Nehemiah 1 Verses 1 to 11 Discovering Our Kingdom Assignment

Nehemiah 1 Verses 1 to 11 Discovering Our Kingdom Assignment July 6, 2025 Lesson 1 Kingdom Assignment, the Relentless Pursuit of Obedience Class Presentation Notes AAAAA

Background Scriptures

· Ezra 1:1–5 (NASB95)

Cyrus’s Proclamation

   1     Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lordby the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lordstirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying:

   2     “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

   3     ‘Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem.

   4     ‘Every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.’”

   5     Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites arose, even everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the Lordwhich is in Jerusalem.

Main Idea:

· God has a kingdom plan for all of us as He did for Ezra and Nehemiah.

Study Aim:

· To understand that God promised Judah He would restore them from captivity at the proper time and raised up Nehemiah to lead them rebuild the wall. How do we discern God’s plan for our lives?

Create Interest:

· Around 430 B.C., about 2400 years ago, the book of Nehemiah was penned. The practical insights recorded from Nehemiah’s life are still up-to-date and applicable for us even today. It is a book that deals with a variety of relevant subjects:

o What does God want me to do and what are the steps to take in order to fulfill His will?

o Recognizing problems and responding to them by praying and acting upon the problems.

o It shows us that to lead others, you need to get direction from God in your own life.

o Dealing with problems such as criticism, ridicule, slander, discouragement, fear, and conflict with people, it shows how to overcome these obstacles and properly handle them.

o Nehemiah reveals how to have revival in your own life.

o It even deals with how to relate to a touchy boss.

· As we move through this book, we will see how Nehemiah was a man of action. He took problems that he encountered in his own life, faced them, and did not run away from them.[1]    Let’s see if we can find help from him in our lives.

Lesson in Historical Context:

· In 539 B.C., Babylon, who had conquered Judah and destroyed the temple in Jerusalem approx. 47 years before this, fell to King Cyrus of Persia. Cyrus was gentle and humane with the people he conquered and was concerned for the welfare of the Jewish people. He was not a believer, but God can work in the minds of unbelievers. God stirred the spirit of Cyrus. In fact, Isaiah prophesied and called Cyrus by name about 150 years before he ruled. He would issue the decree to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple.   

* Isaiah 44:28—That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

· The Jews went back to Jerusalem under the leadership of three men.

o Under Zerubbabel in 538 B.C.

§ The temple built to replace Solomon’s temple, which stood from around 950 bc until the Babylonians destroyed it in 586 bc. The second temple was built under the leadership of Zerubbabel, an exile who returned from Babylon to Jerusalem around 538 bc.[2]

o Eighty years later under Ezra in 458 B.C.

o Thirteen years later under Nehemiah in 445–444 B.C.

· The Temple was completed around 516 B.C. after sixteen years of wasted time. It was in 538 B.C. that they were resisted by their enemies. The people quit as soon as they started. They lacked the determination to do the job they came to perform and to face their obstacles and opposition.

· In 486 B.C., Xerxes (Ahasuerus) took the throne. He chose Esther as his queen around 479 B.C. After having a part in killing his father, Artaxerxes I Longimanus ruled from 465 to 424 B.C. He allowed Esther to beautify the Temple, but forbade the rebuilding of the walls of the city at that time.

· It was in 445 B.C. that Nehemiah finally arrived in Jerusalem, in the 20thyear of Artaxerxes.

· Nehemiah (his name means “Yahweh has comforted”) was a Jew born in Babylon during the captivity who rose to the service of cupbearer of King  Artaxerxes of Persia (465-424 B.C; Neh. 1:1;2:1).  He became one of the leaders of the Jewish reconstruction of Jerusalem following the return from exile.

· The book of Nehemiah focuses on the faithfulness of God in keeping his promises both to scatter his sinful people into exile and then to gather them back together and lead them home. It also highlights how God used Nehemiah, a man of faith and determination, to lead the people of God in the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem and to be faithful in keeping the covenant they made with him.[3]

· Nehemiah was a contemporary of Ezra and the two made a good team in the

spiritual reform, moral reform, physical and political reconstruction of Jerusalem.  In addition, Nehemiah was an energetic leader who combined a deep trust in the Lord with precise planning, careful organization, and discreet but energetic action all bathed in prayer.

· Christian leaders find inspiration in Nehemiah’s life and character.[4]

Bible Study:

Nehemiah 1:1-4 (NASB) 1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capitol, 2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem. 3 They said to me, "The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire."

4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. [5]

· 1:1 The Lord used Nehemiah to revive the spirit of the discouraged exiles and bring them hope (cf. Isa 57:14–21).  Have vs. 14 to 16 read for focus.

o Isaiah 57:14–16 (NASB95)

          14      And it will be said,

“Build up, build up, prepare the way,

Remove everyobstacle out of the way of My people.”

          15      For thus says the high and exalted One

Who lives forever, whose name is Holy,

“I dwell on a high and holy place,

And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit

In order to revive the spirit of the lowly

And to revive the heart of the contrite.

          16      “For I will not contend forever,

Nor will I always be angry;

For the spirit would grow faint before Me,

And the breath of those whom I have made.

· 1:1b“And it came to pass/happened (NASB)” is a phrase often used by Luke in his Gospel to impress upon the reader that there was nothing that happened by chance in the life of the Lord Jesus; His movements were always precise. It was not by chance therefore that Nehemiah was in Susa (or Shushan), in the month Chisleu (November/December), in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, the king of Persia. It was for this precise moment that God had been preparing Nehemiah.

· Clearly, he had not returned to Jerusalem with the first groups of exiles under Zerubbabel and Ezra. He was born in Persia and therefore he had no first-hand knowledge or experience of Jerusalem.  Some might even have been critical of him for living in the luxury of the palace, which was a far cry from conditions in Jerusalem. However, this would be to do him a grave injustice; God had ensured that he was in that very place “for such a time as this” (cp. Est 4:14). He was to be the instrument in the hand of God to move a powerful heathen king to carry out His purposes.[6]

o We are here told that he was in Shushan the palace, or royal city, of the king of Persia, where the court was ordinarily kept (v. 1), and (v. 11) that he was the king’s cup-bearer.

o By this place at court, he would be the better qualified for the service of his country in that post for which God had designed him, as Moses was the fitter to govern for being bred up in Pharaoh’s court, and David in Saul’s. He would also have the fairer opportunity of serving his country by his interest in the king and those about him.

o Observe, he is not forward to tell us what great job he had at court; it is not till the end of the chapter that he tells us he was the king’s cup-bearer (a place of great trust, as well as of honor and profit), when he could not avoid the mentioning of it because of the following story; but at first he only said, I was in Shushan the palace. We may hence learn to be humble and modest, and slow to speak of our own advancements.[7]

· 1:1. The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah] The prophetical books commence generally with a title of this kind (see Jer. 1:1); but no other extant Historical Book begins like this. Nehemiah, while attaching his work to Ezra, perhaps marked in this manner the point at which his own composition commenced.[8]

· 1:1–3. While serving at the Persian winter palace in Susa (cf. Es. 1:2; Dan. 8:1, Nehemiah one day received a report from several men who had come from Judah. One of them was his own brother, Hanani; later Nehemiah appointed him to a high position in Jerusalem (7:2). This report came in the month of Kislev, that is, November–December in the 20th yearof Artaxerxes the king (cf. Neh. 2:1). Artaxerxes, Persia’s sixth king, began reigning in 464 b.c., so this year was 444 B.C.

· The report instantly depressed Nehemiah. It pertained to his people and their land. The Jews in Judah (a then provinceof Persia) were greatly troubled and disgraced, and Jerusalem’s wall was broken down and its gates had been burned. (Six gates were later repaired, 3:1, 3, 6, 13–15.)

o Walls. Cities in the ancient world were walled for protection. The walls were also symbols: Unwalled cities merited contempt. Walled cities were seen as significant. Nehemiah could not stand the thought that the city of God should not have walls and committed himself to rebuild them.[9]

o The city was defenseless against enemy attacks. The people had been rebuilding the walls (Ezra 4:12) but were stopped by Artaxerxes who was pressured by some Samaritans and Rehum, the commanding officer, who may have been a Persian responsible to Artaxerxes (Ezra 4:17–23).

· 1:4:  Nehemiah’s open reactions of grief were like those of Ezra in Ezra 9:3–4 and 10:6. He mourned, and wept, and engaged in fasting and prayer, so shocked was he by the news of the destruction of Jerusalem’s defenses

o Note:   Prayers belong strictly to the worship of God. Fasting is a subordinate aid, which is pleasing to God no farther than as it aids the earnestness and fervency of prayer.   John Calvin

o A need does not always constitute a call to remedy it, but it did for Nehemiah. He tested his conviction that he should regard it as a call by the success or otherwise of pushing open a door of opportunity at his disposal, according to verse 11.[10]  Cogitate/soak on this life lesson here and in the following paragraph.

Nehemiah 1:11 (NASB95)

11     “O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him (King Artaxerxes)  compassion before this man (Nehemiah).”

Now I was the cupbearer to the king.

o Since Nehemiah’s natural bent was for swift, decisive action, his behavior here is remarkable. It shows where his priorities lay. It also reveals, by every phrase in this verse, the unhurried and far from superficial background to the famous ‘arrow prayer’ of 2:4 and to the achievements which were to follow it.

§ Nehemiah 2:4 (NASB) (Arrow Prayer) 4 Then the king said to me, "What would you request?" So, I prayed to the God of heaven.

Thoughts to soak on😊 

· Why would Nehemiah inquire about a struggling remnant of people who lived hundreds of miles away? After all, he was the king’s cupbearer and he was successfully secure in his own life. Certainly, it wasn’t his fault that his ancestors had sinned against the Lord and brought judgment to the city of Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah.

o A century and a half before, the Prophet Jeremiah had given this word from the Lord: “For who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem? Or who will bemoan you? Or who will turn aside to ask how you are doing?” (Jer. 15:5, NKJV) Nehemiah was the man God had chosen to do those very things!

· Some people prefer not to know what’s going on, because information might bring obligation.“What you don’t know can’t hurt you,” says the old adage; but is it true? In a letter to a Mrs. Foote, Mark Twain wrote, “All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure.” But what we don’t know could hurt us a great deal!

o There are people in the cemetery who elected not to know the truth. The slogan for the 1987 AIDS publicity campaign was “Don’t die of ignorance”; and that slogan can be applied to many areas of life besides health.   Could this be applicable to us today?????

· Nehemiah asked about Jerusalem and the Jews living there because he had a caring heart. When we truly care about people, we want the facts, no matter how painful they may be. “Practical politics consists in ignoring facts,” American historian Henry Adams said; but Aldous Huxley said, “Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.” Closing our eyes and ears to the truth could be the first step toward tragedy for ourselves as well as for others.[11]

· Nehemiah was not complacent about the condition of things; he mourned and wept over the ruin in Jerusalem. There would have been no point in his going to Jerusalem if the condition of the city had not first touched his heart. Servants of the Lord need to feel the burden of the work before they engage in it. Although it would be wrong to believe that tears must accompany all prayer and fasting for it to be effective, there is a danger that the prayers of believers can become so cold, formal and stereotyped that they are stripped of all emotion.

· Nehemiah “fasted, and prayed” (v. 4). He appreciated that he did not have the answer to the problem that confronted him, and therefore he turned to prayer. It was not the last resort for Nehemiah, but the first.

o  Clearly, it was habitual for him to pray. Throughout the book he slipped comfortably into prayer whenever the occasion demanded it. Although this particular prayer can be read in a matter of moments, he prayed persistently over a lengthy period in the same spirit.

o He speaks of “the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night” (v. 6). Indeed, it was not until the month Nisan (March/April) that he spoke to Artaxerxes about his deep exercise concerning the Jews and Jerusalem (2:1), four months after Hanani and the men of Judah had brought the news to him.

o There were times when Nehemiah’s prayers were answered immediately, but he understood that there were occasions when there was a need for him to be persistent and to wait patiently for God’s answer. Some commentators believe that the words, “prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day” (v. 11), may well indicate that this prayer was the culmination of four months of conversing with God over the matter. He had prayed “day and night” (v. 6), for “certain days” (v. 4), and now he had arrived at a crucial point on “this day” (v. 11).[12]

Thoughts about burdens on our hearts we should soak on here😊

· They cause us to Search for God’s Direction and Guidance.

· Burdens leave us asking, “Lord, what do I do? Where do I go? How do I solve this?”

o Jeremiah 31:9—They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

Ephraim defined is as follows…………………….

§ Israelites: Ethnic Group, Group of People — Those who were part of the religious and political nation of Israel.

§ Remnant of Israel: Group of People — Any of those among the Jews who were saved.

· The burden motivated Nehemiah to action and to take steps to fill the need in Jerusalem. He was a man who had great leadership qualities. I dare say that his abilities and wisdom were a great asset to the king. Good leaders usually do two very important things.

o They establish their priorities.

o They manage their time effectively and efficiently.

· What should be the priorities of a leader? Some leaders put relationships with people first. Others stress personal thought-time and time for planning.

o What did Nehemiah do? His first priority was prayer. He unloaded his heart to the Lord. The mark of a serious leader is he goes to the Lord first with his problem.

o Our first response is usually, “How can I work this out? What did so and so do to make this happen?” The problem will not be 100% solved, however, until you take it to the Lord in prayer. This was the first thing that Nehemiah did. In fact, 11% of the verses in this book are filled with prayers. If you have difficulty loving or relating to a person, take him or her to the Lord.

· Abe Lincoln said, “I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of those about me seemed insufficient for the day.” Nehemiah was a man of courage, action, and prayer. He learned to pray!

o Are you mad at someone? Pray!

o Are you burdened with need? Pray!

o Do you have health problems? Pray!

o Do you need a job? Pray!

o Do you have a loved one that needs to be saved? Pray!

· C.J. Barber said,

o “The self-sufficient do not pray; they talk to themselves.

o The self-satisfied will not pray; they have no knowledge of their need.

o The self-righteous cannot pray; they have no basis on which to approach God.”

· Beloved, a wise leader is not self-sufficient, self-satisfied, or self-righteous.[13]

Nehemiah 1:5 (NASB) 5 I said, "I beseech You, O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments,

· Covenant. The covenant referred to in this unit is Mosaic Law. The Law was viewed as a formal contract that defined the relationship between God and His people.

· 1:5. There is more than rhetoric in this elaborate opening.

o It deliberately postpones the cry for help, which could otherwise be faithless and self-pitying.

o It mounts immediately to heaven(as the Lord’s prayer does), where the perspective will be right,

o  It reflects on the character of God—not only for its encouraging aspect of staunchness and love, but first for the majesty which puts man, whether friend or foe, in his place.[14]

· His appeal was based on God’s covenant with Israel as given in:

o Deuteronomy 7:6-9 (NASB) 6 "For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7 "The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORDbrought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 "Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;[15]

· Also in Deuteronomy, the Lord threatened the unfaithful but also promised to assist the repentant (see Deut. 9:29; 28:14; 30:1–4). As the king’s cupbearer, Nehemiah ended his petition by anticipating an audience with Artaxerxes (“this man,” 1:11).[16]

Nehemiah 1:6-7 (NASB) 6 let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; I and my father's house have sinned. 7 "We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.      

· 1:6. Both I and my father’s house have sinned. Ewald (HEINRICH GEORG AUGUST Ewald),1803–1875, Protestant theologian; scholar of the Bible, Israelite history, and Semitic languages, well observes, “In the prayer of Nehemiah the keynote is struck in the words, ‘I and my father’s house have sinned’ ” (‘History of Israel,’ vol. v. p. 149, note 1). The desolation which be mourns is the result of the people’s sins, and in those sins are included his own, and those of his ancestors. His own may not have been very grievous, but those of his fathers’ weigh upon him as if his own and oppress his spirit.

· 1:7. We have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments. The ordinances of the Law are frequently summed up under these three heads (Deut. 5:31; 6:1; 11:1, &c.); but it would be a mistake to regard them as constituting a logical division of the various precepts contained in the Pentateuch, or to suppose that every precept is to be referred absolutely to one or other of the three.[17]

o the commands, regulations, and judgments Nehemiah uses three different Hebrew terms synonymously to refer to God’s law. The variation and repetition is similar to that of psalms praising the Law like Psalm 19:7-9 or Psalm 119.

o your servant Moses Nehemiah is referring to the entirety of the law of Moses.[18]

Nehemiah 1:8-11 (NASB) 8 "Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; 9 but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.' 10 "They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand. 11 "O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man." Now I was the cupbearer to the king.

· 1:9-8  Nehemiah recognized God’s justice. He remembered the word which was spoken through His servant, Moses, saying, “If you transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations.”

o As we see Israel at this moment scattered among the nations of the earth, as corn is scattered in a sieve, we cannot but keep before us God’s Word through Moses.

o They are scattered because they sinned, because they dealt corruptly.

· 1:10-11 Nehemiah claimed God’s promises. He laid before the Lord His promise to Moses: “If you turn unto Me, and keep My commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the Heaven, yet will I gather them * * unto the place that I have chosen to set My Name there.”

o If Nehemiah used this promise of God as he prayed in his day, how much more may we use the same promise as we pray. God said through the Prophet, Amos, “And I will bring again the captivity of My people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God.”

o This promise, given by the Holy Spirit through Amos, is sure and steadfast. It has never been fulfilled in any partialrestoration because this is a complete restoration; and also, because all restorations in the days past, were only to be driven forth again. When the Lord comes, and Israel is brought back to God, then they shall be planted in their own land never to be pulled up. Read also Ezekiel 36:24

 Thank God for the day of Israel’s restoration![19]

§ Ezekiel 36:24 (NASB) 24 "For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land.

Thoughts in Closing😊

· Nehemiah’s prayer is a model of theological correctness.

o He first acknowledged God’s sovereignty and covenant grace and faithfulness (Neh. 1:5).

o He then petitioned the Lord to hear his confession of national and personal sins (v. 6), covenant violations (v. 7) which had resulted in the dispersion of the chosen people to the ends of the earth (v. 8; cf. Lev. 26:27–33; Deut. 28:25, 36, 47–57).

o Such confession, accompanied by sincere repentance, would prompt the Lord to forgive his people and restore them to the land once again (Neh. 1:9; cf. Deut. 30:1–10). 

§ Kings and great men probably looked upon it as a piece of state to be attended by those of other nations.[20]

To understand that God promised Judah He would restore them from captivity at the proper time and raised up Nehemiah to lead them rebuild the wall. How do we discern God’s plan for our lives. Applications

If you're experiencing disillusionment with the state of your community or public affairs, take action by volunteering for a local initiative that aligns with your values. Spend time in prayer, asking God to show you where you can make a tangible difference. As Nehemiah surveyed the walls of Jerusalem, prayerfully assess the needs around you, and commit to being a part of the solution—engaging with local leaders or forming a group focused on community restoration.

If family members are divided on issues within the home, establish a family mission statement based on biblical principles. Gather everyone together, share Nehemiah’s story of unifying a fractured community, and discuss the importance of working together towards a shared goal. This intentionality will help each person to see their role in the family and encourage a spirit of cooperation and peace, reflecting God’s promises of restoration.

God has a kingdom plan for all of us as He did for Ezra and Nehemiah Applications

As you navigate public life and community involvement, you might feel like your contributions are small or insignificant. Just as Ezra and Nehemiah faced daunting tasks, you too can impact your community significantly. Get involved in a local charity or community project that aligns with your values and use your skills to serve others. Whether it’s organizing a neighborhood clean-up or volunteering for a food drive, know that your efforts are part of God’s broader kingdom plan.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by family responsibilities and uncertain about your role in the household, remember that God has a kingdom plan for you, just as He did for Ezra and Nehemiah. Take a day to pray and ask God for guidance on how you can cultivate a spiritual environment at home. Create a family devotion plan that involves everyone, perhaps reading through a Bible study together or sharing testimonies of faith. This intentionality will help your family grow together and align with God’s purpose.

Illustrations

Just like Nehemiah, who had a heart for rebuilding Jerusalem, we all have our 'Jerusalems'—the dreams and passions God places in our hearts. A friend of mine once felt called to start a community garden. At first, it seemed impossible, but with a few dedicated volunteers and a clear vision, that garden flourished! God has unique plans for each of us; sometimes, all it takes is a little faith and a willingness to dig in and get our hands dirty!

Ezra shows us that even the most ordinary person can play an extraordinary role in God’s kingdom. Imagine a librarian who starts a book club. Initially, it seems small, yet she stirs conversations that lead to life-changing discussions. Similarly, God has placed each of us in unique circumstances where we can serve, connect, and reflect His love. You never know how God might use your simple efforts to create a lasting impact!

Grace and peace to all who read this…………………………………………..

[1]Rod Mattoon, Treasures from Nehemiah, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2008), 1-3.

[2]Paul L. Redditt, “Temple, Zerubbabel’s,” in The Lexham Bible Dictionary, ed. John D. Barry et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

[3]Douglas Mangum, ed., Lexham Context Commentary: Old Testament, Lexham Context Commentary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020), Ne.

[4]Mervin Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, electronic ed., vol. 10, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 167–168.

[5]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ne 1:4.

[6]C. T. Lacey, “Nehemiah,” in Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther, What the Bible Teaches (J. Ritchie, 2009), 213.

[7]Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume(Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 627.

[8]Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament: I Samuel to Esther, ed. F. C. Cook, J. M. Fuller (London: John Murray, 1879), 459.

[9]Lawrence O. Richards, The Teacher’s Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1987), 306.

[10]Leslie C. Allen, “Nehemiah,” in Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, ed. W. Ward Gasque, Robert L. Hubbard, and Robert K. Johnston, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012), 88.

[11]Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Determined, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 15–16.

[12]C. T. Lacey, “Nehemiah,” in Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther, What the Bible Teaches (J. Ritchie, 2009), 217–218.

[13]Rod Mattoon, Treasures from Nehemiah, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2008), 6–7.

[14]Derek Kidner, Ezra and Nehemiah: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 12, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1979), 85.

[15]New American Standard Bible, electronic edition. (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1986), Dt 7:6–9.

[16]Kenneth A. Mathews, “The Historical Books,” in Holman Concise Bible Commentary, ed. David S. Dockery (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998), 184.

[17]H. D. M. Spence-Jones, ed., Nehemiah, The Pulpit Commentary (London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1909), 2–3.

[18]John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Ne 1:7.

[19]R. E. Neighbour, Wells of Living Water: Old Testament, vol. 4, Wells of Living Water (Union Gospel Press, 1939–1940), 182–183.

[20]Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume(Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 627.