English Standard Version
Nehemiah 1:4
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.
Nehemiah 1:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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,
- New International Version (NIV)When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
- New Living Translation (NLT)When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.
Context of Nehemiah 1:4
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. 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." As 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, 6let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father's house have sinned.
Read all of Nehemiah 1Nehemiah 1:4 word by word
וַיְהִ֞י כְּשָׁמְעִ֣י׀ אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה יָשַׁ֙בְתִּי֙ וָֽאֶבְכֶּ֔ה וָאֶתְאַבְּלָ֖ה יָמִ֑ים וָֽאֱהִ֥י צָם֙ וּמִתְפַּלֵּ֔ל לִפְנֵ֖י אֱלֹהֵ֥י הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And it came to pass, when I heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- these wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- that I sat downיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- and weptבָּכָהbâkâh · to weepH1058
- and mournedאָבַל'âbal · to mournH56
- daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- and fastedצוּםtsûm · to fastH6684
- and prayedפָּלַלpâlal · to prayH6419
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- the Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- of heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
Cross-references for Nehemiah 1:4
- 1 Samuel 4:17He who brought the news answered and said, "Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great defeat among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured."
- Ezra 10:1While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children, gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly.
- Psalms 69:9For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
- Psalms 102:13You will arise and have pity on Zion; it is the time to favor her; the appointed time has come.
- Psalms 137:1By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.
- Daniel 9:3Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.
- Zephaniah 3:18I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach.
- Romans 12:15Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
- Nehemiah 2:4Then the king said to me, "What are you requesting?" So I prayed to the God of heaven.
- Ezra 5:11And this was their reply to us: 'We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.
- Daniel 2:18and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
- Jonah 1:9And he said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land."
Commentaries on Nehemiah 1:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4And mourned certain days - From the month Chisleu to the month Nisan; about four months from the time he received the above information, till the time that Artaxerxes noticed his grief, Nehemiah 2:1. All this time he probably spent in supplication to God; waiting for a favorable opening in the Divine providence. Every good work is not to be undertaken hastily; prayer and watchfulness are necessary to its completion. Many good works have been ruined by…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4The God of heaven - This title of the Almighty, which is Persian rather than Jewish (see 2 Chronicles 36:23; Ezra 1:2 note; Ezra 6:10; Ezra 7:12, Ezra 7:21), is a favorite one with Nehemiah, who had been born and brought up in Persia.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Nehemiah mourned, fasted, and prayed for about four months (compare Nehemiah 1:1; 2:1), deeply worried about Jerusalem.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-114. when I heard these words, that I sat down ... and mourned ... and fasted, and prayed--The recital deeply affected the patriotic feelings of this good man, and no comfort could he find but in earnest and protracted prayer, that God would favor the purpose, which he seems to have secretly formed, of asking the royal permission to go to Jerusalem.Read the comment
Topics related to Nehemiah 1:4
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
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Commentaries