Nehemiah (Heb. Nekhemyah, “Yahweh has comforted” or “consolation of Yahweh”; also appears on an old Heb. seal and on a potsherd piece from Arad). 1. Leader who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel (Ezr 2:2; Neh 7:7). 2. Jew of the post-exilic period; he was the son of Hacaliah (Neh 1:1). He was appointed governor of Judea by Artaxerxes I, king of Persia, and distinguished himself as a rebuilder of the wall of Jerusalem. When he is mentioned for the 1st time he was a trusted official in the court of the aforementioned monarch (20th year of reign; 445/444 BC; vs 1, 11). A serious rebellion in Egypt, and later another in the satrapy of Beyond the River, in which Judea was, had interrupted communications between Susa, the Persian capital, and Palestine. Finally a report reached Nehemiah that his fellow citizens in Jerusalem were suffering “great evil and disgrace,” and that the wall had been torn down and the gates burned (vs 1-3). Nehemiah fasted and mourned for a time. The king noticed him and asked the reason for his sad appearance (1:4-2:3). Nehemiah took the opportunity to make a request on behalf of his people and, in response, was commissioned to return to Jerusalem for a certain time to bring them the necessary help (2: 4-6). With the royal letter that authorized his mission and empowered him to obtain the materials that he would need in the restoration of the wall, the fortress and the temple of Jerusalem (vs 7, 8), Nehemiah, also appointed governor of Judea, traveled to the satrapy of Beyond the River, presented his royal credentials to the proper authorities and arrived in Jerusalem (vs 9-11). While he kept his plans secret, he inspected the wall at night and then presented his idea to rebuild the wall to the city leaders (vs 12-18). The work began at once and, despite repeated attempts to stop it (4:1-23), was completed in a relatively short time (6:1-19). 3. Leader of half of the district of Betsur. He repaired a section of the Jerusalem wall under the direction of Nehemiah (Neh 3:16). Nehemiah, Book of. Historical book of the period after the captivity or the restoration. In the ancient Hebrew canon, the books of Ezra and Nehemiah were part of one book, called Ezra. Thus Ezra-Nehemiah is the continuation of Chronicles, since it picks up the thread of Jewish history with the restoration of the Babylonian captivity. The style and language of Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah suggest that they are the work of the same author. Since the list of priests and Levites in Neh_12 does not contain any names of those who lived after c400 BC, it is conjectured that Nehemiah was written around that date. I. Author. The Talmud (Baba Bathra 15a) identifies Ezra as the main author, and Nehemiah, Ezra’s contemporary, as the person who completed the work. Nehemiah served as governor of Jerusalem, and Ezra, a priest, as spiritual leader. For a time, their joint efforts did much to bring about material and spiritual blessings for the people. II. Setting. The decree of 457 BC gave the Jews virtual autonomy under the Persians. Civil and judicial powers were returned to local leaders, and the law of Moses once again became national law. Except for the payment of taxes, the Jews had freedom of action, and in lieu of certain taxes they were given generous royal subsidies from the treasury of the satrapy of Beyond the River. Little is known about Ezra’s activities during the 13 years prior to Nehemiah’s arrival. However, it is known that he quietly went ahead with his reforms; one of them had to do with mixed marriages (Ezr_9 and 10). During this period, Megabises, governor of the province known as Beyond the River (which included Judea), rebelled for several years against the king of Persia. The Jews remained loyal to Artaxerxes, but were falsely accused by their 836 Samaritan enemies as supporters of Megabyses. Artaxerxes granted permission to stop the construction of the wall of Jerusalem to the Samaritans, who took the liberty of destroying portions of the wall and burning the gates of the city (Ezr 4:21; Neh 1:3). Near the end of 445 BC, Nehemiah’s brother Hanani and other Jews arrived in the Persian capital, apparently with the first news from Jerusalem since Megabyses’ rebellion had been crushed. III. Contents. Although he was a faithful Jew, Nehemiah had risen to a position of responsibility at the Persian court. He was apparently highly educated, and had a natural ability as an administrator and organizer. Upon receiving news of the sad situation in Jerusalem some 12 years after Ezra’s return to the city, Nehemiah was greatly affected (Neh 1:1-3), and like Daniel (cf Dan 9:3) he fasted and prayed for many days (Neh 1:4-11). About 4 months later (2:1; cf 1:1) he already had an effective plan in place to bring relief to his fellow citizens who were suffering and disturbed in Jerusalem. He seems to have waited for an appropriate situation to petition the king (2:1-6), to whom he requested a royal commission that would allow him to go and restore the lot of his people (v 5). Artaxerxes approved the suggestion and gave him letters asking the governor of the satrapy to provide him with transportation, wood and other items that he needed to rebuild the city wall (vs 6-8). Armed with the necessary powers to accomplish his mission, he went to Jerusalem accompanied by a group of horsemen and royal army officers (vs 9, 11). After inspecting the wall at night (vs 12-16), Nehemiah summoned the leaders and called them to get up and build it (vs 17, 18). Responding wholeheartedly, the workers organized to repair sectors that had been collapsed and rebuild some of the gates (cp 3). When the traditional enemies of the Jews in neighboring territories learned of the rebuilding, they conspired to defeat Nehemiah’s purpose. Among them was Sanballat,* governor of Samaria; Tobias,* an important official or nobleman of Ammon; and Geshem,* a high Arab official (2:10, 19). But Nehemiah proved to be a determined, capable, and fearless leader. He did not ignore the threat posed by his enemies, but on the other hand he was not intimidated. He just continued his work. During all the time that the wall was being rebuilt, these enemies tried to disturb it; they apparently abandoned their endeavor only when the task was finished just 52 days after it began (Neh 6:15). A solemn and impressive ceremony marked the dedication of the wall (12:27-43). Afterward, Nehemiah devoted himself to his work as governor: he instituted social reforms and championed the cause of those oppressed by the rich (5:1-14); he repopulated the city (cps 7; 11: 1 -19); and, in cooperation with Ezra, he provided for the spiritual needs of the people, including the public reading of the law and religious instruction (ch 8-10). When he prepared a covenant of reform and called the people to sign it, the leaders, the priests and the people solemnly ratified it by signing it, committing themselves to worship the true God (chps 9 and 10). After serving as governor of Judea for 12 years (5:14), Nehemiah returned to Susa for an unspecified time, but later returned to Jerusalem for a 2nd term as governor (13:6, 7). In the interval, the people had fallen back into sin, so further reforms were necessary (vs 10-31; see CBA 3:321-326). For further details, see Ezra, Book of. Nehilot. See Psalms, The (III.B.3).
Source: Evangelical Bible Dictionary
Jew born in Babylonian captivity. He reached the rank of cupbearer, an honorary position, in the court of King Artaxerxes. That king, in the year 445 a. C., sent him temporarily as governor with full powers to the province of Judah to restore and build, respectively, the gates of the citadel of the Temple and the wall of Jerusalem, Ne 2. The people participated joyfully in the construction company and were divided in such a way that each family built a part at an indicated time, Ne 3, 1-23.
The book of Nehemiah of the OT, dates from the middle of the fourth century, about a hundred years after his death, is the end of the Old Testament historical books, which recounts the events of N. in Jerusalem, who finished the wall in fifty-two days , Ne 6, 15, despite the opposition of neighboring peoples. Nehemiah instituted religious and social reforms, including the prohibition of usurious loans, which had enslaved lower-class Hebrews, and the forgiveness of the debts of the poor, Ne 5; he excluded non-Israelites from the † œassembly of God †, Ne 13, 1; created regulations on the Sabbath, Ne 13, 15-21, and on the prohibition of marriages with non-Israelites, Ne 13, 23-28. Furthermore, he took measures to secure the Hebrew occupation and to maintain the Temple and its religious services, Ne 11; 9, 38-10, 39.
Digital Bible Dictionary, Grupo C Service & Design Ltda., Colombia, 2003
Source: Digital Bible Dictionary
(Heb., nehemyah, Jehovah has comforted).
1. One of the leaders in the return, under Zerubbabel, of the Jewish captives in Babylon (Ezr 2:2; Neh 7:7).
2. The son of Azbuk (Neh 3:16).
3. The governor of the Persian province of Judah after 444 B.C. JC Nehemiah was cupbearer to King Artaxerxes (Neh 1:11; Neh 2:1), who reigned from 465 to 423 B.C. by JC
When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he first made a private acknowledgment of the extent of the deterioration (Neh 2:1-16). He then organized the community to carry out the effort to rebuild the broken down walls. Nehemiah collaborated with Ezra in numerous reforms, especially in teaching the law to the people (Nehemiah 8). He however he left for Persia in the year 431 a. JC (Neh 13:6), probably on a special mission. He later returned to Jerusalem.
Source: Hispanic World Bible Dictionary
(God comforted).
The “Book of Nehemiah” is closely related to that of Ezra; the two form a single volume in the Jewish canon: It tells the story of Nehemiah who returns to Jerusalem, with the cooperation of the Persian King, and rules from the year 444. He rebuilds the wall of Jerusalem, despite great opposition from the Persians. some Jews, and cooperated with Ezra in many reforms.
The cap. 9 is precious: It shows the great mercy and patience of God in the face of the repeated disobedience of the people. see bible
Christian Bible Dictionary
Dr. J. Dominguez
http://bible.com/dictionary/
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
(The Lord has comforted). Name of people from the OT.
1. One of the leaders of those who returned from exile with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:2; Neh 7:7).
. “Governor of half the region of Beth-sur”, in the time of Ezra. He participated in the…