Bible Commentaries
Nehemiah 1

Verse 1

1:1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month {a} Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,

(a) Which contains part of November and part of December, and was their ninth month.

Verse 2

1:2 That Hanani, one of my {b} 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.

(b) A Jew as I was.

Verse 3

1:3 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the {c} province [are] in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also [is] broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.

(c) Meaning in Judea.

Verse 11

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 {d} fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of {e} this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer.

(d) That is, to worship you.

(e) That is, the king Artaxerxes.