Nehemiah 1:4-11

4 cumque audissem verba huiuscemodi sedi et flevi et luxi diebus et ieiunabam et orabam ante faciem Dei caeli

5 et dixi quaeso Domine Deus caeli fortis magne atque terribilis qui custodis pactum et misericordiam cum his qui te diligunt et custodiunt mandata tua

6 fiat auris tua auscultans et oculi tui aperti ut audias orationem servi tui quam ego oro coram te hodie nocte et die pro filiis Israhel servis tuis et confiteor pro peccatis filiorum Israhel quibus peccaverunt tibi et ego et domus patris mei peccavimus

7 vanitate seducti sumus et non custodivimus mandatum et caerimonias et iudicia quae praecepisti Mosi servo tuo

8 memento verbi quod mandasti Mosi famulo tuo dicens cum transgressi fueritis ego dispergam vos in populos

9 et si revertamini ad me et custodiatis mandata mea et faciatis ea etiam si abducti fueritis ad extrema caeli inde congregabo vos et inducam in locum quem elegi ut habitaret nomen meum ibi

10 et ipsi servi tui et populus tuus quos redemisti in fortitudine tua magna et in manu tua valida

11 obsecro Domine sit auris tua adtendens ad orationem servi tui et ad orationem servorum tuorum qui volunt timere nomen tuum et dirige servum tuum hodie et da ei misericordiam ante virum hunc ego enim eram pincerna regis

Nehemiah 1:4-11 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.