nehemiah and turned to this video for support, I was surprised to see Nehemiah portrayed as the antagonist when Sanballat and Tobiah oppose the building effort. Nehemiah had to come and lead the re-building effort because the walls were destroyed and the gates were burned down.