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
Then said H559 I unto them, Ye see H7200 the distress H7451 that we are in, how Jerusalem H3389 lieth waste, H2720 and the gates H8179 thereof are burned H3341 with fire: H784 come, H3212 and let us build up H1129 the wall H2346 of Jerusalem, H3389 that we be no more a reproach. H2781
And all the army H2428 of the Chaldees, H3778 that were with the captain H7227 of the guard, H2876 brake down H5422 the walls H2346 of Jerusalem H3389 round about. H5439
These are the children H1121 of the province, H4082 that went up H5927 out of the captivity, H7628 of those that had been carried away, H1473 whom Nebuchadnezzar H5019 the king H4428 of Babylon H894 had carried away, H1540 and came again H7725 to Jerusalem H3389 and to Judah, H3063 every one H376 unto his city; H5892
And I went out H3318 by night H3915 by the gate H8179 of the valley, H1516 even before H6440 the dragon H8577 well, H5869 H5886 and to the dung H830 port, H8179 and viewed H7663 H7665 the walls H2346 of Jerusalem, H3389 which were broken down, H6555 and the gates H8179 thereof were consumed H398 with fire. H784
And said H559 unto the king, H4428 Let the king H4428 live H2421 for ever: H5769 why should not my countenance H6440 be sad, H3415 when the city, H5892 the place H1004 of my fathers' H1 sepulchres, H6913 lieth waste, H2720 and the gates H8179 thereof are consumed H398 with fire? H784
Remember, H2142 O LORD, H3068 what is come upon us: consider, H5027 and behold H7200 our reproach. H2781
Thou hast heard H8085 their reproach, H2781 O LORD, H3068 and all their imaginations H4284 against me;
Jerusalem H3389 remembered H2142 in the days H3117 of her affliction H6040 and of her miseries H4788 all her pleasant things H4262 that she had in the days H3117 of old, H6924 when her people H5971 fell H5307 into the hand H3027 of the enemy, H6862 and none did help H5826 her: the adversaries H6862 saw H7200 her, and did mock H7832 at her sabbaths. H4868
And all the army H2428 of the Chaldeans, H3778 that were with the captain H7227 of the guard, H2876 brake down H5422 all the walls H2346 of Jerusalem H3389 round about. H5439
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
For thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 the God H430 of Israel; H3478 As mine anger H639 and my fury H2534 hath been poured forth H5413 upon the inhabitants H3427 of Jerusalem; H3389 so shall my fury H2534 be poured forth H5413 upon you, when ye shall enter H935 into Egypt: H4714 and ye shall be an execration, H423 and an astonishment, H8047 and a curse, H7045 and a reproach; H2781 and ye shall see H7200 this place H4725 no more.
And the Chaldeans H3778 burned H8313 the king's H4428 house, H1004 and the houses H1004 of the people, H5971 with fire, H784 and brake down H5422 the walls H2346 of Jerusalem. H3389
And I will persecute H7291 them H310 with the sword, H2719 with the famine, H7458 and with the pestilence, H1698 and will deliver H5414 them to be removed H2189 H2113 to all the kingdoms H4467 of the earth, H776 to be a curse, H423 and an astonishment, H8047 and an hissing, H8322 and a reproach, H2781 among all the nations H1471 whither I have driven H5080 them:
Then will I cut off H3772 Israel H3478 out H6440 of the land H127 which I have given H5414 them; and this house, H1004 which I have hallowed H6942 for my name, H8034 will I cast out H7971 of my sight; H6440 and Israel H3478 shall be a proverb H4912 and a byword H8148 among all people: H5971
Go ye up H5927 upon her walls, H8284 and destroy; H7843 but make H6213 not a full end: H3617 take away H5493 her battlements; H5189 for they are not the LORD'S. H3068
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
And now go to; I will tell H3045 you what I will do H6213 to my vineyard: H3754 I will take away H5493 the hedge H4881 thereof, and it shall be eaten up; H1197 and break down H6555 the wall H1447 thereof, and it shall be trodden down: H4823
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
We are become a reproach H2781 to our neighbours, H7934 a scorn H3933 and derision H7047 to them that are round about H5439 us.
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
Now these are the chief H7218 of the province H4082 that dwelt H3427 in Jerusalem: H3389 but in the cities H5892 of Judah H3063 dwelt H3427 every one H376 in his possession H272 in their cities, H5892 to wit, Israel, H3478 the priests, H3548 and the Levites, H3881 and the Nethinims, H5411 and the children H1121 of Solomon's H8010 servants. H5650
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
Be it known H1934 H3046 unto the king, H4430 that we went H236 into the province H4083 of Judea, H3061 to the house H1005 of the great H7229 God, H426 which is builded H1124 with great H1560 stones, H69 and timber H636 is laid H7761 in the walls, H3797 and this H1791 work H5673 goeth H5648 fast H629 on, and prospereth H6744 in their hands. H3028
Now these are the children H1121 of the province H4082 that went up H5927 out of the captivity, H7628 of those which had been carried away, H1473 whom Nebuchadnezzar H5019 the king H4428 of Babylon H894 had carried away H1540 unto Babylon, H894 and came again H7725 unto Jerusalem H3389 and Judah, H3063 every one H376 unto his city; H5892
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.