Nehemiah 1:1-7

1 The words of Nechemyah the son of Hakhalyah: It was in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the capital,

2 that Hanani, one of my kinsmen, came out of Y'hudah with some men; and I asked them about the remnant of Judeans who had escaped the exile, and about Yerushalayim.

3 They answered me, "The remnant of the exile left there in the province are in great distress and are held in contempt, the wall of Yerushalayim is in ruins, and its gates have been completely burned up."

4 On hearing this answer, I sat down and wept; I mourned for several days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

5 I said, "Please, ADONAI! God of heaven! You great and fearsome God, who keeps his covenant and extends grace to those who love him and observe his mitzvot!

6 Let your ear now be attentive and your eyes be open, so that you will listen to the prayer of your servant, which I am praying before you these days, day and night, for the people of Isra'el your servants - even as I confess the sins of the people of Isra'el that we have committed against you. Yes, I and my father's house have sinned.

7 We have deeply offended you. We haven't observed the mitzvot, laws or rulings you ordered your servant Moshe.

Nehemiah 1:1-7 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.