GOT 539 Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Online)

Transcription

1 Maranatha Baptist University Dr. Preston Mayes Watertown, WI Summer 2014 GOT 539 Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Online) NOTE: This is the tentative syllabus. Dates and assignments will be added, but the course will generally follow the standard format for online classes. There will be weekly discussion questions, 2-3 tests, a research paper, and reading. Instructor Information: Textbooks Office Location: OM 301 Phone Numbers: Office Home Karen Jobes. Esther. NIVAC. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, F. Charles Fensham. The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. NICOT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, Course Description/Prerequisites: A study of the structure and content of Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther in light of the historical setting of each book, with an emphasis on the qualities of leadership and the providential care of God for Israel during the exilic period. Course Goals: 1. To gain a basic understanding of the content of Ezra-Nehemiah. 2. To understand the chronology of the period from 600 BC to 450 BC. Of particular interest is the political situation in the Persian Empire. 3. To understand this period in Jewish history as it relates to the fulfillment of the promises made to the Patriarchs and David and to the overall mission of Israel relative to the gentile nations. 4. To make a study of the principles of effective leadership as demonstrated in the life and work of Nehemiah. 5. To increase the ability of the student to read, analyze, and interpret the Old Testament. 6. To enhance the student s ability to think critically and express the results of that thought in written form. 1

2 Course Objectives: Course Requirements: 1. Reading: 2. Weekly Discussion: 3. Tests: 4. Synchronous Sessions 5. Research Papers: One page paper is required for the course. The paper must be completed in order to receive credit for the course. This must be a completely original paper written for this course. Option 1: a Theology of a Minor Prophet. 1) The theology of Haggai. According to Ezra 5:1, the preaching of Haggai was instrumental in the rebuilding of the temple. For this paper, you will be demonstrating how that preaching motivated the people. Start by demonstrating the major themes of the book. Next, demonstrate how these themes would have motivated the people to do their building work. Though this paper is more informative in nature, it should still be presented as an argument. (e.g. Haggai s motivated the people to rebuild the temple by emphasizing the key theme of ). 2) The Theology of Zechariah. This paper is identical to the theology of Haggai paper, except that it focuses on Zechariah. Option 2: an exegetical paper on a passage from Ezra. 1) For this paper, you will chose one of the following passages of Scripture in Ezra: 2:1-70 9:1-14 3: :1-44 7:1-27 2) Your paper should be the result of personal exegetical (inductive Bible study work primarily, not a regurgitation of commentaries, using multiple versions, observational and interpretative skills, 2

3 word studies in lexicons and concordances, and other primary sources. 3) The paper should have an introduction that connects the text with the context. 4) The paper should have a thesis that summarizes what you are trying to say in the paper. The thesis should indicate the main emphasis of the passage (why is the passage in Hebrews?). 5) You should have clear supporting main points for your paper. These will provide the structure for your paper and should be included as headings within the body of the paper. 6) Your paper is not a commentary. Organize the paper around the thesis and supporting statements, not according to verse-by-verse explanations. 7) Footnotes should be used for important thoughts, references, and statements. Non-essential comments can also be included in the footnotes. 8) Do not type out quotations from Scripture unless absolutely essential to an argument. A simple reference in parentheses will suffice. 9) Your conclusion should include a repetition of your thesis, a brief summary, and some contemporary application. I anticipate that this will be longer than a normal conclusion. Most conclusions for papers simply summarize the main arguments, but this one should go beyond summary and also discuss pertinent applications. Paper form requirements for both papers: 1) Paper must be done according to MBBC Biblical Studies Department format. 2) A 12-point Times New Roman font and 1 inch margins must be used. 3) A bibliography and title page are not required for this assignment. Your sources will be indicated directly in the footnotes 4) Headings should be used for main points 5) The papers will be graded on both content and format. A grade sheet will be distributed to each student and it should be attached to the paper as the final page when you turn it in. Research requirements for both papers: 1) A minimum of ten sources must be consulted for the paper (not including the Bible, though it should be used). All four of your sources MUST be cited in the footnotes. 2) For exegetical papers: You must consult and cite the commentaries by Breneman, Fensham, and Williamson. 3) For theology of Haggai papers: You must cite the commentary by Pieter Verhoef, vol. 7 in The Expositor s Bible Commentary, and the commentary by Joyce Baldwin. 3

4 4) For theology of Zechariah papers: You must cite the commentary by Joyce Baldwin, the commentary by Thomas McComiskey, and vol. 7 in The Expositor s Bible Commentary. 5) One source may be a Bible Dictionary or Encyclopedia. Do not plagiarize. Plagiarism extends not only to the actual words of the original author, but also to the thought patterns and organizational structure. Papers giving evidence of plagiarism will not be accepted. Due to the nature of this assignment, you should not discuss the topic with other students until after you have turned in your paper. Leave adequate time for revision. Incorrect spelling and poor grammar usually indicate a rush job. Try to finish the paper a week before the due date. Let it age for a few days, then read it again. This greatly increases the probability that you will notice bad grammar, weak structure, or inconsistent/incomplete statements and argumentation within your paper. 4

5 Select Bibliography Commentaries/Works on Ezra-Nehemiah (Commentaries marked * will probably be most helpful) Banz, Clint. Ezra and Nehemiah Within Their Historical Context. Calvary Baptist Theological Journal 9 (Spring 1993): *Breneman, Mervin. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. The New American Commentary, vol. 10. N.p.: Broadman & Holman, Blenkinsopp, Joseph. Ezra/Nehemiah: A Commentary. The Old Testament Library. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, Custer, Stewart, ed. Focus on Nehemiah. Biblical Viewpoint, vol. 20 (November 1986). *Fensham, F. Charles. The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, Keil, C.F. The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. Translated by Sophia Taylor. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, *Kidner, Derek. Ezra and Nehemiah. The Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove: Inter- Varsity Press, Laney, J. Carl. Ezra, Nehemiah. Everyman s Bible Commentary. Chicago: Moody Press, McConville, J.G. Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, McEntire, Mark Harold. The function of sacrifice in Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah. Lewiston, NY: The Edwin Mellen Press, *Merrill, Eugene H. A Theology of Ezra-Nehemiah and Esther. In A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, ed. Roy B. Zuck, Chicago: Moody Press, Mills, Watson E. Ezra-Nehemiah. Bibliographies for Biblical Research: OT Series. Lewiston, NY: Mellon Biblical Press, Myers, Jacob. Ezra-Nehemiah. The Anchor Bible. New York: Doubleday, Pfeiffer, Charles F. Exile and Return. Grand Rapids: Baker, Rawlinson, G. and W.S. Lewis. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, and Job. The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 7. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, Roberts, Mark D. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. The Communicator s Commentary, vol. 11. Dallas: Word Books, Schultz, Samuel. The Old Testament Speaks, 3 rd. ed. San Francisco: Harper and Row, *Williamson, H.G.M. Ezra, Nehemiah. Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 16. Waco: Word Books,

6 *Yamauchi, Edward. "Ezra-Nehemiah," In Expositor s Bible Commentary, vol. 4. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, Works on Ancient Near Eastern Society/Leadership Averbeck, Richard. Law. Chap. in Cracking Old Testament Codes, eds. D. Brent Sandy and Ronald L. Giese, Jr., Nashville: Broadman & Holman, [Very helpful if you are doing a paper on slavery or covenants] Ellison, H.L. The Hebrew Slave: A Study in Early Israelite Society. Evangelical Quarterly 45 (1975): Grenz, Arlo. The Confident Leader: Getting a Good Start as a Christian Minister. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, Harrison, R.K. A History of Old Testament Times. London: Marshall, Morgan & Scott, Old Testament Times. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, Merrill, Eugene H. Kingdom of Priests. Grand Rapids: Baker, Patrick, Dale. Old Testament Law. Atlanta: John Knox Press, Rush, Myron. Management: A Biblical Approach. Wheaton: Victor Books, Vaux, Roland de. Ancient Israel: Its Life and Institutions. Trans. John McHugh. New York: McGraw- Hill, Walton, John H. Ancient Israelite Literature in Its Cultural Context. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, Wenham, Gordan J. and Bruce Kaye, eds. Law, Morality and the Bible. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, Wright, Christopher J.H. God s People in God s Land: Family, Land, and Property in the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, Walking in the Ways of the Lord: The Ethical Authority of the Old Testament. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, Wood, Leon. A Survey of Israel s History. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, Yamauchi, Edwin M. Persia and the Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker. Haggai and Zechariah Major works (Works marked ** contain some theological error according the Basic Library Booklist produced by Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary) Baldwin, Joyce G. Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. Tyndale Old Testament Commentary. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, Barker, Kenneth L. Zechariah. Volume 7 of The Expositor s Bible Conference. Grand Rapids: Zondervan,

7 Laney, J. Carl. Zechariah. Everyman s Bible Commentary. Chicago: Moody Press, **Meyers, Carol L and Eric M. Haggai, Zechariah 1-8. The Anchor Bible. New York: Doubleday, **Petersen, David L. Haggai and Zechariah. OTL. Westminster Press, Smith, Gary V. The Prophets as Preachers: An Introduction to the Hebrew Prophets. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, VanGemeren, Willem. Interpreting the Prophetic Word. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, Verhoef, Pieter A. The Books of Haggai and Malachi. NICOT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,