King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province [are] in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also [is] broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
Complete Jewish Bible:
They answered me, "The remnant of the exile left there in the province are in great distress and are held in contempt, the wall of Yerushalayim is in ruins, and its gates have been completely burned up."
Berean Standard Bible:
And they told me, “The remnant who survived the exile are there in the province, in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”
American Standard Version:
And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And they said{H559} unto me, The remnant{H7604} that are left{H7604} of the captivity{H7628} there in the province{H4082} are in great{H1419} affliction{H7451} and reproach{H2781}: the wall{H2346} of Jerusalem{H3389} also is broken down{H6555}, and the gates{H8179} thereof are burned{H3341} with fire{H784}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Nehemiah 2:17
- Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we [are] in, how Jerusalem [lieth] waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
2 Kings 25:10
- And all the army of the Chaldees, that [were with] the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about.
Ezra 5:8
- Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.
Nehemiah 2:3
- And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, [lieth] waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?
Nehemiah 7:6
- These [are] the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity, of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one unto his city;
Nehemiah 2:13
- And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.
Nehemiah 9:36
- Behold, we [are] servants this day, and [for] the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we [are] servants in it:
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Nehemiah 1:3
Nehemiah 1:3 is a verse that captures a pivotal moment in the history of Judah, reflecting the dire situation of the Jewish people after the Babylonian exile. The verse is part of the Old Testament, specifically the book of Nehemiah, which is set in the 5th century BCE. This period follows the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 586 BCE, after which many Jews were taken into captivity.
The verse conveys a report given to Nehemiah, an Israelite cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes I, by some of his countrymen who had recently come from Judah. They inform him that the remaining Jews in the province, who had not been taken into exile, are suffering greatly and are being treated with contempt. This reflects the broader theme of the suffering and resilience of the Jewish people during their long history of persecution and exile.
Moreover, the verse specifically mentions the physical state of Jerusalem, highlighting that the city's wall is broken down and its gates destroyed by fire. This detail is significant because, in ancient times, city walls were crucial for defense and symbolized the city's strength and independence. The broken walls and burned gates of Jerusalem thus symbolize the vulnerability and humiliation of the Jewish people, as their holy city lay in ruins.
Nehemiah's response to this news is a turning point in the narrative. His deep sorrow and subsequent actions to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem become the central focus of the book, showcasing themes of leadership, communal effort, faith, and the importance of Jerusalem to Jewish identity. Nehemiah's story is one of a leader who is moved by compassion and a sense of duty to his people and homeland, leading to one of the most significant rebuilding projects in Jewish history.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H559
There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָמַר
Transliteration: ʼâmar
Pronunciation: aw-mar'
Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet. - Strong's Number: H7604
There are 123 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׁאַר
Transliteration: shâʼar
Pronunciation: shaw-ar'
Description: a primitive root; properly, to swell up, i.e. be (causatively, make) redundant; leave, (be) left, let, remain, remnant, reserve, the rest. - Strong's Number: H7628
There are 47 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שְׁבִי
Transliteration: shᵉbîy
Pronunciation: sheb-ee'
Description: from שְׁבוּ; exiled; captured; as noun, exile (abstractly or concretely and collectively); by extension, booty; captive(-ity), prisoners, [idiom] take away, that was taken. - Strong's Number: H4082
There are 40 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מְדִינָה
Transliteration: mᵉdîynâh
Pronunciation: med-ee-naw'
Description: from דִּין; properly, a judgeship, i.e. jurisdiction; by implication, a district (as ruled by a judge); generally, a region; ([idiom] every) province. - Strong's Number: H1419
There are 499 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: גָּדוֹל
Transliteration: gâdôwl
Pronunciation: gaw-dole'
Description: or גָּדֹל; (shortened) from גָּדַל; great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent; [phrase] aloud, elder(-est), [phrase] exceeding(-ly), [phrase] far, (man of) great (man, matter, thing,-er,-ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble, proud thing, [idiom] sore, ([idiom]) very. - Strong's Number: H7451
There are 623 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רַע
Transliteration: raʻ
Pronunciation: rah
Description: from רָעַע; bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral); adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, [phrase] not please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong. (Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.). - Strong's Number: H2781
There are 72 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חֶרְפָּה
Transliteration: cherpâh
Pronunciation: kher-paw'
Description: from חָרַף; contumely, disgrace, the pudenda; rebuke, reproach(-fully), shame. - Strong's Number: H2346
There are 123 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חוֹמָה
Transliteration: chôwmâh
Pronunciation: kho-maw'
Description: feminine active participle of an unused root apparently meaning to join; a wall of protection; wall, walled. - Strong's Number: H3389
There are 600 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם
Transliteration: Yᵉrûwshâlaim
Pronunciation: yer-oo-shaw-lah'-im
Description: rarely יְרוּשָׁלַיִם; a dual (in allusion to its two main hills (the true pointing, at least of the former reading, seems to be that of יְרוּשָׁלֵם)); probably from (the passive participle of) יָרָה and שָׁלַם; founded peaceful; Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine; Jerusalem. - Strong's Number: H6555
There are 48 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פָּרַץ
Transliteration: pârats
Pronunciation: paw-rats'
Description: lemma פּרַץ missing vowel, corrected to פָּרַץ; a primitive root; to break out (in many applications, direct and indirect, literal and figurative); [idiom] abroad, (make a) breach, break (away, down, -er, forth, in, up), burst out, come (spread) abroad, compel, disperse, grow, increase, open, press, scatter, urge. - Strong's Number: H8179
There are 302 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שַׁעַר
Transliteration: shaʻar
Pronunciation: shah'-ar
Description: from שָׁעַר in its original sense; an opening, i.e. door or gate; city, door, gate, port ([idiom] -er). - Strong's Number: H3341
There are 28 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָצַת
Transliteration: yâtsath
Pronunciation: yaw-tsath'
Description: a primitive root; to burn or set on fire; figuratively, to desolate; burn (up), be desolate, set (on) fire (fire), kindle. - Strong's Number: H784
There are 549 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֵשׁ
Transliteration: ʼêsh
Pronunciation: aysh
Description: a primitive word; fire (literally or figuratively); burning, fiery, fire, flaming, hot.