English Standard Version
Nehemiah 1:3
3And they said to me, "The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire."
Nehemiah 1:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”
- New King James Version (NKJV)And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.”
Context of Nehemiah 1:3
1The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the citadel, 2that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said to me, "The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire." 4As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5And I said, "O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
Read all of Nehemiah 1Nehemiah 1:3 word by word
וַיֹּאמְרוּ֮ לִי֒ הַֽנִּשְׁאָרִ֞ים אֲשֶֽׁר־נִשְׁאֲר֤וּ מִן־הַשְּׁבִי֙ שָׁ֣ם בַּמְּדִינָ֔ה בְּרָעָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה וּבְחֶרְפָּ֑ה וְחוֹמַ֤ת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ מְפֹרָ֔צֶת וּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָ נִצְּת֥וּ בָאֵֽשׁ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto me, The remnantשָׁאַרshâ'ar · to remainH7604
- of the captivityשְׁבִיshebîy · captivityH7628
- there in the provinceמְדִינָהmedîynâh · provinceH4082
- in greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- afflictionרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: harmH7451
- and reproachחֶרְפָּהcherpâh · reproachH2781
- the wallחוֹמָהchômâh · wallH2346
- of Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- broken downפָּרַץpârats · to break throughH6555
- and the gatesשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
- thereof are burnedיָצַתyâtsath · to kindleH3341
- with fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
Cross-references for Nehemiah 1:3
- Nehemiah 7:6These were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried into exile. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his town.
- Nehemiah 11:3These are the chiefs of the province who lived in Jerusalem; but in the towns of Judah everyone lived on his property in their towns: Israel, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants, and the descendants of Solomon's servants.
- Ezra 2:1Now these were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried captive to Babylonia. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town.
- Ezra 5:8Be it known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built with huge stones, and timber is laid in the walls. This work goes on diligently and prospers in their hands.
- Esther 1:1Now in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces,
- Nehemiah 9:36Behold, we are slaves this day; in the land that you gave to our fathers to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts, behold, we are slaves.
- Psalms 44:11You have made us like sheep for slaughter and have scattered us among the nations.
- Psalms 137:1By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.
- Isaiah 32:9Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice; you complacent daughters, give ear to my speech.
- Lamentations 1:7Jerusalem remembers in the days of her affliction and wandering all the precious things that were hers from days of old. When her people fell into the hand of the foe, and there was none to help her, her foes gloated over her; they mocked at her downfall.
- Lamentations 3:61"You have heard their taunts, O Lord, all their plots against me.
- Lamentations 5:1Remember, O Lord, what has befallen us; look, and see our disgrace!
- 1 Kings 9:7then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and the house that I have consecrated for my name I will cast out of my sight, and Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples.
- Psalms 79:4We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us.
- Isaiah 43:28Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary, and deliver Jacob to utter destruction and Israel to reviling.
- Jeremiah 24:9I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a reproach, a byword, a taunt, and a curse in all the places where I shall drive them.
Commentaries on Nehemiah 1:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3The wall of Jerusalem also is broken down - This must refer to the walls, which had been rebuilt after the people returned from their captivity: for it could not refer to the walls which were broken down and levelled with the dust by Nebuchadnezzar; for to hear of this could be no news to Nehemiah.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3The attempt to rebuild the wall in the time of the Pseudo-Smerdis Ezra 4:12-24 had been stopped. It still remained in ruins. The Assyrian sculptures show that it was the usual practice to burn the gates.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3The wall of Jerusalem is broken down: This likely refers to a recent event in Jerusalem (see Ezra 4:6–23), not the Babylonian conquest in 586 BC. disgrace: Foreigners could mock the destroyed city, claiming it showed that Israel’s God was too weak to protect it (compare Joel 2:17; Micah 7:8–10).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-32-3. Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah--Hanani is called his brother (Ne 7:2). But as that term was used loosely by Jews as well as other Orientals, it is probable that no more is meant than that he was of the same family. According to Josephus, Nehemiah, while walking around the palace walls, overheard some persons conversing in the Hebrew language. Having ascertained that they had lately returned from Judea, he was informed…Read the comment
Topics related to Nehemiah 1:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Nehemiah 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries