The Meaning of Nehemiah 1:4 Explained

Nehemiah 1:4

KJV: And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

YLT: And it cometh to pass, at my hearing these words, I have sat down, and I weep and mourn for days, and I am fasting and praying before the God of the heavens.

Darby: And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat and wept, and mourned for days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of the heavens,

ASV: And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it came to pass, when I heard  these words,  that I sat down  and wept,  and mourned  [certain] days,  and fasted,  and prayed  before  the God  of heaven, 

What does Nehemiah 1:4 Mean?

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 1:4 mean?

So it was when I heard - words these that I sat down and wept and mourned [for many] days and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven
וַיְהִ֞י כְּשָׁמְעִ֣י ׀ אֶת־ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה יָשַׁ֙בְתִּי֙ וָֽאֶבְכֶּ֔ה וָאֶתְאַבְּלָ֖ה יָמִ֑ים וָֽאֱהִ֥י צָם֙ וּמִתְפַּלֵּ֔ל לִפְנֵ֖י אֱלֹהֵ֥י הַשָּׁמָֽיִם

וַיְהִ֞י  So  it  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כְּשָׁמְעִ֣י ׀  when  I  heard 
Parse: Preposition-k, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, first person common singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַדְּבָרִ֣ים  words 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הָאֵ֗לֶּה  these 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
יָשַׁ֙בְתִּי֙  that  I  sat  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
וָֽאֶבְכֶּ֔ה  and  wept 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: בָּכָה  
Sense: to weep, bewail, cry, shed tears.
וָאֶתְאַבְּלָ֖ה  and  mourned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: אָבַל 
Sense: to mourn, lament.
יָמִ֑ים  [for  many]  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
וָֽאֱהִ֥י  and  I  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
צָם֙  fasting 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: צוּם  
Sense: (Qal) to abstain from food, fast.
וּמִתְפַּלֵּ֔ל  and  praying 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Participle, masculine singular
Root: פָּלַל 
Sense: to intervene, interpose, pray.
לִפְנֵ֖י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
אֱלֹהֵ֥י  the  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הַשָּׁמָֽיִם  of  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.