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,
• 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.
• 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

2Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. 3They 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.” When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 5Then I said: “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you.

Nehemiah 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 4:17The man who brought the news replied, “Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.”
• Ezra 10:1While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. They too wept bitterly.
• Psalms 69:9for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.
• Psalms 102:13You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come.
• Psalms 137:1By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.
• Daniel 9:3So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
• Zephaniah 3:18“I will remove from you all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals, which is a burden and reproach for you.
• Romans 12:15Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
• Nehemiah 2:4The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven,
• Ezra 5:11This is the answer they gave us: “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished.
• Daniel 2:18He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
• Jonah 1:9He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship 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

• 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