3 And they said H559 unto me, The remnant H7604 that are left H7604 of the captivity H7628 there in the province H4082 are in great H1419 affliction H7451 and reproach: H2781 the wall H2346 of Jerusalem H3389 also is broken down, H6555 and the gates H8179 thereof are burned H3341 with fire. H784
In that ye provoke me unto wrath H3707 with the works H4639 of your hands, H3027 burning incense H6999 unto other H312 gods H430 in the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 whither ye be gone H935 to dwell, H1481 that ye might cut yourselves off, H3772 and that ye might be a curse H7045 and a reproach H2781 among all the nations H1471 of the earth? H776 Have ye forgotten H7911 the wickedness H7451 of your fathers, H1 and the wickedness H7451 of the kings H4428 of Judah, H3063 and the wickedness H7451 of their wives, H802 and your own wickedness, H7451 and the wickedness H7451 of your wives, H802 which they have committed H6213 in the land H776 of Judah, H3063 and in the streets H2351 of Jerusalem? H3389 They are not humbled H1792 even unto this day, H3117 neither have they feared, H3372 nor walked H1980 in my law, H8451 nor in my statutes, H2708 that I set H5414 before H6440 you and before H6440 your fathers. H1 Therefore thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 the God H430 of Israel; H3478 Behold, I will set H7760 my face H6440 against you for evil, H7451 and to cut off H3772 all Judah. H3063 And I will take H3947 the remnant H7611 of Judah, H3063 that have set H7760 their faces H6440 to go H935 into the land H776 of Egypt H4714 to sojourn H1481 there, and they shall all be consumed, H8552 and fall H5307 in the land H776 of Egypt; H4714 they shall even be consumed H8552 by the sword H2719 and by the famine: H7458 they shall die, H4191 from the least H6996 even unto the greatest, H1419 by the sword H2719 and by the famine: H7458 and they shall be an execration, H423 and an astonishment, H8047 and a curse, H7045 and a reproach. H2781
Thy holy H6944 cities H5892 are a wilderness, H4057 Zion H6726 is a wilderness, H4057 Jerusalem H3389 a desolation. H8077 Our holy H6944 and our beautiful H8597 house, H1004 where our fathers H1 praised H1984 thee, is burned up H8316 with fire: H784 and all our pleasant things H4261 are laid waste. H2723
Rise up, H6965 ye women H802 that are at ease; H7600 hear H8085 my voice, H6963 ye careless H982 daughters; H1323 give ear H238 unto my speech. H565 Many days H3117 and years H8141 shall ye be troubled, H7264 ye careless women: H982 for the vintage H1210 shall fail, H3615 the gathering H625 shall not come. H935 Tremble, H2729 ye women that are at ease; H7600 be troubled, H7264 ye careless ones: H982 strip H6584 you, and make you bare, H6209 and gird H2290 sackcloth upon your loins. H2504 They shall lament H5594 for the teats, H7699 for the pleasant H2531 fields, H7704 for the fruitful H6509 vine. H1612 Upon the land H127 of my people H5971 shall come up H5927 thorns H6975 and briers; H8068 yea, upon all the houses H1004 of joy H4885 in the joyous H5947 city: H7151 Because the palaces H759 shall be forsaken; H5203 the multitude H1995 of the city H5892 shall be left; H5800 the forts H6076 and towers H975 shall be for dens H4631 for H5704 ever, H5769 a joy H4885 of wild asses, H6501 a pasture H4829 of flocks; H5739
By the rivers H5104 of Babylon, H894 there we sat down, H3427 yea, we wept, H1058 when we remembered H2142 Zion. H6726 We hanged H8518 our harps H3658 upon the willows H6155 in the midst H8432 thereof. For there they that carried us away captive H7617 required H7592 of us a song; H1697 H7892 and they that wasted H8437 us required of us mirth, H8057 saying, Sing H7891 us one of the songs H7892 of Zion. H6726
Thou hast given H5414 us like sheep H6629 appointed for meat; H3978 and hast scattered H2219 us among the heathen. H1471 Thou sellest H4376 thy people H5971 for nought, H1952 and dost not increase H7235 thy wealth by their price. H4242 Thou makest H7760 us a reproach H2781 to our neighbours, H7934 a scorn H3933 and a derision H7047 to them that are round about H5439 us. Thou makest H7760 us a byword H4912 among the heathen, H1471 a shaking H4493 of the head H7218 among the people. H3816
Behold, we are servants H5650 this day, H3117 and for the land H776 that thou gavest H5414 unto our fathers H1 to eat H398 the fruit H6529 thereof and the good H2898 thereof, behold, we are servants H5650 in it: And it yieldeth much H7235 increase H8393 unto the kings H4428 whom thou hast set H5414 over us because of our sins: H2403 also they have dominion H4910 over our bodies, H1472 and over our cattle, H929 at their pleasure, H7522 and we are in great H1419 distress. H6869
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Nehemiah 1
Commentary on Nehemiah 1 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 1
Ne 1:1-3. Nehemiah, Understanding by Hanani the Afflicted State of Jerusalem, Mourns, Fasts, and Prays.
1. Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah—This eminently pious and patriotic Jew is to be carefully distinguished from two other persons of the same name—one of whom is mentioned as helping to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Ne 3:16), and the other is noticed in the list of those who accompanied Zerubbabel in the first detachment of returning exiles (Ezr 2:2; Ne 7:7). Though little is known of his genealogy, it is highly probable that he was a descendant of the tribe of Judah and the royal family of David.
in the month Chisleu—answering to the close of November and the larger part of December.
Shushan the palace—the capital of ancient Susiana, east of the Tigris, a province of Persia. From the time of Cyrus it was the favorite winter residence of the Persian kings.
2, 3. Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah—Hanani is called his brother (Ne 7:2). But as that term was used loosely by Jews as well as other Orientals, it is probable that no more is meant than that he was of the same family. According to Josephus, Nehemiah, while walking around the palace walls, overheard some persons conversing in the Hebrew language. Having ascertained that they had lately returned from Judea, he was informed by them, in answer to his eager enquiries, of the unfinished and desolate condition of Jerusalem, as well as the defenseless state of the returned exiles. The commissions previously given to Zerubbabel and Ezra extending only to the repair of the temple and private dwellings, the walls and gates of the city had been allowed to remain a mass of shattered ruins, as they had been laid by the Chaldean siege.
Ne 1:4-11. His Prayer.
4. when I heard these words, that I sat down … and mourned … and fasted, and prayed—The recital deeply affected the patriotic feelings of this good man, and no comfort could he find but in earnest and protracted prayer, that God would favor the purpose, which he seems to have secretly formed, of asking the royal permission to go to Jerusalem.
11. I was the king's cupbearer—This officer, in the ancient Oriental courts, was always a person of rank and importance; and, from the confidential nature of his duties and his frequent access to the royal presence, he possessed great influence.