"The chequered story of the Kings, a matter of nearly five centuries, had ended disastrously in 587 B.C. with the sack of Jerusalem, the fall of the monarchy and the removal to Babylonia of all that made Judah politically viable. It was a death to make way for a rebirth. So begins Derek Kidner in this introduction and commentary to the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, which chart the Jews' return from exile to Jerusalem and the beginnings of a new start.

As the drama unfolds, we see how international politics, nationalist pride, wise leadership, political intrigue and opportunism, internal dissension and compromise all shape events. But above all we see the hand of God at work. In this volume, formerly part of the Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries series, Kidner's clear prose and theological insight will help readers understand the complex literary and historical issues surrounding these two books and their chief characters.