Nehemiah Chapters 1-2
Introduction In 444 B.C., 14 years after Ezra’s return to Jerusalem (Ezra chapters 7-8), Nehemiah also returned and God used him to guide Judah in rebuilding the city’s walls and in reordering the people’s social and economic lives. Most interpreters feel that Nehemiah authored the book that bears his name. Much of the book is a first-person account of the circumstances surrounding his return to Jerusalem (see chapters 1-7; 12:31-13:31). Nothing is known about Nehemiah’s childhood, youth, or family background, except that his father’s name was Hacaliah (1:1). “Possibly Nehemiah’s great-grandparents were taken into captivity when Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians. Nehemiah was probably born in Persia sometime during, or soon after, Zerubbabel’s ministry in Jerusalem. Nehemiah had risen to a position of prominence in his pagan environment; he was serving King Artaxerxes as his personal cupbearer (1:11). This important position in the king’s court gives insight into Nehemiah’s life and character. A mighty monarch, such as the king of Persia, would select for that position a man who was wise and discreet, and consistently honest and trustworthy and Nehemiah probably wrote the book that bears his name soon after all its events were completed. This means the book was written about 430 B.C. or shortly thereafter” (Bible Knowledge Comm. pp. 673-674). “More than half this book is a personal record, punctuated with ‘asides’ and frank comments which make it (in such parts) one of the liveliest pieces of writing in the Bible…The main action is crowded into the spring and summer of the year 445 B.C., in which time Nehemiah not only made a journey from near the Persian Gulf to Jerusalem, but restored the city’s walls and gates. From chapter 8, to near the end of chapter 12, other voice takes up the story, to tell of the spiritual fortifying of the same community, by the reading of the law…Then (12:31ff) Nehemiah himself depicts for us the dedication day…Finally, in chapter 13, he leaves us with some vigorous reminders that a running battle is still in progress. Clearly his twelve years as governor, and his temporary return to the imperial court, have done nothing to slow down his reactions or to cool his fighting spirit. 1
If Judaism was to earn a name for its zeal for righteousness, it owed it very largely to these two determined men, Ezra and Nehemiah” (Kidner p. 77). The following I found to be a handy outline of this book: I. The Rebuilding of the Walls: Chapters 1-6 Nehemiah’s prayer voiced (chapter 1) Nehemiah’s prayer answered (2:1-8) Nehemiah’s preparation for the work (2:9-20) Nehemiah’s delegation of the work (chapter 3) Nehemiah’s reactions to opposition (chapter 4) Nehemiah’s handling internal problems (5:1-13) Nehemiah’s service as governor (5:14-19) Nehemiah’s response to opposition against him personally (6:114) I. Nehemiah’s completion of the project (6:15-19) A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H.
II. The Restoration of the People: Chapters 7-13 A. B. C. D. E. F.
The security of the city (7:1-3) The census of the returnees (7:4-73a) The ministry of Ezra (7:73b-10:39) The list of Judean residents (11:1-12:26) The dedication of the wall (12:27-47) The reforms under Nehemiah (chapter 13)
Chapter 1 1:1 The name “Nehemiah” means, “the Lord comforts”. The name of his father is “Hacaliah” (hah kuh LIGH uh), and from the statement, “The words of Nehemiah”, it seems clear that he is the author. 1:1 The month of “Chislev” (KIZZ lehv), was the ninth month in the Hebrew calendar, which would be our November-December. The “twentieth year” was the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes (446-445 B.C.). The city of “Susa” (SUE suh) was the winter resort of the Persian kings. The events of the book of Esther book place in Susa, as did the vision of Daniel 8. The city was 150 miles north of the Persian Gulf. The years before the twentieth year of Artaxerxes had been difficult ones for the king. In 460 B.C. there was a revolt in Egypt that was not quelled until 455. In 445 Megabyzus, satrap of Trans-Euphrates, rebelled but was later reconciled to the king. Therefore at this point the king of Persia would have been
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interested in having loyal supporters in Jerusalem in case of more trouble in Egypt or anywhere in the west. 1:2 Hanani (hah NAH nigh) was either the real brother of Nehemiah or a near relative. These men had come from Jerusalem and immediately Nehemiah questioned them concerning the state of affairs in Judah. This questioning indicates Nehemiah’s deep concern for his own people, even those who lived far away. Today Christians need to have the same concern for God’s people in other areas of the world (2 Corinthians 11:28). 1:3 The report Nehemiah received was very honest and very discouraging. It could be that there had been an attempt to rebuild the walls under the leadership of Ezra, but such an attempt had been crushed by force and power (Ezra 4:7-23). Jerusalem was not only disarmed, but on its own. Such a condition left the city defenseless, and furthermore was a disgrace and humiliation to God’s people. 1:4 Nehemiah could not simply say, “Oh well, I am comfortable here”, or, “I have a good job, so why should I worry?” When we hear about congregations struggling, dividing, or dying, is this our reaction? This news moved Nehemiah to prayer and fasting because Nehemiah cared about God’s reputation and the welfare of God’s people. Godly people in times past allowed themselves to mourn over such things. Daniel mourned three weeks for the sins of his people (10:2), although Daniel was a very important man with important tasks in the Persian government.
Nehemiah’s Prayer 1:5 God honors and keeps His covenants through thick and thin with those who love Him and such love is manifested by keeping His commandments. Nehemiah knew that his God was “great”, he therefore was not afraid to make of Him a bold request. 1:6-7 Nehemiah knew why Jerusalem had been destroyed some 140 years earlier. Neither does Nehemiah excuse himself or his family from the sins committed by the nation of Israel. Anyone who honestly stands before God will see his own sins (Isaiah 6:1-5; Luke 5:8). Note, Nehemiah didn’t blame God for what had happened to Jerusalem, neither does he blame God for the sorry condition of God’s people in Judah. Rather, he knows why life has been rough for Israel, i.e., they had violated the covenant many times over.
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1:8-9 Yet God holds out a promise for those who are willing to repent. Nehemiah had a copy of the Scriptures and he knew that Moses had written in Deuteronomy 30:1-15 regarding God’s promise to restore to His land the people if they turned back to Him. Nehemiah believed that Moses had actually written the book of Deuteronomy! Nehemiah understood both the threats and promises found in the Scriptures and the conditions for being at the receiving end of either. 1:10 Though they had sinned, they were still God’s people. Nehemiah, like Moses centuries before (Deuteronomy 9:29), pleaded that God would stand by His people. Like Moses, he stands in the gap and intercedes for the future of the nation. 1:11 “For Nehemiah worldly success did not spell spiritual failure, and royal society left his appetite for divine fellowship unimpaired. The place of the fear of God in his heart was so great as to banish wholly the fear of man” (Gaebelein p. 683). Even though the nation had sinned grievously, Nehemiah knew that others like himself, who respected God greatly, did exist in the nation. At this point he redirects his requests from the people at large to himself. It would appear that he had already made his decision to approach Artaxerxes for permission to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall. He now asks God that the king would give him a favorable response. 1:11 Various sources suggest something about Nehemiah as a royal cupbearer: He would have been well-trained in court etiquette. He was probably a handsome individual. He would have enjoyed the unreserved confidence of the king. The great need for trustworthy attendants is underscored by the intrigues to the Persian kings. Xerxes, the father of Artaxerxes I, had been killed in his bedchamber by his own courtier. His basic duty was to sample the wine served to the king to make sure it had not been poisoned.
Chapter 2 2:1 Some four months later in the month of Nisan (March-April), Nehemiah was scheduled for his duties in the palace. This was the opportunity for which he had been praying. Note, it had been four months since he had heard the bad news, and his sadness had not been a temporary or superficial sadness. This also reveals how long Nehemiah had persisted in his praying and fasting. This delay of about four months could have been
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due to the fact that the Persian king may have been absent in his other winter palace at Babylon during this time. 2:2 Nehemiah was afraid because Persian kings never allowed sadness in their presence. Artaxerxes soon noticed that his cupbearer was exhibiting a sadness of heart unrelated to his health. Court etiquette would be offended if one who enjoyed the king’s presence were to ask leave to depart to another place. Regardless of one’s personal problems, the king’s servants were expected to keep their feelings hidden and to display a cheerful countenance before him. 2:3 Nehemiah was an honest man and therefore did not avoid the question or lie. He told the king that his sadness was justified, seeing that the home of his ancestors (Jerusalem) was in ruins. “The reference to ‘the place of my father’s tombs’ was a stroke of genius. Persians were paranoid about respect for the dead and proper burial. The phrase evoked immediate sympathy from this monarch who only a few years before had order the work of rebuilding Jerusalem to cease” (Smith p. 725). 2:4 When asked point blank by the king, “What is your request?”, Nehemiah immediately prayed to God for wisdom. This is a beautiful example of spontaneous prayer in Scripture. Such a prayer reminded Nehemiah, that though he stood in the presence of an earthly monarch, more importantly, he stood before the God of heaven. “Those who are boldest for God have the greatest need to be in prayer” (Gaebelein p. 685). This implies that if you really don’t feel a compelling need to pray to God everyday, it probably means that you aren’t risking anything for God either. People who try to play it safe are the same people who don’t feel any need to pray. “The remembered scene lives for us in this intimate, rapid narrative. We are involve in it, holding our breath with Nehemiah as he gasps a prayer and braces himself to reply” (Kidner pp. 80-81). 2:5-6 The mention of the queen may indicate that this was a private occasion. It may also suggest that the king’s decision owed something to her influence. “The whole interview gives the impression that it was Nehemiah’s personal qualities that won him the right to speak and that gained his point, overriding all the political obstacles” (Kidner p. 81). 1. I am impressed that this king didn’t want Nehemiah gone forever. Nehemiah was a faithful and loyal cupbearer and men of such integrity are hard to find. We should ask ourselves, are we the type of employee
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that a company hates to lose, or the type that they are glad to get rid of? 2. Nehemiah had planned carefully and knew precisely how long this mission would take. Nehemiah 5:14 implies that he spent 12 years on his first term as governor of Judah. In the thirty-second year he returned to report to the king and then returned to Judah for a second term (13:6). 2:7-8 Nehemiah also seized the opportunity before him and asked for everything he needed to make this a successful endeavor. He asked for passport letters which would allow him to travel without provincial interfere en route to Judah. He further requested a letter to the overseer of the king’s forests in the region (probably in Lebanon) authorizing a grant of timber to be used in reconstructing the gates of the city. Let us learn from Nehemiah to be men and women of prayer, to have boldness in asking people to study the Scriptures with us, to seize the opportunities when they are presented, and to have planned ahead! “If we are impressed with the realism and boldness of these requests, so too was the king. Vagueness, at this point, would have shown up the project as a mere dream or sudden impulse” (Kidner p. 81). 2:8 “Because the good hand of my God was on me”: That is, God providentially working was behind the king giving a positive answer. Carefully note that God’s providence also depended upon Nehemiah’s character. God could use Nehemiah because he has made himself useable (2 Timothy 2:20-21). 2:9-10 Nehemiah was accompanied by an armed Persian military escort. Not only did this provide protection, it guaranteed that Nehemiah would arrive in style. It would also render credibility to his authority and underscore the change in royal policy. Among the officials that Nehemiah encountered were “Sanballat” (san BAL uht), who is described as an “Horonite”. This title is either derived from a town in Moab, or, from the name of a town in the tribal area of Ephraim which was named Bethhoron, and was located about 18 miles NW of Jerusalem. According to an Elephantine Papyrus, Sanballat was governor of Samaria in 408 B.C. Since his sons were acting for him at that time, he probably was elderly. The other official was Tobiah the Ammonite, likely the governor of Ammon, although he may have been an Ammonite official under Sanballat’s authority. “Tobiah is a Jewish name and not Ammonite, but the Tobiad family was to have influence in Ammon for a long time. These Tobiads may have been descendants of the Tobiah who in Ezra 2:60 was rejected from the Jewish community because ‘they could not show that their families were descended from Israel’. If so, their long-
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standing enmity against the Jewish community may have begun at that time” (Breneman pp. 178-179). Immediately these two men began to plan how to stop Nehemiah from achieving his goal. Perhaps they were hoping to gain control of Judah. In like manner, some today are angry when someone tries to get God’s people motivated to do His will. 2:11 Like Ezra before him, after arriving after a 1000 mile journey, Nehemiah rested three days (Ezra 8:32). 2:12 Nehemiah didn’t announce his intentions, rather he selected a few men he could trust and proceeded to inspect the condition of the broken down walls. “Nehemiah, as ever, is a model of good sense, piety and attention to detail. For all his speed and drive, he does not rush into action or into talk. He anticipates the obvious objection that a newcomer can have no idea of the task, so he briefs himself thoroughly and chooses his moment to show his hand” (Kidner p. 82). Nehemiah also understands that basically this project was not his. It was from God and for Jerusalem, not from Nehemiah nor his prestige. 2:13-16 Then he made a careful survey of the walls to analyze the problem he faced. He did so at night, apparently to avoid letting others know his plans before they were firmly fixed in his mind. During this nighttime inspection he rode his horse or mule from the Valley Gate in the SW wall east to the Jackal Well and to the Dung Gate in the SE part of the city. The Fountain Gate was north of the Dung Gate on the eastern wall. The King’s Pool may be the same as the Pool of Siloam, which was near the King’s Garden (Nehemiah 3:15). 2:17 After Nehemiah had completed this secret survey and was satisfied that he had developed a workable plan, the time had come to reveal all of this to the Jewish leadership. Here we learn something about leadership. Too many people try to motivate people yet fail because they keep floating some type of half-baked idea. Before you expect people to follow you, you need to have a workable and reasonable game plan. 2:17 “That we may no longer be a reproach”: “Sometimes it takes a stranger to see sharply what has been softened by familiarity. Nehemiah’s perspective is significant. On the debit side it is the disgrace, not the insecurity of their position, which strikes him---for Jerusalem should be seen as ‘the city of the great King’ and ‘joy of all the earth’” (Kidner p. 83).
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Nehemiah was realistic, acknowledging there was a lot of work to be done. Yet how could godly people allow Jerusalem, the city which God had chosen, to remain in such a sorry condition? Are we this zealous about seeing that the congregation of which we are members is growing, active, and faithful? 2:18 On the positive side, Nehemiah told these men how God’s providence had been with him. 2:19 Added to the enemies of the Jews, we have another name, “Geshem the Arab”. There is evidence that this man was very powerful. His name appears on a silver vessel donated to an Arabian goddess towards the end of the 5th century. From other sources it emerges that Geshem and his son ruled a league of Arab tribes which took control of Moab and Edom. “So, with already a hostile Samaria and Ammon to the north and east, Judah was now virtually encircled, and the war of nerves had begun” (Kidner p. 84). His enemies threatened Nehemiah with the accusation that they would say Nehemiah and his associates were planning a rebellion against the Persian king. 2:20 Nehemiah was undeterred. God was with him, and he wasn’t afraid of human accusations or human opponents. In addition, he made clear that his enemies had no claim or share, either past or present, to the city of Jerusalem. Nehemiah informed his opponents that he was doing God’s work. Despite their threats, the people of Jerusalem would arise and rebuild the walls. This city was God’s city, and his opponents had long ago forfeited any claim to being God’s people. These remarks had important legal ramifications. Nehemiah was now governor of this region and Jerusalem was the city of the Jews; these enemies had no legal authority over it.
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