Matthew Poole's Commentary The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, Nehemiah, understanding by Hanani the affliction of the Jews, and the misery of Jerusalem, Neh 1:1-3, mourneth, fasteth, and prayeth, Neh 1:4. His prayer for them, Neh 1:5-10; and for success in his petition to the king, Neh 1:11. The words of Nehemiah, or rather, the acts, or deeds, as the word oft signifies; of which he here treats. In the month Chisleu; which is the ninth month, containing part of November and part of December. In the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, Neh 2:1. In Shushan; the chief and royal city of Persia, Est 3:15. That Hanani, one of my 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. One of my brethren; of my family, or tribe, or nation. That had escaped out of the slavery which they endured in strange lands. Which, were left of the captivity; the remnant of those numerous captives. 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. In the province, i.e. in Judea, which was now made a province under the Persian monarchs: See Poole "Ezra 5:8". In great affliction and reproach; despised and distressed by the neighbouring nations. The wall is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned, i.e. the walls and gates continue in the same woeful plight in which Nebuchadnezzar left them; the Jews not being yet in a condition to rebuild them, nor having commission from the kings of Persia to do so, but only to build the temple and their own private houses. And this made their enemies scorn them; who also would have ruined them, but for fear of offending the Persian king. And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven, No text from Poole on this verse. 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 text from Poole on this verse. Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned. No text from Poole on this verse. We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses. We have dealt very corruptly, or we have wholly corrupted, to wit, ourselves, and our ways, and thy worship. Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: No text from Poole on this verse. But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. No text from Poole on this verse. Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand. No text from Poole on this verse. 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 fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer. In the sight of this man, the king; who though a god by office, is but a man by nature, and therefore his heart is wholly at thy disposal. I was the king’s cup-bearer; whereby I had opportunity to speak to him, and some favour and freedom with him; which encouraged me to make this prayer, and to hope for some success. |
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