| Geneva Study Bible The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month {a} Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, The Argument - God, in all ages and at all times, sets up worthy persons for the convenience and profit of his Church, as now within the compass of seventy years he raised up various excellent men for the preservation of his people after their return from Babylon. Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, of which the first was their captain to bring them home, and provided that the temple was built: the second reformed their manners and planted religion: and the third built up the walls, delivered the people from oppression and provided that the law of God was carried out among them. He was a godly man, and in great authority with the king, so that the king favoured him greatly and gave him letters to accomplish all the things he desired. This book is also called the second of Ezra by the Latins because he was the author of it. (a) Which contains part of November and part of December, and was their ninth month. Wesley's Notes 1:1 The words - Or rather, the acts, as the word often signifies. Chisleu - Which is the ninth month, containing part of November, and part of December. Year - Of Artaxerxes. Shushan - The royal city of Persia. Scofield Reference Notes SCOFIELD REFERENCE NOTES (Old Scofield 1917 Edition) Book Introduction Margin Chisleu Margin Shushan The Book of Nehemiah Fourteen years after the return of Ezra to Jerusalem, Nehemiah led up a company (B.C. 444) and restored the walls and the civil authority. Of those events this book is the record. It is in eight divisions: I. The journey to Jerusalem, 1.1-2.20 II. The building of the wall, 3.1-6.19. III. The census, 7.1-73. IV. The revival, 8.1-11.36. V. The census of the priests and Levites, 12.1-26. VI. Dedication of the wall, 12.27-43. VII. Restoration of the temple worship, 12.44-47. VIII. The legal order restored, 13.1-31. The moral state of the time is disclosed by the prophet Malachi. This book affords many instances of individual faith acting on the written word (e.g. Neh 1.8,9; 13.1). It is the principle of 2Tim 2. The events recorded in Nehemiah cover a period of 11 years (Ussher). Margin Chisleu i.e. December. Margin Shushan Or, Susa, ancient capital of Persia. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH Commentary by Robert Jamieson CHAPTER 1 Ne 1:1-3. Nehemiah, Understanding by Hanani the Afflicted State of Jerusalem, Mourns, Fasts, and Prays. 1. Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah-This eminently pious and patriotic Jew is to be carefully distinguished from two other persons of the same name-one of whom is mentioned as helping to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Ne 3:16), and the other is noticed in the list of those who accompanied Zerubbabel in the first detachment of returning exiles (Ezr 2:2; Ne 7:7). Though little is known of his genealogy, it is highly probable that he was a descendant of the tribe of Judah and the royal family of David. in the month Chisleu-answering to the close of November and the larger part of December. Shushan the palace-the capital of ancient Susiana, east of the Tigris, a province of Persia. From the time of Cyrus it was the favorite winter residence of the Persian kings. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary 1:15-44 The best reformers can but do their endeavour; when the Redeemer himself shall come to Zion, he shall effectually turn away ungodliness from Jacob. And when sin is repented of and forsaken, God will forgive it; but the blood of Christ, our Sin-offering, is the only atonement which takes away our guilt. No seeming repentance or amendment will benefit those who reject Him, for self-dependence proves them still unhumbled. All the names written in the book of life, are those of penitent sinners, not of self-righteous persons, who think they have no need of repentance. | 
