Nehemiah 1:11

_O LORD, I BESEECH THEE, LET NOW THINE EAR BE ATTENTIVE TO THE PRAYER OF THY SERVANT, AND TO THE PRAYER OF THY SERVANTS, WHO DESIRE TO FEAR THY NAME: AND PROSPER, I PRAY THEE, THY SERVANT THIS DAY, AND GRANT HIM MERCY IN THE SIGHT OF THIS MAN. FOR I WAS THE KING'S CUPBEARER._ I was the king's cup-bearer, х_ MASHQEH_ (H4945)] - butler (cf. Isaiah 39:7; Daniel 1:1). 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, possessed of great influence....

Verse Nehemiah 1:11. _MERCY IN THE SIGHT OF THIS MAN._] Favour before the king, Ahasuerus. He seems then to have been giving him the cup. _FOR I WAS THE KING'S CUP-BEARER._] The king's _butler_, (the Persians call him [Arabic] _saky_,) which gave him the opportunity of being frequently with the king; and to be in such a place of trust, he must be in the king's confidence. No Eastern potentate would have a cup-bearer with whom he could not trust his life, _poison_ being frequently administered in this way. This verse seems to have been a mental prayer, which Nehemiah now put up as he was delivering the cup into the king's hand....

A Persian king had numerous cup-bearers, each of whom probably discharged the office in his turn....

PART I. INTRODUCTORY SECTION. Nehemiah 1:1; Nehemiah 2:1. EXPOSITION CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH NEHEMIAH OBTAINED HIS COMMISSION TO REBUILD THE WALL OF JERUSALEM (Nehemiah 1:1; Nehemiah 2:1). Living at the Persian court, far from the land which he looked on as his true country, though perhaps he had never seen it, Nehemiah seems to have known but little of its

FEAR (_ See Scofield) - (Psalms 19:9). _...

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS I. HOW NEHEMIAH RETURNEDTO JERUSALEM AND THE BUILDING OF THE WALL CHAPTER 1 _ 1. Nehemiah hears of the condition of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:1)_ 2. His great sorrow, and prayer (Nehemiah 1:4) Nehemiah 1:1. “The words of Nehemiah (the Lord is comfort) the son of Hachaliah.” It is therefore the personal narrative of his experience which is before us in the first six Chapter s of this book, in which he describes his soul exercise, and how the Lord made it possible for him to return to Jerusalem, and how the wall was rebuilt. Nehemiah was a young man, born in captivity holding a position of nearness to the great Persian king and living in the beautiful palace of Shusha

PART III (Nehemiah 1:1 to Nehemiah 7:73_ a_). THE WORK OF NEHEMIAH. Nehemiah 1:1 a. Nehemiah, Hearing of the Evil Plight of his Brethren in Jerusalem, Prays for Divine Aid. Nehemiah 1:1. The words. Hacaliah: these introductory words are not likely to have stood here originally when Ch.- Ezr.- Neh. formed one continuous book. they were probably added by a later scribe. THE MONTH CHISLEV, IN THE TWENTIETH YEAR: _i.e._ the ninth month (Ezra 10:9 *). The last date mentioned was in...

PROSPER THY SERVANT, THIS DAY, AND GRANT HIM MERCY IN THE SIGHT OF THIS MAN. This leads to the object of the prayer. He desired to obtain. great favor from an arbitrary and despotic king, no less than to be appointed governor of Judea, with permission to rebuild the walls. He desired God to help him to present his request in the wisest way and to incline the king to grant his prayer. We can now form little conception of the perilous character of such. request.. Persian king was regarded almost divine, and it was held one of the highest of earthly privileges to be in his presence. To ask to leave his court was almost treason. Unless it could be asked in such. way as to succeed the request was likely to prove Nehemiah's ruin. "This man" refers to the king. FOR. WAS THE KING'S CUPBEARER. This was. very important office in ancient courts, both on account of the confidential nature of the o...

LORD*. Hebrew Adonai. See App-4. But it is one of the 134 alterations of the _Sopherim._ See App-34. DESIRE TO FEAR. delight in revering. MERCY. tender mercies....

Nehemiah's Prayer This prayer falls into five portions: (1) the opening address, Nehemiah 1:5; (2) the humble approach, Nehemiah 1:6 _a_; (3) the confession of sins, Nehemiah 1:6 _b_, Nehemiah 1:7; (4) the appeal to the Divine Promise, Nehemiah 1:8-10; (5) the closing supplication for (_a_) the people, and (_b_) Nehemiah as their representative at the royal court, Nehemiah 1:11. Points of resemblance may be noted with the prayer of Ezra ...