O Lord, may Your ear be attentive to my prayer and to the prayers of Your servants who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man." (At that time I was the cupbearer to the king.) O Lord, may Your ear be attentive to my prayerThis phrase reflects a deep reliance on God, acknowledging His sovereignty and the need for His attention. In the biblical context, it echoes the prayers of other faithful servants like Solomon ( 1 Kings 8:28) and David ( Psalm 17:6), who also sought God's attentive ear. It underscores the belief that God is personal and responsive to the prayers of His people. and to the prayers of Your servants who delight to revere Your name.
This highlights the communal aspect of prayer, emphasizing that Nehemiah is not alone in his devotion. The term "servants" suggests a collective of faithful individuals who find joy in honoring God's name, similar to the remnant in Malachi 3:16. Reverence for God's name is a central theme in Scripture, pointing to a life lived in awe and respect for His holiness. Give Your servant success this day, I pray,
Nehemiah's request for success is specific and immediate, showing his dependence on God for the task ahead. The phrase "this day" indicates urgency and faith in God's timely intervention. This mirrors the biblical principle found in Proverbs 16:3, where committing one's plans to the Lord leads to success. and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”
Nehemiah seeks favor from the king, recognizing that human authority is ultimately under God's control. This reflects the biblical theme of God granting favor to His people in the eyes of rulers, as seen with Joseph in Genesis 39:21 and Daniel in Daniel 1:9. It underscores the belief that God can influence the hearts of leaders for His purposes. (At that time I was the cupbearer to the king.)
This provides historical context, identifying Nehemiah's position of influence and trust in the Persian court. The role of a cupbearer was significant, involving close proximity to the king and responsibility for his safety. This position parallels Joseph's role in Egypt, where God used a strategic placement to fulfill His plans (Genesis 41:40-41). Nehemiah's role foreshadows Christ as the ultimate mediator and servant leader. Persons / Places / Events 1. NehemiahA Jewish exile serving as the cupbearer to the Persian King Artaxerxes. He is deeply concerned about the welfare of Jerusalem and its people. 2. The Lord (Yahweh)The God of Israel, whom Nehemiah addresses in his prayer, seeking divine intervention and favor. 3. The ServantsRefers to Nehemiah and those who, like him, revere God's name and are committed to His purposes. 4. The King (Artaxerxes)The Persian ruler whom Nehemiah serves. Nehemiah seeks favor in his sight to gain permission to return to Jerusalem. 5. JerusalemThe city of God, whose walls are broken down, prompting Nehemiah's prayer and subsequent mission. Teaching Points The Power of PrayerNehemiah's prayer demonstrates the importance of earnest and humble prayer in seeking God's intervention in our lives. Reverence for God's NameNehemiah and his companions delight in revering God's name, reminding us to prioritize worship and reverence in our relationship with God. Seeking God's FavorNehemiah's request for success and mercy highlights the need to seek God's favor in our endeavors, trusting in His sovereignty. Courage in LeadershipNehemiah's role as a leader begins with prayer, showing that effective leadership is rooted in dependence on God. God's Sovereignty Over AuthoritiesNehemiah's situation reminds us that God can move the hearts of those in authority to accomplish His purposes. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Nehemiah's role as a cupbearer influence his approach to prayer and leadership? 2. In what ways can we incorporate reverence for God's name into our daily lives, as Nehemiah and his servants did? 3. How does Nehemiah's prayer reflect a balance between personal responsibility and reliance on God's sovereignty? 4. What can we learn from Nehemiah about seeking God's favor in our professional and personal endeavors? 5. How does Nehemiah's example encourage us to pray for those in authority, and what other scriptures support this practice? Connections to Other Scriptures Ezra 7-10Provides context for the return of the exiles and the rebuilding efforts in Jerusalem, which Nehemiah continues. Daniel 9Daniel's prayer for his people parallels Nehemiah's intercession, showing a pattern of seeking God's favor for Israel. Philippians 4:6-7Encourages believers to present their requests to God with thanksgiving, similar to Nehemiah's approach. Proverbs 21:1Highlights God's sovereignty over the hearts of kings, relevant to Nehemiah's request for favor with Artaxerxes. James 5:16Emphasizes the power of a righteous person's prayer, as demonstrated by Nehemiah's effective intercession. People Hachaliah, Hanani, Israelites, NehemiahPlaces Jerusalem, SusaTopics Attentive, Bearer, Beg, Beseech, Butler, Compassion, Cup, Cupbearer, Cup-bearer, Delight, Delighting, Desire, Ear, Favor, Fear, Grant, Granting, King's, Mercies, Mercy, Note, O, Please, Prayer, Prayers, Presence, Prosper, Prosperity, Revere, Revering, Servant, Servants, Sight, Success, Successful, To-day, Wine-servant, WorshippingDictionary of Bible Themes Nehemiah 1:11 1070 God, joy of
1230 God, the Lord
5042 name of God, significance
5284 cupbearer
5830 delight
5861 favour, human
5960 success
7141 people of God, OT
8335 reverence, and blessing Nehemiah 1:4-11 6655 forgiveness, application
8618 prayerfulness Nehemiah 1:11-2:1 4544 wine Library The Church and Social Evils
'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.'--NEH. i. 4. Ninety years had passed since the returning exiles had arrived at Jerusalem. They had encountered many difficulties which had marred their progress and cooled their enthusiasm. The Temple, indeed, was rebuilt, but Jerusalem lay in ruins, and its walls remained as they had been left, by Nebuchadnezzar's siege, some century and a half before. …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureA Reformer's Schooling
'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 palace, 2. That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3. And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Nehemiah, the Praying Builder
We care not for your splendid abilities as a minister, or your natural endowment as an orator before men. We are sure that the truth of the matter is this: No one will or can command success and become a real praying soul unless intense application is the price. I am even now convinced that the difference between the saints like Wesley, Fletcher, Edwards, Brainerd, Bramwell, Bounds, and ourselves is energy, perseverance, invincible determination to succeed or die in the attempt. God help us.--Rev. …
Edward M. Bounds—Prayer and Praying Men Discouragements and Courage
'Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them. 10. And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall. 11. And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease. 12. And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Last Days of the Old Eastern World
The Median wars--The last native dynasties of Egypt--The Eastern world on the eve of the Macedonian conquest. [Drawn by Boudier, from one of the sarcophagi of Sidon, now in the Museum of St. Irene. The vignette, which is by Faucher-Gudin, represents the sitting cyno-cephalus of Nectanebo I., now in the Egyptian Museum at the Vatican.] Darius appears to have formed this project of conquest immediately after his first victories, when his initial attempts to institute satrapies had taught him not …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 9 A Treatise of the Fear of God;
SHOWING WHAT IT IS, AND HOW DISTINGUISHED FROM THAT WHICH IS NOT SO. ALSO, WHENCE IT COMES; WHO HAS IT; WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS; AND WHAT THE PRIVILEGES OF THOSE THAT HAVE IT IN THEIR HEARTS. London: Printed for N. Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, over against the Stocks market: 1679. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and "a fountain of life"--the foundation on which all wisdom rests, as well as the source from whence it emanates. Upon a principle …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Influences that Gave Rise to the Priestly Laws and Histories
[Sidenote: Influences in the exile that produced written ceremonial laws] The Babylonian exile gave a great opportunity and incentive to the further development of written law. While the temple stood, the ceremonial rites and customs received constant illustration, and were transmitted directly from father to son in the priestly families. Hence, there was little need of writing them down. But when most of the priests were carried captive to Babylonia, as in 597 B.C., and ten years later the temple …
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament Ezra-Nehemiah
Some of the most complicated problems in Hebrew history as well as in the literary criticism of the Old Testament gather about the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Apart from these books, all that we know of the origin and early history of Judaism is inferential. They are our only historical sources for that period; and if in them we have, as we seem to have, authentic memoirs, fragmentary though they be, written by the two men who, more than any other, gave permanent shape and direction to Judaism, then …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Nehemiah 1:11 NIVNehemiah 1:11 NLTNehemiah 1:11 ESVNehemiah 1:11 NASBNehemiah 1:11 KJV
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