The Hebrew title of this book is ‘Qoheleth’ (cf. 1:1-2, 12; 7:27; 12:8-10) and refers to the Preacher who can be identified as the author (Cone 2009:17). The term ‘Qoheleth’ means “to assemble” and the English title “Ecclesiastes” is from the Greek word ekklesia,...
Background and Structure Today, most Bibles show Ezra and Nehemiah as two separate books, but this was not always the case. The most ancient manuscripts, the Hebrew Bible before the 15th century, and the Septuagint all viewed Ezra and Nehemiah as one composition (cf....
Background There may be a good reason why Esther is the only book in the Bible that does not explicitly mention God. If Israel failed to keep the Mosaic covenant, God said (or threatened) that one consequence would be that that He would hide his presence, or ‘face’,...
Daniel was part of the first deportation of Jews by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon in the year 605 BC. . . . Background and Date Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah and Daniel were youths of good appearance and clever minds when all this happened (1:4). These four youths were from...
Find a Hebrew name which means ‘Jehovah remembers’ and you will find the name ‘Zechariah’. . . . Author and Date Immediately after the introduction (1:1), the contemporaries of Zechariah are told to remember and do God’s words and statutes (1:2-6). Zechariah must have...
