Nehemiah 1
Nehemiah's Prayer for Jerusalem
1The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the palace,
2Hanani, one of my brothers, came, he and certain men out of Judah; and I asked them about the Jews who had escaped, who were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
3They said to me, “The remnant who are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”
4When I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned several days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,
Nehemiah's Confession and Petition
5and said, “I beg you, LORD, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments,
6let your ear now be attentive and your eyes open, that you may listen to the prayer of your servant which I pray before you at this time, day and night, for the children of Israel your servants, while I confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against you. Yes, I and my father’s house have sinned.
7We have dealt very corruptly against you, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances, which you commanded your servant Moses.
8“Remember, I beg you, the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you trespass, I will scatter you among the peoples;
9but if you return to me, and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts were in the uttermost part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and will bring them to the place that I have chosen, to cause my name to dwell there.’
10“Now these are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.
11Lord, I beg you, let your ear be attentive now to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name; and please prosper your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cup bearer to the king.
Nehemiah, serving as cupbearer to the Persian king in Susa, receives devastating news about Jerusalem's ruined walls and the suffering of the Jewish remnant who had returned from exile. Upon hearing this report, he enters into an extended period of mourning, fasting, and prayer that demonstrates both deep grief for his people and profound faith in God's covenant promises. His prayer combines honest confession of Israel's sins with bold appeals to God's faithfulness, setting the stage for his eventual request to return and rebuild Jerusalem.
Context
This opening chapter establishes Nehemiah's burden for Jerusalem's restoration, which will drive the entire narrative of rebuilding that follows in subsequent chapters.
Key Themes
Outline
- 1-3Devastating News from JerusalemNehemiah receives a report about the dire conditions in Jerusalem and the suffering of the returned exiles.
- 4Nehemiah's Response of GriefNehemiah responds to the news with weeping, mourning, fasting, and prayer over several days.
- 5-7Prayer of ConfessionNehemiah begins his prayer by acknowledging God's greatness and confessing Israel's sins and corruption.
- 8-10Appeal to God's PromisesNehemiah reminds God of His covenant promises to gather His scattered people and restore them.
- 11Request for Divine FavorNehemiah asks for God's blessing and favor as he prepares to approach the king with his request.
Nehemiah's Prayer for Jerusalem
1:1–1:4Nehemiah receives devastating news about the condition of Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant, responding with mourning, fasting, and prayer. This sets the stage for his mission to rebuild Jerusalem's walls.
person_contrast
Nehemiah, typically portrayed as a decisive leader and royal cupbearer, appears here in his most vulnerable state—weeping, mourning, and fasting for days before taking any action.
Nehemiah's Confession and Petition
1:5–1:11Nehemiah's intercessory prayer confessing Israel's sins and appealing to God's covenant faithfulness and promises. He asks for divine favor as he prepares to approach the Persian king with his request.
person_contrast
Nehemiah, typically portrayed as a bold leader and reformer, here uniquely grounds his petition in Israel's covenant obligations and God's faithfulness to promises rather than administrative competence.
Nehemiah 1:3
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2 Chronicles 25:23lexicalJoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth Shemesh and brought him t…
Nehemiah 1:5
Daniel 9:4lexicalI prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, “Oh, Lord, the great and dreadful God, who keeps covenant an…
Deuteronomy 7:9lexicalKnow therefore that the LORD your God himself is God, the faithful God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness to a thou…
Nehemiah 9:32lexicalNow therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness, don’t let al…
Jonah 4:2lexicalHe prayed to the LORD, and said, “Please, LORD, wasn’t this what I said when I was still in my own country? Therefore I…
Exodus 20:6lexicaland showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Nehemiah 1:6
2 Chronicles 6:40lexical“Now, my God, let, I beg you, your eyes be open, and let your ears be attentive to the prayer that is made in this place…
2 Chronicles 6:20lexicalthat your eyes may be open toward this house day and night, even toward the place where you have said that you would put…
2 Chronicles 7:15lexicalNow my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to prayer that is made in this place.
1 Kings 8:29lexicalthat your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which you have said, ‘My name shall…
2 Chronicles 6:26lexical“When the sky is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and c…
Nehemiah 1:7
Deuteronomy 6:1lexicalNow these are the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that y…
Nehemiah 9:13lexical“You also came down on Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them right ordinances and true laws, good…
1 Kings 8:58lexicalthat he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his ordi…
Deuteronomy 7:11lexicalYou shall therefore keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances which I command you today, to do them.
Deuteronomy 26:17lexicalYou have declared today that the LORD is your God, and that you would walk in his ways, keep his statutes, his commandme…
Nehemiah 1:9
Deuteronomy 30:4lexicalIf your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of the heavens, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there…
Jeremiah 32:37lexical“Behold, I will gather them out of all the countries where I have driven them in my anger, and in my wrath, and in great…
Jeremiah 29:14lexicalI will be found by you,” says the LORD, “and I will turn again your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nation…
Jeremiah 8:3lexicalDeath will be chosen rather than life by all the residue that remain of this evil family, that remain in all the places…
Deuteronomy 26:2lexicalthat you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you shall bring in from your land that the L…
Nehemiah 1:11
2 Chronicles 6:40lexical“Now, my God, let, I beg you, your eyes be open, and let your ears be attentive to the prayer that is made in this place…
2 Chronicles 7:15lexicalNow my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to prayer that is made in this place.
Psalms 118:25lexicalSave us now, we beg you, LORD! LORD, we beg you, send prosperity now.
Psalms 130:2lexicalLord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my petitions.
Daniel 9:4lexicalI prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, “Oh, Lord, the great and dreadful God, who keeps covenant an…
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