Nehemiah 1-2
Chapter Summary
In 446 B.C. Nehemiah is a high official in the Persian court. He is distraught when he hears of conditions in Judea (1:1-4) and prays fervently for his homeland (vv. 5-11). Nehemiah also determines to act. When King Artaxerxes (464-424 B.C.) notices his distress, Nehemiah offers a quick prayer and requests permission to rebuild Jerusalem (2:1-8). The king makes Nehemiah governor of Judea (vv. 9-10).
Nehemiah makes a nighttime survey of Jerusalem, examining its fallen walls (vv. 11-16). Only then does he share his vision of a rebuilt Jerusalem and reveal his royal commission (vv. 17-18). The response of the Jews is enthusiastic, but the pagan officials who rule the larger province ridicule the notion of rebuilding and charge that the act constitutes rebellion (vv. 18-19). Nehemiah answers them bluntly. This is the Jews’ city, of which they have no part. With God’s help, its walls will rise again (v. 20).
Key Verse
2:8: God opens closed doors.
Personal Application
Pray. But then be prepared to work.
Key Concepts
Jerusalem. Prayer. Fasting.
Insight
Nehemiah. One of the major values of this book is to be found in biographical study of its main character. Nehemiah was a wealthy official in the Persian capital who sacrificed his own comfort to serve God and his people. His courage in the face of opposition, consistent personal example of commitment to godliness, unwavering trust, and fierce determination that God’s people must obey His Law, are displayed over and over again in this short book. Generations of Christian leaders have drawn inspiration from Nehemiah and found principles to apply in their own ministries.
Ruined walls (1:1-4). Unwalled cities in ancient times had no defense against enemies. More significant at this time, unwalled cities were dismissed as insignificant. Thus, for Jerusalem to lack walls was a disgrace to the city God had chosen—and brought dishonor to the Lord!
The Jews had tried earlier to rebuild the walls (Ezra 4:7-23), but had given up. Nehemiah saw this as a continuation of the Jews’ historic pattern of sinning against God by lack of dedication to His laws (Neh. 1:5-11).

“Cupbearer” (1:11). The apocryphal book of Tobit (1:22), which also comes from the Persian period, speaks of one cupbearer as “keeper of the signet, administrator and treasurer under Sennacherib.” In the ancient world the cupbearer (masqeh) was an influential official with direct and constant access to the king.
Instant prayers (2:4-5). Many have observed that Nehemiah’s prayer to the “God of heaven” took only an instant, between the time Artaxerxes asked his questions and Nehemiah answered. But remember that this instant prayer was preceded by the lengthy petition recorded in 1:5-11.
A relationship with God nurtured by regular times of prayer must be the context for all our “instant prayers.”
Nehemiah’s enemies (2:10). The two men mentioned here prove to be persistent enemies of the Jews and Nehemiah. Sanballat was the chief political enemy of Nehemiah. He was governor of Samaria at the time (cf. 4:2), a position confirmed by a letter found by archeologists dated to 407 B.C. which names his sons, and calls him pehah of Samaria. Tobiah is thought to be a Jew with lands in Gilead. The phrase “Ammonite official” refers to his position as governor of Ammonite lands rather than to his race. Tobiah had many family ties with Jews in Jerusalem (cf. 3:4, 30; 13:4-7).
Testimony time (2:18). Nehemiah’s personal testimony that God had brought him to Jerusalem was a key to motivating the Jews to rebuild. Courage to act comes from the conviction that God is with us.
Ridicule (2:19). Ridicule is one of the most effective means there is to discourage us from acting. The superior smirk, the raised eyebrow, the mocking laugh, have kept many a young Christian from living out his or her faith.
Nehemiah kept his eyes on God, and we must too.