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, together with some men from Judah, arrived and I asked them about the Judeans, the remnant who had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem. 3They said to me, “The remnant who have survived the captivity there in the province are in great distress and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates have been burned with fire.” Upon hearing these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days. I prayed and fasted before the God of heaven. 5Then I said: “Adonai, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps the covenant and lovingkindness with those who love Him and keep His mitzvot, 6please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant that I am praying before You today both day and night on behalf of Your servants, the Bnei-Yisrael. I am confessing the sins of Bnei-Yisrael that we have sinned against You—yes, I and my ancestral 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

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 4:17And the messenger answered and said, “Israel fled before the Philistines and there has also been a great slaughter among the people. Also your two sons died—Hophni and Phinehas—and the ark of God was captured.”
• Ezra 10:1While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and prostrating himself before the House of God, a very large assembly of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. The people also wept very bitterly.
• Psalms 69:9I have become a stranger to my brothers, a foreigner to my mother’s children.
• Psalms 102:13But You, Adonai, sit enthroned forever. Your renown is from generation to generation.
• Psalms 137:1By the rivers of Babylon, we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.
• Daniel 9:3So I set my face to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.
• Zephaniah 3:18“I will gather those among you who grieve over your moadim— it is a burden of shame on you.
• Romans 12:15Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.
• Nehemiah 2:4The king asked me, “What is your request?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven,
• Ezra 5:11They responded to us saying, ‘We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the House that was built many years ago. A great king of Israel built and finished it.
• Daniel 2:18so they would request mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not perish along with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
• Jonah 1:9He said to them, “I am a Hebrew and I fear Adonai God of the heavens, 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