Nehemiah Chapter 1
Nehemiah 1:5
5And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:
Covenant
Nehemiah 1:7-8
Nehemiah admits that the children of Israel have transgressed against YHWH and were scattered abroad among the nations.
Nehemiah 1:10
10Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.
Nehemiah seems to be claiming that his people at that time are the returned children of Israel.
Nehemiah Chapter 2
Nehemiah's request
Nehemiah 2:1
1And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence. (KJV)
20th year of Artaxerxes/Artahshashta the king.
Nehemiah Chapter 3
The rebuilding begun
Nehemiah 3:1
Nehemiah Chapter 4
Rebuilding opposed
Nehemiah 4:1
Nehemiah Chapter 5
Poverty and famine
Nehemiah 5:9
"9Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?" (KJV)
Enemies of the Jews.
Who are these people and why are they their enemies?
Nehemiah Chapter 6
Rumours about Nehemiah
Nehemiah 6:1
Nehemiah Chapter 7
List of those who returned
Nehemiah 7:65
65And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim. (KJV)
They wanted a high priest who had the Urim and Thummim which were used to determine YHWH's will.
Nehemiah 7:66
66The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore, (KJV)
The entire congregation numbered 42,360.
Nehemiah Chapter 8
The Torah read and explained
Nehemiah 8:1
1And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel. (KJV)
I need to find the Scripture reference for this command.
Where is the water gate?
Nehemiah 8:2
2And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. (KJV)
1st day of the 7th moon. This is Yom Teruah / Day of Trumpets / Feast of Trumpets
Nehemiah 8:3
3And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. (KJV)
The Torah was read from morning until midday.
Nehemiah 8:6
6And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground. (KJV)
A description of how the people worshipped.
Nehemiah 8:9
9And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. (KJV)
This is a holy day and not to be a day of mourning or weeping.
Nehemiah 8:10
9And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. (KJV)
Translation Difference
'Then he said to them, “Go, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom none is prepared. For this day is set-apart to our YHWH. Do not be sad, for the joy of YHWH is your strength.”' (The ISR Scriptures)
'Then he said to them, Go your way, eat the fat of His tov, and drink the sweetness of it, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is kadosh to our YHWH: neither be sorry; for the simcha of YHWH is your strength.' (The Restoration Scriptures)
Nehemiah 8:18
18Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner. (KJV)
The eighth (8th) day.
Chapter Notes:
It appears that the Hebrews had already changed the dates and times as Sukkot is not supposed to start until the 15th day of the 7th month.
Nehemiah Chapter 9
Ezra's prayer
Nehemiah 9:8
8And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous:
Abrahamic Covenant
Nehemiah Chapter 10
The covenant sealed
Nehemiah 10:31
31And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.
This is a reference to Sabbath and Shemittah years.
Nehemiah Chapter 11
The reopening of Jerusalem
Villages outside Jerusalem
Nehemiah 11:1
1And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts to dwell in other cities. (KJV)
Who are the rulers of the people? Is this referring to the Levitical priesthood? Why 10?
Nehemiah 11:25
25And for the villages, with their fields, some of the children of Judah dwelt at Kirjatharba, and in the villages thereof, and at Dibon, and in the villages thereof, and at Jekabzeel, and in the villages thereof, (KJV)
Kirjatharba/Kirjath-Arba/Kirjath-ha-ArbaQiryath Arba is where Abraham's wife Sarah is buried.
Kirjatharba/Kirjath-Arba/Kirjath-ha-ArbaQiryath Arba - city of Arba, (7153) - or (with the article interposed) Qiryath ha- Arbaw (Neh. 11:25) {keer-yath' haw-ar-bah'}; from 'qiryah' (7151) and ''Arba`' (704) or ''arba`' (702); city of Arba, or city of the four (giants); Kirjath-Arba or Kirjath-ha-Arba, a place in Palestine:--Kirjath-arba.; (7151) - from 'qarah' (7136) in the sense of flooring, i.e. building; a city:--city.; (7136) - a primitive root; to light upon (chiefly by accident); causatively, to bring about; specifically, to impose timbers (for roof or floor):--appoint, lay (make) beams, befall, bring, come (to pass unto), floor, (hap) was, happen (unto), meet, send good speed.; (704) - the same as ''arba`' (702); Arba, one of the Anakim:--Arba.; (702) - masculine oarbaah {ar-baw-aw'}; from 'raba`' (7251); four:--four.; (7251) - a primitive root (rather identical with 'raba`' (7250) through the idea of sprawling "at all fours" (or possibly the reverse is the order of deriv.); compare ''arba`' (702)); properly, to be four (sided); used only as denominative of 'reba`' (7253); to be quadrate:--(four-)square(-d).
Nehemiah Chapter 12
The dedication of the city walls
Nehemiah 12:1
Nehemiah Chapter 13
Nehemiah's reforms
Nehemiah 13:15-19
15In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals.(KJV)
16There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.(KJV)
17Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?(KJV)
18Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.(KJV)
The people of that day were profaning the Sabbath and had forsaken YHWH.
19And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.(KJV)
This verse seems to support the idea that the Sabbath begins at the end of daylight (or sunset).
General Notes On The Book Of Nehemiah:
Ezra and Nehemiah give the historical accounts of the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity. Nehemiah describes the return of the third group from captivity and the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem.
They found a book of Moses and red-discovered the feasts and festivals which they had not been doing while in Babylonian captivity. There are a lot of references back to the Torah describing YHWH's mo'edim.
Reference Links On The Book Of Nehemiah:
Comments on the Book of Nehemiah by David E. Pratte