Reading for December 3rd

Read Nehemiah 1.1-11. I. 1-11: Nehemiah's concern over Jerusalem. The opening explains Nehemiah's appointment as governor and his relentess pursuit of the rebuilding of the city walls. The section ends with a lenghty prayer that gives voice to another concept of the proper approach to God. In verse 1: The words of Nehemiah: the Hebrew term for words can also be rendered "matters." The opening does not necessarily support the existence of a "Nehemiah memoir." In the twentieth year: Apparently the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes (see 2.1). Susa was a seasonal palace for the Persian monarchs, though Artaxerxes seemed to have favored it and spent protracted periods there. In verse 2: One of my brothers may indicate a family member (see 7.2) or may simply mean a colleage. The Jews that survived: It is unclear what specific group or groups Nehemiah is asking about, but the main point is his concern with the entire community's welfare as well as the city's. In verse 3: The wall of Jerusalem is broken down: This should have been well known, following on the destruction of the city by the Babylonians in 587 BCE. Some believe the report must relate to a more recent event, and suggest that the events of Ezra 4.23 may provide the background, through nothing in that account would suggest a destruction of the work that had been accomplished. Possibly the report is taken as a sign of the royal diapproval of Ezra 4.23: the wall of Jerusalem is still broken down, and thus Nehemiah must try a different means to aid Jerusalem. Given the use of terms such as great trouble and shame, another possiblity is that the wall and its gates are metaphors for the separation that Ezra was trying to achieve. In verse 4: I sat down and wept, and mourned for days: This is a sign of grief, and also a sign of the literary character of the account, since it is hard to conceive of a figure as forceful as Nehemiah acting so victimized for several months. In verse 5: God of Heaven was a characteristic title for God in the Persian period (see Ezra 7.12, 23). In verse 10: They are your servants and your people: After confessing his own guilt, Nehemiah calls on God to remember his people since Nehemiah's prayer is on their behalf. In verse 11: Give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man: Nehemiah apparently has formed a plan to address the misfortunes of Jerusalem, but the reader does not yet know what it is. Man is clearly a reference to Artaxerxes. In the Persian court, cupbearer was a formal office, with reponsiblity for ensuring the safety of the king's wine supply as well as acting as a royal adviser. Comments or Questions..