I. Introduction

And it came about in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, that wine was before him, and I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. So the king said to me, “Why is your face sad though you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.” Then I was very much afraid. I said to the king, “Let the king live forever. Why should my face not be sad when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?” Then the king said to me, “What would you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. I said to the king, “If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.” Then the king said to me, the queen sitting beside him, “How long will your journey be, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a definite time (Neh 2:1-6 NASB).

Nehemiah was a man of prayer [ 1]; he had great faith in the God of heaven—Jehovah God. The biblical record shows that Nehemiah’s faith motivated him to seek God’s blessing, counsel, help, and mercy before he proceeded on his own with whatever matters were at hand [2]. Undoubtedly our God and Nehemiah had established a working relationship during the courses of Nehemiah’s life by which God had demonstrated His unfailing love and faithfulness; that is, His abiding intimacy. Accordingly, Nehemiah’s love for and faith in God matured and grew as his relationship with God matured and grew. It is likely that Nehemiah was unaware, or possibly unsure, of God’s intimacy with him early on, but at some defining instant in their relationship Nehemiah became cognizant of Jehovah God; at some defining instant he became mindful of God’s suffusing presence in the courses of his life. If there is any semblance of truth to this supposition, then surely it is at this instant that Nehemiah became a man of prayer. Appreciating now better than ever that our God was so available, just a prayer’s breath away, and so intimately engaging, Nehemiah thence prayed. In this, God clearly satisfied Nehemiah’s soul, time and again, for an essential and vital dynamic of prayer is the blessed engagement of our God’s intimacy, an intimacy which is the all-sufficient means of satisfaction in all of life’s circumstances. Small wonder that Nehemiah learned to pray to the God of heaven before he proceeded in the courses of his life.

This study is interested in the aspects of prayer revealed to us in Nehemiah chapter one. Toward that end, it has been written as both a verse-by-verse commentary and a theological study. We will follow this outline:

• Verse of Scripture utilizing the YLT text followed by an NASB mouse-over of that verse.

• Commentary with selected word study based on the Hebrew text.

II. Nehemiah Chapter One Commentary Verses

1-4—The Bad Report—Weeping, Mourning, Fasting, Praying

YLT TEXT: Words of Nehemiah son of Hachaliah. And it cometh to pass, in the month of Chisleu, the twentieth year, and I have been in Shushan the palace and come in doth Hanani, one of my brethren, he and men of Judah, and I ask them concerning the Jews, the escaped part that have been left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem; and they say to me, `Those left, who have been left of the captivity there in the province, [are] in great evil, and in reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burnt with fire.’ And it cometh to pass, at my hearing these words, I have sat down, and I weep and mourn [for] days, and I am fasting and praying before the God of the heavens. Nehemiah 1:1-4.

COMMENTARY: Concerning Shushan (Susa), where Nehemiah received the bad news [3].

This report bespeaks of total devastation. The picture really couldn’t have been any bleaker. An ancient city with its walls torn down was a picture of defeat and death. The walls represented protection and strength; an ancient city without walls was a non-city. Jerusalem was in this sorry state after the Babylonian conquest of 587 BC. In 515 BC through the efforts of Ezra, Haggai, and Zecharaiah the temple (to become known as Zerubbabel’s temple) was rebuilt, and some manner of government was put in place, but the city proper lay in heaps until Nehemiah’s time, some one-hundred-forty plus years after its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar. It is the reconstruction of the walls that Nehemiah had his heart set on, for with that Jerusalem would become, at least, some semblance of a city again, and her citizens, some semblance of citizens, and the reproach that became attached to the Name of Jehovah removed [4]. As things were, the city remained vulnerable, and largely desolate, because no one cared to live in an unprotected city. From the context there can be little doubt that God raised up Nehemiah just for this work—to reestablish Jerusalem as a city and so remove the reproach from her people and the temple, and from the reproach God’s enemies hastened to put upon His Name. Nehemiah’s sensitive reaction to the bad news seems to indicate that God’s hand was upon him, calling him to the task.

Nehemiah knew what came first. He prayed to the God of heaven. But we must appreciate his predicament in order to appreciate his faith, and appreciate his tenor in order to appreciate his heart. Concerning the former, he was a cupbearer-captive in his suzerain’s court, hundreds of miles from Jerusalem with no building materials or laborers, and no guarantee of safe passage, let alone conveyance hence should he acquire the same. Concerning the latter, he grieved for his fellows, his home, and most of all, the reproach put upon his God over the place that was attached to His Name. Nehemiah’s heart was broken for his home and his God. These are the motivations and passions driving his prayer for a successful audience with the king he served. It is to his credit that he besought God’s help in faith, undeterred by his predicament, with a heart motivated by love of others and love of God (Lev 19:18, Deu 6:5, Mat 22:36-40).

 

5a—Beseeching God

YLT TEXT: And I say, `I beseech thee, Nehemiah 1:5.

COMMENTARY: Beseech (ANA) is here utilized as an interjection of entreaty (implore, pray; there is a sense of urgency about this word). This is no casual, off-the-cuff prayer. Nehemiah is imploring, pleading; he is not ashamed to display before God the desperation he feels over the plight of Judah. Notice his drive to intercede in this; his depth of concern.

 

5b—Descriptive Praise

YLT TEXT: O Jehovah, God of the heavens, God, the great and the fearful Nehemiah 1:5.

COMMENTARY: Notice to whom Nehemiah prays and in whom Nehemiah places his faith—Jehovah, the great and fearful God; the able God; the doer of great things ( Deu 10:17, 2Sa 22:47-49, Psa 24:8, 65:5, Dan 9:4, Mic 7:10, Rev 11:17). Having set a humble tone [5], Nehemiah here praises God. This is descriptive praise by way of address (Tab. 1). When Nehemiah praises God descriptively this way he is reminding himself of just who it is he is praying to. He is reminding himself of the awesome attributes of his God. Nehemiah is coming before God to ask for His help in a difficult circumstance, and this praise not only praises God indeed, to His glory, but sobers Nehemiah to the unconstrained power of his God. Nehemiah sets before us here a golden precedent [6].

 

5c—Declarative Praise

YLT TEXT: keeping the covenant and kindness for those loving Him, and for those keeping His commands Nehemiah 1:5.

COMMENTARY: As he prays Nehemiah continues praising God; this, however, is declarative praise (Tab. 2). It recalls (affirms) Jehovah’s holiness, mighty deeds, and fulfilled promises, and so forms a basis upon which Nehemiah might expect the same from a God fully justifying said praise. Here, specifically, Nehemiah has in mind God’s (covenantal) faithfulness (cf. Gen 32:10, Psa 89:1-8, 100:5, Lam 3:22-23, Dan 9:4, Luk 1:54-55). Just before in his prayer Nehemiah reminded himself of God’s unconstrained power by way of descriptive praise; here he reminds himself of God’s faithfulness to His Word, itself manifested as the express realization of descriptive praise. He reminds himself here that God can and will do what He says He will do. Both instances may be seen to temper faith in God and thus best prepare Nehemiah for the task before him [7].

Notice that God’s (covenantal) faithfulness, and kindness, is declared by Him to be contingent on both loving Him and keeping His commands. We know today that keeping His commands is tantamount to loving Him, for God Himself made this connection unambiguously in the days of His flesh (Jhn 14:15, 14:21). Nehemiah is undoubtedly motivated to verbalize this eternal truth under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In the practical outworking of this since the advent of our Savior until the present, we are reminded that the righteous live by faith (in Jesus, made manifest through loyalty and obedience to Him); faith in Jesus is the obedience that is tantamount to loving God today (Hab 2:4, Jhn 3:36, Rom 1:16-17, Gal 2:16, 3:11-12, Hbr 10:38, 1Jo 5:10-12), and which motivates God’s faithful New Covenant lovingkindness. God has today a New Covenant that He purchased, but it would be inconsistent with His deity if He changed somehow His stance on covenantal compliance, so what is said here by Nehemiah regarding God’s covenantal faithfulness, and kindness per se, must hold today, hence our short argument here to show that realization of God’s covenantal faithfulness, and kindness, before the advent of Jesus is entirely consistent with realization of these since the advent of Jesus, the only difference is that now everything pivots on faith in Jesus Christ. The point is that the very major Covenantal transition from Old to New did not manifest even a whit of change in God’s eternal stance regarding Covenant compliance as required by either Him or us. We get a glimpse of our great God’s awesome omniscient design, foresight, and practical outworking capacity in this, at least (not to mention a heart motivated by love, and mercy, and grace at the core of all this).

 

6a—Asking God to Hear

YLT Text: let Thine ear be, I pray Thee, attentive, and Thine eyes open, Nehemiah 1:6 (cf. 1Ki 8:28-30 and Solomon).

COMMENTARY: Here, and in 6b to follow, Nehemiah is avoiding presumptuousness; he is asking Jehovah God to hear the things which are to follow. By asking this he communicates his understanding that it is not Jehovah’s duty to hear his prayers; he expresses humility by asking that he might be heard. It is Jehovah’s mercy and grace that causes Him to hear and, if He deems it best, to act. Notice that Nehemiah is not approaching the throne of grace in the name of Jesus Christ. This is a blessing that was reserved for Jesus’ followers later—such may approach the throne of grace boldly in Jesus’ Name (Hbr 10:19-22). Still, humility in prayer and otherwise is the watchword with Jehovah God. One must not be presumptuous (instead, ask, seek, knock…Mat 7:7); presumptuousness is not righteous faith—there is a difference [8].

6b—A Servant

YLT TEXT: to hearken unto the prayer of Thy servant, Nehemiah 1:6.

COMMENTARY: Nehemiah’s prayer to Jehovah God is packed with humility. He thought of himself as a servant; he was humble, and lowly, like Jehovah incarnate in His day. Again, he does not take it for granted that God will hear him without humbly beseeching God to do so first (Nehemiah is here asking, seeking, knocking…).

6c—Persistence

YLT TEXT: that I am praying before Thee to-day, by day and by night Nehemiah 1:6.

COMMENTARY: It is doubtful that Nehemiah walked about constantly uttering a prayer, as though he was chanting. Rather, he was surely in an attitude of prayer. That is to say, he was persistently working out a problem with his very powerful Ally. It may be noted that by way of this persistence his focus was rather consistently on the solution to the problem—which solution lay entirely in the hands of the God of heaven—and not on the problem per se. Nehemiah’s persistence here makes clear yet again that he did not take it for granted that he would be heard.

In another sense, Nehemiah here relates by his persistence that the matter was of some urgency to him, and we know that his cause concerned his fellows and God’s Name, thus his persistence was a holy persistence indeed. Nehemiah’s prayer must have arisen before God as a sweet aroma that touched God’s heart.

6d—A Prayer for the Brethren

YLT TEXT: concerning the sons of Israel Nehemiah 1:6.

COMMENTARY: His prayer is for his fellow Israelites; for the children of Israel, children of whom he is one. As cupbearer in the king’s court, Nehemiah was not suffering like his brethren at Jerusalem were—a lesser man would have been content with the status quo—but not Nehemiah. What we see in Nehemiah is more than an intercessor simply offering up prayer on behalf of his suffering brethren—he is actually praying that he might be allowed to leave the luxury and relative security of his palatial surroundings so as to step out into harm’s way for the sake of his brethren [9]. In this he typifies our Lord Jesus who is certainly our intercessor (Isa 53:12, Hbr 7:24-25, 1Jo 2:1), and more: He is our bloodied-up Savior-King who left the incomparable bliss of His palace for the sake of His brethren.

6e—More Servants

YLT TEXT: Thy servants Nehemiah 1:6.

COMMENTARY: Here Nehemiah begins to put forth his fellows’ case, like a brother, or a dear friend:

Lord, they are your servants! Before, in 6b, he referred to himself as God’s servant, or, we may take it, as His slave. Here he associates his fellows with himself: Lord, we are all alike your servants! The idea may be—as you would do for me Lord, so do for them as well. Alternatively, we may take it another way. Ever since the Exodus the children of Israel thought of themselves as God’s slaves. When Jehovah redeemed them from their bondage in Egypt they became, in Israelite tradition, His property. They were from that time forward God’s slaves. Of course, that divine ownership was endearing. Nehemiah is here emphasizing that they, as God’s slaves, are in a special sense His very own, and it goes without saying that a good owner cares about his own and loves them; the more than good God of heaven will look after His own. In yet another sense we are reminded of Moses’ prayer at the incident of the golden calf (Exd 32:11-14).

6f—Confession

YLT TEXT: and confessing concerning the sins of the sons of Israel, Nehemiah 1:6.

COMMENTARY: Throughout Scripture we are shown that prayer includes confession of sins. Confession is, in part, an expression of humility. It reflects a state of mind that necessarily precedes one’s willingness to walk openly and intimately with the God of heaven. Nehemiah knew that his prayer was ineffectual without heartfelt confession of sin. How can one praise God with a guilty conscience? How can one make appeal to God with a guilty conscience? Why should God be attentive and hear prayer when Sin is wittingly left unconfessed—particularly in light of sub-verse 6g just next? (Psa 32:5, 38:18, Jas 5:16, 1Jo 1:9)

6g—A Personal Offense

YLT TEXT: that we have sinned against Thee Nehemiah 1:6.

COMMENTARY: Nehemiah confesses the transgression without the cloak of excuse (he includes himself more expressly next in 6h): ‘We have sinned against thee, plain and simple. What we have done has been directed against thee; has offended thee. Our sins, like so many punches, have been thrust at thee; have smitten thee…’ Herein he relates a sobering truth: Sin, our sin, makes its way to the God of heaven personally. Yea, the God of heaven who desires to be intimate with us. Like goads holding a thing back, they pierce His outstretched hand.

6h—All Are Guilty

YLT TEXT: yea, I and the house of my father have sinned; Nehemiah 1:6.

COMMENTARY: Here he throws the blanket of fault across the whole lot of them (if we may take father’s house in this sense AB [father] BYTH [house]), himself and his family of descendants included, though we may reasonably assume that he, chosen by Jehovah to do His work (both as priest? and certainly as builder-restorer) may be less guilty of transgression than the rest. Now Nehemiah could have easily excused himself with just such an argument, but he does not. Instead, again, he associates himself with his fellows: Just before we saw how he put forth himself and they as servants of God—God’s special possession (6b, 6e); here they are all alike God’s pain. Nehemiah was a consummate brother. Again, we are reminded of our blessed Savior who identified Himself with His brethren [10].

7a—A Personal Offense Reiterated

YLT TEXT: we have acted very corruptly against Thee, Nehemiah 1:7.

COMMENTARY: CHBL—deal corruptly, offend, spoil, fits the context. Nehemiah reiterates what was said before: Their sin offended the God of heaven; was directed at Him personally, whether wittingly or not. By this repetitive confession of sin (admittedly said/verbalized to be directed against God personally) he makes it clear that there was not so much as a shred of doubt that he believed that he and they alike were guilty—indeed, corrupt. ‘I confess this before you with a contrite heart. O, I have offended you great God; how needful I am of you my Redeemer Jesus, my great savior God…’ This is taking full responsibility for sin, with no excuses or self-justifications left lurking in the subconscious. It is good to repeatedly confess sin before the God of heaven—not so much even for His sake, for He knows perfectly anyway, but in corrective address of one’s own traces (or more) of brazen self righteousness that more often than not ultimately translates into offense/s toward the God of heaven [11].

7b—A Clean Sweep

YLT TEXT: and have not kept the commands, and the statutes, and the judgments, Nehemiah 1:7.

COMMENTARY: Nehemiah is here unwrapping the package, and what is inside is the transgression spelled out: It is a violation of Jehovah’s commandments, statutes, and judgments; a clean sweep. There is nothing left to be broken. It is transgression at its fullest, wanton disobedience. Note the plural—commandments, statutes, judgments. In this package is a gross multiplicity of sins, high crimes all, and directed at Jehovah personally. Now one would think that the state of the fatherland laying in heaps pales in comparison to the state of the citizens. The walls had been broken down all around, in the heart and at home.

7c—Witness Moses

YLT TEXT: that Thou didst command Moses Thy servant. Nehemiah 1:7.

COMMENTARY: Here is implied the whole of Jehovah God’s stipulations for covenant Israel (these stipulations are reflected well in the following: Love of Jehovah and fellow man. Love, mercy, justice, and truth convey the sense [the weightier matters of the Law—Pro 17:15, Jer 9:24, Hsa 4:1, Mic 6:8]). Moses is important in this context because he represents the Law, which they had transgressed, and also because Moses is the primary and primitive human witness to God’s words concerning breach of the Law, as also, importantly, God’s words concerning their restoration from said breach. In other words, Nehemiah brings up Moses as a witness because this way it can be shown that the contingencies attending their breach of the Law and turning from that breach should follow the formal agreement transacted between God and Moses as agreed to by the Israelite covenanters (Deu 27:26) [12]. Note that Moses is not referenced as a witness so as to throttle God into accountability (more on this below).

8a—Remember O God

YLT TEXT: Remember, I beseech thee, Nehemiah 1:8 (cf. Deu 28).

COMMENTARY: Now the God of heaven is unchanging (Psa 102:25-27, Mal 3:6, Mat 24:35, Hbr 13:8, Jas 1:17), and true (Jhn 1:14) to His Word and His nature (Psa 138:2). Nehemiah is preparing to make a case for his fellows by leaning on God’s holiness—that is, that God cannot, and will not, lie or renege. He prays, in so many words: ‘Remember what you said Lord.’ In the sub-verses that follow this one he builds his case: ‘Lord, you said that if we do thus and so, then you will do such and such.’ ‘Lord, I am on my face before thee, I am pleading—REMEMBER (Psa 119:49)! This is not a literal calling to mind before omniscience something that should be remembered, rather it is human-speak toward that end; it is prayerful manifestation/verbalization of his reliance on God’s divine faithfulness. He is expressing to God what in his heart is a forgone conclusion—my God is God, I can be sure He will act faithfully in accord with His deity. Nehemiah honors God in this.

8b—Witness Moses

YLT TEXT: the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, Nehemiah 1:8.

COMMENTARY: Nehemiah is here invoking the binding weight of the Law by way of invoking the name of Moses. In other words, the case that he plans to present before God shortly is anchored by the Law, which makes Nehemiah’s case incontestable, even by God, for God’s own seal is upon the words he plans to present to God. Of course Nehemiah knows that God cannot contradict Himself; God will act in full accord with the words that surrounded His giving of the Law. He will “remember” the same and act accordingly.

8c—Trespasses and Scatter

YLT TEXT: saying, Ye — ye trespass — I scatter you among peoples; Nehemiah 1:8.

COMMENTARY: This happened first in 722 BC when Israel was vanquished by the Assyrians and resettled in Assyria, south of the Caspian sea, in the region of present-day Iran. Assyrians were simultaneously resettled in Israel. The covenantal breach that precipitated the deportation was, especially, the introduction of idolatry into the kingdom upon the accession of Jeroboam, the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel, who became king after Solomon’s death approximately 922 BC (2 Kgs 17:22-23). Shortly after Israel’s demise, Judah was exiled to Babylonia in 587 BC ( 2Kgs. 24:11-16) for the breaches of idolatry (Jer 7:30-8:3) immorality, (Jer 5:1-9) and lying prophecy (Jer 6:13-14, 7:4-8).

9a—Turning and Restoration

YLT TEXT: and ye have turned back unto Me, and kept My commands, and done them Nehemiah 1:9 (cf. Deu 30:1-5, Jer 29:10-14).

COMMENTARY: REMEMBER! Here Nehemiah spells out the beautiful mercy clause that God built into His covenant with them. The watchwords here are turn, keep, and do. In the sub-verses that follow this one, we shall see an aspect of the greatness of Jehovah God—He delights in mercy (cf. Deu 7:9, Jer 9:24, Luk 6:36, et al.). Built into His covenants are provisions for mercy.

9b—Turning and Restoration

YLT TEXT: —if your outcast is in the end of the heavens, thence I gather them, and have brought them in unto the place that I have chosen to cause My name to tabernacle there. Nehemiah 1:9.

COMMENTARY: Judah, from whom arose Messiah Jesus, was gathered and brought home beginning in 539 BC after the Lord raised up the Persian Cyrus II, who defeated Babylonia and liberated its captives. Many of the Judeans were content to stay in Babylonia so it is not meant here that the whole lot of them returned at once, en masse. Israel remains dispersed to this day (the original twelve tribe confederacy minus Benjamin, Judah and Levi), though it is certainly unclear how many of its descendants have been brought home over the years, especially after 1948 when statehood was realized.

10a—Servant Kin

YLT TEXT: And they [are] Thy servants, and Thy people, Nehemiah 1:10; Psa 135:14.

COMMENTARY: As before, Nehemiah makes intercession for his fellows: ‘Lord, remember, they are your servants (His peculiar possession), your very own people!’ In his prayer he is appealing to Jehovah’s mercy with the hope that He might first acknowledge them as His, and second, extend them that mercy which they largely would not extend even to one another (Hos 6:4-11). Nay, more than that, he appeals to their kinship to Jehovah (more on this just below in 10b). As Jehovah’s people, they were a part of Him, like a hand, foot, or eye is part of the body—’Lord, you are one of us; be merciful to us great God.’ As said, Jehovah delights in mercy, and this was theirs simply by loving Him. Notwithstanding, they did not act as though they were part and parcel of Jehovah, as evidenced by their love affairs with other gods and by their behavior toward one another.

10b—Redemption

YLT TEXT: whom Thou hast ransomed Nehemiah 1:10.

COMMENTARY: The Hebrew basis for the English word “Redemption” comes in two forms: GAL—to recover/return (character map), and PDI—to ransom/deliver. Of the two, GAL is more frequently encountered in the Old Testament and Rabbinic utterances; the terms are nevertheless utilized interchangeably in the sources (Daube 268). Our text utilizes PDI. PDI communicates the (Egyptian slavery) redemption to which Nehemiah refers well (cf. Job 33:24 and PDI). No kinsman redeemer availed themselves to bring Israel out from the taskmaster’s yoke in Egypt—but God did [13]. Since God delivered them, He must be understood to be the kinsman Redeemer that otherwise did not avail themselves. If this is the case, and we believe that it is, then what Nehemiah is saying by way of allusion to redemption and ransoming in effect is that Israel and God are family: ‘Lord, look upon their plight, you purchased them, they are (thus) your special possession.’

Here Nehemiah praises God declaratively by referencing God’s redemptive acts in His deliverance of His people from their slavery in Egypt. Essentially, his praise is serving two purposes—it is praise that honors God in and of itself, and yet it is a vehicle that serves Nehemiah’s intention to reason with God in his prayer. Nehemiah has effected this intention delicately and reverently by way of praise.

10c—God the Omnipotent

YLT TEXT by Thy great power, and by Thy strong hand Nehemiah 1:10.

COMMENTARY: Again Nehemiah praises God here (more descriptive praise on the heels of declarative praise), and expresses confidence in Him; nothing is impossible for Jehovah who possess great power and strength. He leaves unspoken the thought: O Lord, bring your great power and strength to bear for your servants and people Judah…

11a—Asking God to Hear His Servant

YLT TEXT: O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, Nehemiah 1:11.

COMMENTARY: Ever the humble, dependent servant, and, as the next sub-verse 11b points out again, intercessor, Nehemiah continues his lowly pleading for mercy along the lines of the prayer he is presenting to Jehovah. It is noteworthy that hearing and acting are not separate issues with Jehovah, in that the former is part and parcel of the latter. Our prayers must thus be heard in order to be answered (Ps 143:1, 1 Kgs 8:45). It concerns us therefore to be heard in our praying, that is, we must pray in the name of Jesus (Jhn 14:6). The blessing of Jesus’ prayer mediation was not available to Nehemiah in the way it is to followers of Jesus, which means that Nehemiah’s prayer was received based on somewhat different criteria. The elements of humility, concern for Jehovah’s honor (love of God), and concern for country/fellow countrymen (love of others) probably headed the list, for in these he exhibited quintessential covenant compliance (Lev 19:18, Deu 6:5, Mar 12:28-31—love of God and others).

11b—Asking God to Hear His Servants

YLT TEXT: and unto the prayer of Thy servants, Nehemiah 1:11.

COMMENTARY: It is good to pray to Jehovah as a body, as His servant and servants, in unity, single-minded, seeking to glorify and honor Him “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” ( Mat 18:20 NASB). We may rightly assume that if He is in the midst of us, He hears us. And, as presupposed, if all is aligned with His Name, and He thinks it best, He will champion our cause.

Again the motif of family by way of the implicit connection between servant and slave, and ownership by way of kinsman redeemer deliverance from slavery is brought before God. ‘Lord, great God of heaven, hear the prayers of your special possession, your family!’

11c—Holy Fear

YLT TEXT: who desire to fear thy name: Nehemiah 1:11.

COMMENTARY: YRA-fear. Here is Wisdom (Psa 111:10). It is so because in that Name is found quintessential reality (=Truth). What Nehemiah is saying here to God is that they desire to be holy, like their God is holy (Lev 11:44-45; “Be Holy”). This is a great aspiration. By desiring to fear God’s Name, they are desiring to love what He loves, and to hate what He hates. What a compliment to God to desire to fear His Name; quintessential respect. This is nothing less than a desire to be like Him. In the spirit of the family motif, a child could not pay a greater tribute to a parent than that, if it comes genuinely, from the heart. Sure, to fear God per se involves a trembling awe of Him by default, simply because of who He is, and what He is capable of, but here the implied sense goes beyond that probably.

Nehemiah is making a marvelous intercession for his brethren in this in that he is presenting them before God as servants that have attained to wisdom; servants that have “gotten hold of their senses” (contrast Isa 63:19), and have decided to tether themselves to their God. This is important against the backdrop of the transgression that has caused so much grief and pain in their midst; clearly, had there not been this egregious transgression his prayer would not have been necessary. His prayer does not lose sight of the problem (their Sin) and at the same time it shows them turning back toward God, especially here with these words. God will judge the merit of these words concerning their fear of His Name of course, but the case that was made before concerning remembrance of God’s promises should they turn (9a, 9b), is here shown to God to be ready for His consideration.

11d—A Final Appeal with a Temporal Rider

YLT TEXT: and prosper, I pray Thee, to Thy servant to-day, Nehemiah 1:11.

COMMENTARY: Prosper…to thy servant TSLCH—bring success to fits the context. Nehemiah has finished praising and through the same reverently reasoning with God; he is now prepared to clearly, and succinctly, register his request. God knows what is on his heart of course, but Nehemiah must state it himself to God. ‘Great God of heaven, I am before thee for success; grant, I pray thee, success to thy servant…today YWM. Note that he includes a time constraint. This time constraint is interesting. Imagine, he wants success in the matter which is spelled out in the next two sub-verses—today. One would think this is presumptuous in that it presupposes that his request would be granted. We reckon it is not presumptuous owing to the tenor of his prayer up to this point. He has not once presumed that his request would even be heard, let alone granted, as pointed out earlier (6a,6b, 6c); in fact, just the opposite. Thus perhaps this prayer shows us that God is sometimes not averse to granting a prayer request with a time constraint attached if the address and tenor of the prayer is acceptable to Him. It could be argued that the time constraint is a matter of succinctness on Nehemiah’s part; or perhaps practicality, in that the Spirit of God had strengthened his heart to face his challenge today; had prepared the king’s heart to hear Nehemiah. As we know, God was not offended by it owing to the conclusion of the matter (Neh 2:6).

11e—A Final Appeal with a Mercy Rider

YLT TEXT: and give him for mercies Nehemiah 1:11.

COMMENTARY: Nehemiah prepares to end his prayer like he began it, and clothed it throughout—with humility. Notice he says not—’give me clever speech and wit,’ or, ‘give me an intimidating presence/force,’ but rather, ‘grant that I be shown mercy.’ This shows he desired to have no cause to depend on himself whatsoever; this is a tremendous compliment to God. And the God of heaven, who knows a thing or two about mercy, granted him just that mercy which he prayerfully sought. Nehemiah was a tough individual as we know, but he was extraordinarily humble too. Over the courses of his life, Jehovah God surely taught Nehemiah the essence of prayer (Luk 11:1).

11f—A Butler and a King

YLT TEXT: before this man;’ and I have been butler to the king. Nehemiah 1:11.

COMMENTARY: This man, Artaxerxes I, was an instrument in the hands of Jehovah God (Psa 9:20). The decision to allow Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls was made long before the king granted Nehemiah his request. It was Jehovah who moved the king’s heart to be merciful, and, indeed, abundantly grant his request. In the final analysis Jehovah answered Nehemiah’s prayer for mercy for himself and for the plight of Judah [14]. It is good to remember that Jehovah will have mercy on whom He will have mercy, and compassion on whom He will have compassion. He is absolutely sovereign. (Rom 9:15-16). Notwithstanding, we can be sure that His decisions are ever best owing to Omniscience’s love for His people. How exceedingly good it is to have such a One as you to pray to my Lord.

Praised be your awesome Name great Jehovah God.