Nehemiah 1:1-9

Nehemiah's Grief for the Exiles

1 The words of 1Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in 2the month Chislev, 3in the twentieth year, while I was in 4Susa the [a]capitol,
2 that 5Hanani, one of my brothers, and [b]some men from Judah came; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem.
3 They said to me, "The remnant there in the 6province who survived the captivity are in great distress and 7reproach, and 8the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and 9its gates are burned with fire."
4 When I heard these words, 10I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before 11the God of heaven.
5 I said, "I beseech You, O LORD God of heaven, 12the great and awesome God, 13who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments,
6 14let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, 15confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; 16I and my father's house have sinned.
7 "17We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances 18which You commanded Your servant Moses.
8 "Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, '19If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples;
9 20but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I 21will gather them from there and will bring them 22to the place where * I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.'

Images for Nehemiah 1:1-9

Nehemiah 1:1-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH

This book is, by the authors of the Vulgate Latin and Arabic versions, called the "Second" Book of Ezra, it being a continuation of the same history, and was by the Jews reckoned as one book with Ezra; Kimchi on Isa 9:7, calls it Ezra, so the Talmud {a}; and it has been quoted by Christian writers under his name; see the argument of the book of Ezra; but not as if it was written by him; for it is a clear case it was written by Nehemiah, whose name it bears, as appears from Ne 1:1 and throughout Nehemiah speaks of himself under the first person; and the style also is very different from that of Ezra, being plainer and easier than his. It has always had a place in the canon of Scriptures, both with Jews and Christians; and is of use to show the fulfilment of the prophecy of Zechariah, and especially of Daniel concerning the building of the wall of Jerusalem in troublesome times; to carry on the history of the Jews, and describe the state of the church in those times, what opposition was made to it, and what enemies it had, and what must be expected when any work of God is set about; it is the last of the historical books that was written, as is thought, and contains an history of the space of about twelve years, from the twentieth of Artaxerxes to the thirty second of his reign, see \Ne 1:1 2:1 13:6\.

{a} T. Bab. Succah, fol. 37. 1. & Gloss. in ib. fol. 12. 1.

\\INTRODUCTION NEHEMIAH 1\\

This chapter relates how that Nehemiah, being at Shushan in Persia, and meeting with some Jews, inquired of the state of Jerusalem, of which having a melancholy account, he betook to mourning, fasting, and prayer, Ne 1:1-4, and his prayer is recorded, Ne 1:5-11.

Cross References 22

Footnotes 2

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California.  All rights reserved.