Study notes

Nehemiah 1

Introducing NehemiahWho wrote it, when, why, and what to look for as you read

1:1

  • Artaxerxes I ruled Persia from 465 to 424 BC.

  • The fortress of Susa served as the Persian king’s winter palace.

1:1–11 Section

In Nehemiah’s time, many Jews had already moved back to the land of Judah. They moved back from Babylon where they had been forced to live in exile.

They were back in the land God had given to the family line of Abraham. But the people of Israel were no longer in charge. They weren’t the rulers of the northern kingdom or the southern kingdom. The entire land of Israel was controlled by the government of Persia.

The Jews who moved back built a new temple. This showed that they were God’s people and worshipped only God. This was part of living as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

Yet the wall of Jerusalem was still broken down. This showed that they were no longer a strong nation. They weren’t strong like when David and Solomon were kings. The broken wall was a sign of the judgement God brought against his people.

They hadn’t been faithful to the Mount Sinai covenant. So they faced the covenant curses. Nehemiah’s prayer showed that he understood this. In his deep sadness, Nehemiah went without food. This is called fasting. He prayed constantly and admitted to God how the Israelites had sinned.

All of God’s people had done evil things. Nehemiah recognised that this included himself and his family. In his prayer Nehemiah remembered things that were true about God. God is always faithful to his covenant. Nehemiah asked God to keep his promises to his people. God’s people took delight in bringing honour to God’s name. Yet the broken wall of Jerusalem brought them shame. So Nehemiah made careful plans to rebuild the wall. He asked God to give him success when he told Artaxerxes his plans.

1:2

  • Hanani might have been one of Nehemiah’s actual brothers. In Hebrew, this word can also mean a fellow countryman (for example, Deuteronomy 1:16).

  • the remnant of the Jews who had survived the exile: See Ezra 2:64–65; 8:1–14.

1:3

  • The wall of Jerusalem is broken down: This likely refers to a recent event in Jerusalem (see Ezra 4:6–23), not the Babylonian conquest in 586 BC.

  • disgrace: Foreigners could mock the destroyed city, claiming it showed that Israel’s God was too weak to protect it (compare Joel 2:17; Micah 7:8–10).

1:4

Nehemiah mourned, fasted, and prayed for about four months (compare Nehemiah 1:1; 2:1), deeply worried about Jerusalem.

1:5–11

Nehemiah’s prayer includes:

Nehemiah understood that Israel’s situation was not due to God failing His covenant of unfailing love. Instead, Israel’s ongoing sin led to the punishments described in the covenant.

1:6

I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed: Like Ezra (Ezra 9:5–15) and Daniel (Daniel 9:4–19), Nehemiah identified with his people's sins. He made no excuses and accepted his own responsibility and that of the larger covenant group that had sinned against God.

1:10

Nehemiah refers to God's long-standing covenant with the Israelites. God rescued them during the exodus (Deuteronomy 9:29) and made them his servants.

1:11

  • grant him mercy in the sight of this man: Nehemiah knew God could make the king kind to him.

  • As a cup-bearer, Nehemiah tasted the king’s wine to ensure it was safe. This role gave him daily access to King Artaxerxes.

Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources