Ezra deals with the sacrifice that we all have to make at one point in our lives and how to deal with the choices that must be made when faced with sacrifice. 

When reading the book of Nehemiah, the reader sees three ideas emerging. First, when reading the word of God, we must pay careful attention to what is being said, so that the content is not misunderstood. Second, there is a recurring theme of enemy opposition and thirdly, through everything that Nehemiah went through, he was still obedient. 

In the book of Esther, such topics as death, danger, social rejection as well as many others are covered and referencing the Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther helps you deal with these when faced with them in our lives. 

Key Features 

• Introductions to the historical and cultural context, the literary style, and the major themes and theological concerns 
• Exegetical and textual notes 
• Commentary pays special attention to context and major theological themes 

Recommendations 

An enormously helpful series for the layperson and pastor alike because it centers on the theological message of each book and ties it directly to the text. This approach has been needed for some time and will be an invaluable supplement to other commentary series. 

—Grant Osborne 

A treasure house of insight into the biblical text. Written by some of the best scholars working today, it is an essential tool for pastors, students, church leaders, and lay people who want to understand the text and how it relates to our lives today. Like the NLT text it uses as its base, this commentary series is extremely readable. 

—Tremper Longman III 

About the Author 

Gary V. Smith (Ph.D., Dropsie College) was a member of the translation teams for both the NLT and HCSB Bible translation projects and has written numerous articles, reviews, and books on the Old Testament. These include Hosea, Amos, and Micah for the NIV Application Commentary series and Isaiah in the New American Commentary series. He has taught Old Testament at Bethel Theological Seminary in Minnesota and was professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Missouri. In 2004 he began teaching at Union University, where he is currently professor of Christian Studies. 

Series Introduction 

The Cornerstone Biblical Commentary series provides up-to-date, evangelical scholarship on the Old and New Testaments. Each volume is designed to equip pastors and Christian leaders with exegetical and theological knowledge to better understand and apply God’s Word by presenting the message of each passage as well as an overview of other issues surrounding the text. The commentary series has been structured to help readers get at the meaning of Scripture, passage by passage, through the entire Bible. Each Bible book is prefaced by a substantial book introduction that gives general historical background important for understanding. This is volume 5b in the series.