The Meaning of Nehemiah 1:1 Explained

Nehemiah 1:1

KJV: The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,

YLT: Words of Nehemiah son of Hachaliah. And it cometh to pass, in the month of Chisleu, the twentieth year, and I have been in Shushan the palace,

Darby: The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the fortress,

ASV: The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it came to pass in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The words  of Nehemiah  the son  of Hachaliah.  And it came to pass in the month  Chisleu,  in the twentieth  year,  as I was in Shushan  the palace, 

What does Nehemiah 1:1 Mean?

Study Notes

Chisleu i.e. December.
Shushan Or, Susa, ancient capital of Persia.

Context Summary

Nehemiah 1:1-11 - A Patriot's Prayer
Though living in luxury, in the winter palace of the Persian kings, Nehemiah's heart was keenly sensitive to all that affected his people. But he turned from tears to prayer, from man to God. Oh, that we could cry and sigh for the rents and breaches in the Church of God. We should deal much more successfully with men, if, like Nehemiah, we dealt more largely with God. Gordon used to say that he had met and conquered his enemies before he saw them. This prayer of Nehemiah's is very beautiful, saturated as it is with quotations from Scripture, and so effective with God, because based on His own Word. It was steeped in tears of contrition for sin, and offered without ceasing day and night. Nor was it solitary, for there seems to have been a little band of others united with him, Nehemiah 1:11. Lord, teach us to pray thus, till others are found kneeling with us. Here is a good petition for us as we go forth to our daily calling, in which so much depends on the attitude of our fellow-men. Prosper thy servant this day and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 1

1  Nehemiah, understanding by Hanani the misery of Jerusalem, mourns, fasts, and prays
5  His prayer

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 1:1 mean?

The words of Nehemiah son of Hachaliah And it came to pass in the month of Chislev Chislev [in] the year twenty and as I was in Shushan the citadel
דִּבְרֵ֥י נְחֶמְיָ֖ה בֶּן־ חֲכַלְיָ֑ה וַיְהִ֤י בְחֹֽדֶשׁ־ [כסלו] (כִּסְלֵיו֙) שְׁנַ֣ת עֶשְׂרִ֔ים וַאֲנִ֥י הָיִ֖יתִי בְּשׁוּשַׁ֥ן הַבִּירָֽה

דִּבְרֵ֥י  The  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
נְחֶמְיָ֖ה  of  Nehemiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נְחֶמְיָה  
Sense: the son of Hachaliah, cupbearer to king Artaxerxes, who became governor of Judah after the return from exile.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
חֲכַלְיָ֑ה  of  Hachaliah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֲכַלְיָה  
Sense: the father of Nehemiah.
וַיְהִ֤י  And  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
בְחֹֽדֶשׁ־  in  the  month 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: the new moon, month, monthly.
[כסלו]  of  Chislev 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
(כִּסְלֵיו֙)  Chislev 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: כִּסְלֵו  
Sense: the 9th month of the calendar corresponding to Nov–Dec.
שְׁנַ֣ת  [in]  the  year 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
עֶשְׂרִ֔ים  twenty 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: עֶשְׂרִים  
Sense: twenty, twentieth.
וַאֲנִ֥י  and  as  I 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
בְּשׁוּשַׁ֥ן  in  Shushan 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שׁוּשַׁן  
Sense: the winter residence of the Persian kings; located on the river Ulai or Choaspes.
הַבִּירָֽה  the  citadel 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בִּירָה  
Sense: palace, castle.