Freedman comments, “It may be pure coincidence that the Book of Genesis begins with the words beresit . . . elohim , ‘In the beginning, . . . God . . . ,’ while the book of Ezra-Nehemiah ends with the words elohay letoba , ‘ . . . my God for good.’ We need not point out that ‘good’ is the theme word of Genesis 1:1-2:3, and remains the leitmotif of the whole Hebrew Bible.” Or, maybe not pure coincidence. If this connection works, then the “good” that Nehemiah is looking for is the “good” of a new creation.
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