Nehemiah 1:9

_AND SAID, I BESEECH THEE, O LORD GOD OF HEAVEN, THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE GOD, THAT KEEPETH COVENANT AND MERCY FOR THEM THAT LOVE HIM AND OBSERVE HIS COMMANDMENTS:_ No JFB commentary on these verses....

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...

REMEMBER.... IF YE TRANSGRESS. WILL SCATTER YOU ABROAD AMONG THE NATIONS. The reference is not to any particular passage, but to various statements to this effect; such passages as Leviticus 26:33-45; Deuteronomy 4:25-31; Deuteronomy 30:1-5. Twice have these predictions been fulfilled, once at the time of the Captivity, and once five hundred years after the time of Nehemiah, when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. But God had not only declared that he would scatter them on account of their sins, but if they "turned and kept his commandments, though they were cast to the uttermost parts of heaven," he would gather them, and bring them again to their own land. It is to this promise

TURN UNTO ME. National repentance was ever the one great condition of Israel's national blessing (Deuteronomy 30:2, &c.); and is still the condition. Compare Acts 3:19, which, with Acts 28:17; Acts 28:23, was the last national call....

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 ...

_REMEMBERING GOD'S PROMISE -- NEHEMIAH 1:8-9:_ Nehemiah's prayer recalled the promise that God had made to Moses. "Please remember the promise you made to Moses. You told him that if we were unfaithful, you would scatter us among foreign nations. But you also said that no matter how far away we were, we could turn to you and start obeying your laws. Then you would bring us back to the place where you have chosen to be worshiped." This promise is found in several places. Deuteronomy 4:25-31 is an example. Because of evil they would “utterly perish from off the land.” They would be “scattered among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen.” But in the latter days if they would seek the Lord and turn to Him He would, by His mercy restore them to a right relation

2. Nehemiah's Prayer TEXT, NEHEMIAH 1:5-11 a 5 And I said, I beseech Thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and loving-kindness of those who love Him and keep His commandments, 6 let Thine ear now be attentive and Thine eyes open to hear the prayer of Thy servant which I am praying before Thee now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Thy servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against Thee; I and my father's house have sinned. 7 We have acted very corruptly against Thee and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which Thou didst command Thy servant Moses. 8 Remember the word which Thou didst command Thy servant Moses, saying, -If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; 9 but if you return

ILL NEWS FROM JERUSALEM. NEHEMIAH'S PRAYER 1. The words] better, 'the history.' Some thirteen or fourteen years separate the visit of Nehemiah to Jerusalem, recorded in this book, from that of Ezra which is related in Ezra 7. NEHEMIAH] Nehemiah, as stated in Nehemiah 1:11, occupied an important position at the Persian court, seems to have been a favourite with the king, and probably possessed considerable wealth (Nehemiah 5:14.). Unlike Ezra (who was of priestly family and a student), he was a layman and a man of action. His career shows that he was self-reliant (Nehemiah 2:12), energetic (chs.3, 4), shrewd ...