Nehemiah 1:4

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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• 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.

Context of Nehemiah 1:4

2that Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them about the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem. 3And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and disgrace, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates have been burned with fire.” Now when I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5I said, “Please, Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps the covenant and faithfulness for those who love Him and keep His commandments: 6let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open, to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have committed against You; I and my father’s house have sinned.

Nehemiah 1:4 word by word

וַיְהִ֞י כְּשָׁמְעִ֣י׀ אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה יָשַׁ֙בְתִּי֙ וָֽאֶבְכֶּ֔ה וָאֶתְאַבְּלָ֖ה יָמִ֑ים וָֽאֱהִ֥י צָם֙ וּמִתְפַּלֵּ֔ל לִפְנֵ֖י אֱלֹהֵ֥י הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃Read the interlinear

• Now when I heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• theseאֵ֫לֶּה'êlleh · theseH428
• wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• I satיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• and weptבָּכָהbâkâh · to weepH1058
• and mournedאָבַל'âbal · to mournH56
• for daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• and I was fastingצוּםtsûm · to fastH6684
• and prayingפָּלַלpâlal · to prayH6419
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• of heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064

Cross-references for Nehemiah 1:4

• 1 Samuel 4:17Then the one who brought the news replied, “Israel has fled before the Philistines and there has also been a great defeat among the people, and your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas are also dead; and the ark of God has been taken.”
• Ezra 10:1Now while Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself before the house of God, a very large assembly, men, women, and children, gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept greatly.
• Psalms 69:9For zeal for Your house has consumed me, And the taunts of those who taunt You have fallen on me.
• Psalms 102:13You will arise and have compassion on Zion; For it is time to be gracious to her, For the appointed time has come.
• Psalms 137:1By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down and wept, When we remembered Zion.
• Daniel 9:3So I gave my attention to the Lord God, to seek Him by prayer and pleading, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
• Zephaniah 3:18I will gather those who are worried about the appointed feasts-- They came from you, Zion; The disgrace of exile is a burden on them.
• Romans 12:15Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
• Nehemiah 2:4Then the king said to me, “What would you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
• Ezra 5:11So they answered us as follows, saying, ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.
• Daniel 2:18so that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
• Jonah 1:9So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord 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

• Country
• Fasting
• Intercession
• Nation
• Patriotism
• Prayer

In the dictionaries

• God
• Bible
• Corruptly
• Cupbearer
• Fast
• Quake
• Remnant
• Shushan
• Chronicles, Books of
• Ecclesiastes, the Preacher

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