Nehemiah 1:3

_AND THEY SAID UNTO ME, THE REMNANT THAT ARE LEFT OF THE CAPTIVITY THERE IN THE PROVINCE ARE IN GREAT AFFLICTION AND REPROACH: THE WALL OF JERUSALEM ALSO IS BROKEN DOWN, AND THE GATES THEREOF ARE BURNED_ _ WITH FIRE._ No JFB commentary on this verse....

Verse Nehemiah 1:3. _THE WALL OF JERUSALEM ALSO_ IS _BROKEN DOWN_] This must refer to the walls, which had been _rebuilt_ after the people returned from their captivity: for it could not refer to the walls which were broken down and levelled with the dust by _Nebuchadnezzar_; for to hear of this could be no _news_ to Nehemiah....

The attempt to rebuild the wall in the time of the Pseudo-Smerdis Ezra 4:12 had been stopped. It still remained in ruins. The Assyrian sculptures show that it was the usual practice to burn the gates....

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...

THE REMNANT THAT ARE LEFT OF THE CAPTIVITY. The small numbers of those in Palestine compared with the great population in the days of the Jewish kings seemed like only. "remnant." We have found that only from 40,000 to 50,000 returned at first. IN THE PROVINCE. Judea, now. province of the Persian Empire. All the conquered countries were called provinces. These were in GREAT AFFLICTION AND REPROACH. They were surrounded with tribes who hated them, the Samaritans, Ammonites and Arabians, and were reproached with their weakness. The people were often murdered by lawless marauders, and the city itself had no walls to protect its population. In that age and state of society an unwalled city was in. deplorable condition. THE WALL.. IS BROKEN DOWN. See 2 Kings 25:10 and...

THEY SAID: that which could not have been said if Ezra and his thousands had been already there. THE REMNANT. For the history of this "remnant" see Jeremiah 1:44. Only. few poor serfs there (Jeremiah 52:15; Jeremiah 52:16). LEFT. Not carried away or returned (Jeremiah 52:15; Jeremiah 52:16). PROVINCE. Judah. See Ezra 5:8. BROKEN DOWN. Just as left by Nebuchadnezzar ...

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.