Nehemiah: A Pastoral and Exegetical Commentary

by T.J. Betts

Pursuing the glory of GodThe book of Nehemiah highlights the priorities God's people should pursue and the principles needed to fulfill their mission. Bridging the gap between devotional and technical commentaries, A Pastoral and Exegetical Commentary is an easy to understand exposition of this often overlooked Old Testament narrative. With a mixture of historical data and practical applications, T. J. Betts emphasizes the relevance of Nehemiah's message for believers today.

Genres: Theology, School

307 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 16, 2020

Reviews

[Jeremy Mueller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated Betts’ work on this commentary in highlighting Nehemiah’s spiritual leadership, God’s sovereign rule, the prevalence of opposition to the work of God, the centrality of worship for the people of God, the power of prayer and the God who hears his people’s prayers, and the necessity of corporate engagement in the work of God. Though Nehemiah has other themes and lessons, Betts does an excellent job of highlighting these particular themes and then bringing them to life through application. He also enhances these insights by making many connections to the people of God today, who are recipients of a new covenant ushered in by Jesus Christ. The story of Nehemiah Nehemiah is a figure who is often quoted for his leadership, but Betts helps us to clearly understand why and how Nehemiah has this reputation. Beyond his tangible leadership, he does superb job of highlighting Nehemiah’s personal piety. He describes his humble prayer life (14), his knowledge of God’s word (18), his prayer life and fasting (30), his complete dependence upon God (72), his concern for justice (87), his sharing of his resources with others in need (93), and his empathy toward others (124). Simply put, Nehemiah was a righteous man, by God’s grace. In highlighting Nehemiah’s personal piety, Betts causes the reader to recognize that spiritual leadership of others always begins with proper relationship to God and commitment to
following him in spirit and in truth. Our personal relationship with God will bear fruit in our
relationship with other human beings. And as we might suspect, this personal piety leads to godly leadership. He “uses all available resources from God” (75). He relies upon God completely by praying in dependence on him, but he also calls the people to action (Neh 4:9). He confronts the threats facing his people and endures the oppositions they face (98-99). He courageously confronts the people’s sin (214). Nehemiah is an example to all believers of what wholehearted devotion to God looks like and how that spills over into the lives of those they serve. I pray the Lord helps me toward that end!

[Jonah Twiddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are new church plant and you’re not preaching through the book of Nehemiah first, what are you doing?

[Matt Pitts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nehemiah occurs in a period of history many are unfamiliar with, so I really appreciated the historical and biblical overview in the preface; it was not too much or too little.

I read three of the chapters to get a feel for how Betts handles Nehemiah. His work is solid, faithful, and focused on the text. The commentary reads more like a collection of sermons than a traditional commentary and yet they are not quite sermons either. Chapters include a summary, outline, the text from Nehemiah, illustrations, and application as well as questions to provoke further application of the text.

If you are wondering how to preach Nehemiah or simply want a faithful teacher to guide you through this often neglected book, Betts is a sturdy guide.

Note: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher but was not required to provide a positive review.

[Parker Haines · Rating 3 out of 5]

Incredibly thorough and detailed oriented. Definitely geared towards those who would be seeking to preach from Nehemiah in a contemporary application heavy style. I will keep this one on the shelf and probably refer to it next time I am preaching from Nehemiah. Im sure this will be a helpful resource when used as a commentary. When read like a book… not exactly a page turner 🥴

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource and applicable commentary on the book of Nehemiah. Would recommend if you’re teaching or desire to dive deeper into Nehemiah!

[Tristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very pastoral and was incredibly beneficial for my soul to reflect on the passage using the questions Dr. Betts provides at the end of each chapter.

[Elizabeth Aucoin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Betts breaks down the book of Nehemiah in such a deep and practical way in order to glean what is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). Definitely a good book if you are wanting to dive into Nehemiah exegetically, and would be really helpful for teaching the book to others. Not a "light" devotional read, but I have learned so much about prayer, trust, and reliance on the Lord from studying Nehemiah's life and devotion to God.

[Dyllan Avery-Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in OT 1. If you want to teach others deep truth on Nehemiah, this is the book for you.

[Pat Baird · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m realizing that my reviews are often times a mix of my enjoyment as well as how well I felt the author accomplished their goal.

In this case, I think that Dr. Betts did a phenomenal job and accomplishing the goal. This is exactly what it is marketed as… an exegetical and pastoral commentary.

This commentary is probably designed for the more astute lay person that regularly teaches the Bible. It wasn’t technical or overly hard to read, in fact, it was immensely approachable.

But as far as commentaries go, this probably would not be the first one I would reach for in prepping a teaching sermon out of Nehemiah.

With that being said, I really appreciate Dr. Betts’s writing style and illustrations that he uses throughout the book. I think he sticks well through the message of Nehemiah and applies it well in the life of the believer.

Often times it felt like I was reading a devotional and not a commentary. And hat’s not a bad thing…..

Another seminary read in the dome. Glad to have it in my books to reference and thankful for the work of Dr. Betts.

[Pig Rieke · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is simply a devotional and exegetical commentary of Nehemiah. It’s strengths lie in getting the main thrust of Nehemiah, historical background, and brief expositions. The book is not nor pretended to be an academic or technical commentary. The weakness of the work in my opinion lie in not answering questions that this reader would like to see more thoroughly treated such as Nehemiah’s place in redemptive history, how the restoration of Jerusalem and the return or failure to return from exile functions in the Old Covenant administration, and further developments of Nehemiah as not only an example to Christians but as a type of Christ.

For me the books falls into the category of “yes, but say more please.” I’d recommend if someone is leading a Bible study through Nehemiah in addition to a more technical commentary.

[Tristan · Rating 1 out of 5]

In an attempt to "bridge the gap" between a devotional and a technical commentary Betts fails to accomplish either. This book is not enough of a commentary to help a preacher exposite the book of Nehemiah nor is it enough of a devotional to encourage a lay person in his pursuit of God. While it is somewhat helpful in small isolated places I would not recommend this book in hardly any circumstances.

[Kyle Halleck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Betts was very pastoral in his approach to this commentary. It wasn’t simply a pile of information to weave through, but was full of application from each and every chapter. This would be a helpful tool for a pastor preaching through Nehemiah, or a lay person who desires a better grasp of the book, but doesn’t simply want to hear about background material the entire time (though there is a significant amount of that).

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent commentary that is both accessible and practical for teaching and preaching. Thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Betts's teaching and writing style. Highly recommend this excellent commentary on Nehemiah.

[Greg Vanderleeuw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful and well written

This commentary is well written and an excellent resource on understanding the book of Nehemiah. Betts does an excellent job of summarizing and structuring the book in a way that helps preachers and teachers handle this book. Recommended!

[Josiah Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very nice commentary that finds balance in the technical side of interpretation and using what is learned for spiritual disciplines.