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(2)
The testimony of the structure. Another argument in favour of
the oneness of these two records is the fact that while both books have their
own independent structure, these two structures when interwoven according to
the chronology of the events (a matter to be discussed immediately) combine
to form one perfect whole. We cannot allow this matter to be 'taken as
read', and therefore we set out the structures, first separately, and then
combined, as our second 'proof'.
Ezra
The Rebuilding of the Temple
AB
1:1 -4.
The People.
Emancipation.
C
1:5 to 2:70.
The Return of Zerubbabel.
D
3:1 -6.
The Altar.
Building and Feast.
D
3:7 to 6:22.
The Temple.
Building and Feast.
C
7:1 to 8:36.
The Return under Ezra.
B
9:1 to 10:44.
The People.
Dedication.
Reformation.
Nehemiah
The Rebuilding of the Walls
A
E
1:1 to 6:19.
The Wall.
Rebuilding.
Disorders overcome.
F
H
7:1 -4.
Jerusalem.
Charge over.
J
7:5 -73 -.
The return under Zerubbabel.
G
7: -73 to 8:18.
The Feast of the seventh month.
(426 b.c.).
G
9:1 to 10:39.
The Feast of the seventh month
(404 b.c.).
F
H
11:1 -36.
Jerusalem.
Residents in.
J
12:1 -26.
The return under Ezra.
E
12:27 to 13:31.
The Wall.
Dedication.
Disorders overcome.
The combined structure is as follows, and is justified by the presence
of certain fixed points in the books, which will be submitted afterwards.
The Structure of Ezra -Nehemiah as a whole according to the Historical and
Chronological Order of Events