Nehemiah 1:2

_THAT HANANI, ONE OF MY BRETHREN, CAME, HE AND CERTAIN MEN OF JUDAH; AND I ASKED THEM CONCERNING THE JEWS THAT HAD ESCAPED, WHICH WERE LEFT OF THE CAPTIVITY, AND CONCERNING JERUSALEM._ Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah. Hanani is called (Nehemiah 7:2) his brother. 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, and having ascertained that they had lately returned from Judea, was informed by them, in answer to his eager inquiries, 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

Verse Nehemiah 1:2. _I ASKED THEM CONCERNING THE JEWS_] Josephus gives a probable account of this business: "Nehemiah, being somewhere out of Susa, seeing some strangers, and hearing them converse in the Hebrew tongue, he went near; and finding they were Jews from Jerusalem, he asked them how matters went with their brethren in that city, and what was their state?" And the answer they gave him is, in substance, that recorded in the text; though with several aggravations in Josephus. - _Joseph_. Ant. lib. xi., c. 5....

Hanani seems to have been an actual brother of Nehemiah Nehemiah 7:2....

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

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...

THAT HANANI, ONE OF MY BRETHREN, CAME. We learn from chapter 7:2 that Hanani was the brother of Nehemiah. It is probable that Nehemiah had sent him on. tour to Judea,. distance of near one thousand miles by the route traveled, to learn of the state of the Jews there. In those days when there were no mails, personal report would be the only satisfactory way of information. Hanani, with certain other Jews, had returned to make their report. He asked them concerning the Jews who had "escaped" from exile in the land of the "_ Captivity_ " and concerning the present condition of Jerusalem. All who were still in Persia, the descendants of the captives carried away by Nebuchadnezzar, were called the "Captivity." For many hundred years after this their chief was styled "the Prince of the Captivity....

HANANI. Shortened form of Hananiah. Compare Nehemiah 7:2. See note above, and compare Daniel 1:3; Daniel 1:6. I ASKED. Not about Ezra, and the 42,360 who are supposed to have been already in the Province of Judah: this Nehemiah would surely have done if they had really been there. THE JEWS. Mentioned eleven times in this book (Nehemiah 1:2; Nehemiah 2:16; Nehemiah 4:1; Nehemiah 4:2

Nehemiah 1:1 to Nehemiah 7:73 _a_. Extract from the memoirs of Nehemiah 1. The Superscription. -In many MSS. and editions the beginning of this book is closely united with the last verse of Ezra, and in some it appears without line or interval between as part of Ezra" (Davidson's _Hebrew Text_). _The words_ R.V. marg. _the history_. (_a_) The rendering -words" merely calls attention to the fact that we here have a portion of the writings of Nehemiah himself. (_b_) The rendering -history" is more formal, and is capable of being understood in two different ways, (1) as a reference to a well-known work of history from the pen of Nehemiah, as in -the histories (marg. Heb. _words_) of Shemaiah, the prophet, and Iddo, the seer" ...

_SAD WORDS CONCERNING JERUSALEM -- NEHEMIAH 1:1-4:_ Nehemiah is identified as the son of Hachaliah. He served in Shushan, the palace of the king of Persia. This is where Esther had lived and served as queen. (Esther 1:2) This great book teaches us that (1) God really cares about His people, (2) He desires to see His work accomplished, and (3) He wants His people to be faithful and prosper. The story of the Book of Nehemiah is that Nehemiah is allowed to lead a group of people to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall and help restore the city. Hanani, one of Nehemiah's brothers and some other men came to visit Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 7:2) He asked them concerning the conditions in Jerusalem and the welfare of the Jews that were there.