Ezra and Nehemiah record the exciting drama of the restoration of the Jews to their land following Babylonian captivity. The restoration period offered the Israelites a unique opportunity to re-establish the Temple, worship institutions, and the city of Jerusalem on lasting spiritual foundations.

But that period also brought the recently returned exiles into great temptation and potential disaster. The biblical record of the three returns of the Jews from Babylon provide not only a history of the restoration, but also many spiritual lessons concerning God's faithfulness, Satan's strategy, and the importance of separation from sin.

Dr. Laney presents a synthesis of the restoration period and discusses the interpretive, historical, geographical, and theological issues involved in these often-neglected but spiritually-rich books.

Designed for lay people, the Everyman's Bible Commentary Series deals seriously with biblical texts without being overly technical.