Nehemiah, the son of Hacaliah, served as the governor of Judah and led the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls in the mid-5th century BC.
Nehemiah, the son of Hacaliah, was a prominent Jewish leader who served as the governor of Judah during the Persian period. He played a crucial role in the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls and the restoration of the Jewish community in the mid-5th century BC.
Nehemiah's story begins in the Persian capital of Susa, where he served as the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes (Neh.1.11). Upon learning about the dire situation in Jerusalem, with its walls in ruins and its people in distress (Neh.1.1-3), Nehemiah sought the king's permission to return to Judah and rebuild the city (Neh.2.1-8).
As the governor of Judah, Nehemiah faced numerous challenges, including opposition from neighboring peoples (Neh.4.1-23; 6.1-14) and internal social and economic issues within the Jewish community (Neh.5.1-19). Despite these difficulties, Nehemiah successfully organized and led the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls in just 52 days (Neh.6.15).
In addition to his role in the physical restoration of Jerusalem, Nehemiah was also involved in the spiritual renewal of the Jewish people. He worked closely with Ezra the scribe in teaching the Law to the people (Neh.8.9) and participated in the renewal of the covenant (Neh.10.1). Nehemiah's governorship and reforms were pivotal in strengthening Jewish identity and faith during the post-exilic period.
The book of Nehemiah, which bears his name, provides a detailed account of his leadership, struggles, and accomplishments. His story is a testament to his faith, courage, and dedication to God's people and serves as an inspiring example of leadership and perseverance in the face of adversity.
Ezra and Nehemiah: scribe and governor
WorkStated in the textEzra led a group to Jerusalem with Artaxerxes' authority, and Nehemiah, cupbearer to Artaxerxes, rebuilt the walls. They appear together at the reading of the law in Nehemiah 8 and at the wall dedication.
Where the text shows it: Ezra 7:1-10 — Ezra's missionNeh 2:1-8 — Nehemiah's commissionNeh 8:9 — Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest and scribeNeh 12:36 — Ezra at the wall dedication Sources: Ezra 7:1-10 · Neh 2:1-8 · Neh 8:9 · Neh 12:36
Ezra before or after Nehemiah?
RoleDebatedEzra arrives in Artaxerxes' seventh year and Nehemiah in his twentieth, which gives the traditional order Ezra then Nehemiah. Some scholars, observing that Ezra finds the city lightly populated and Nehemiah alone reorganises it, propose a different king or reverse order.
Where the text shows it: Ezra 7:7 — Seventh year of ArtaxerxesNeh 2:1 — Twentieth year of ArtaxerxesNeh 8:1-2 — Ezra reads the law Ways people read this (3)
- Traditional: Ezra 458 BC, Nehemiah 445 BC, both under Artaxerxes I.
- Reversal view: the "Artaxerxes" of Ezra 7 is Artaxerxes II, so Ezra arrives around 398 BC.
- Emendation view: Ezra 7:7 should read "thirty-seventh" year (428 BC).
Sources: Ezra 7:7 · Neh 2:1 · Neh 8:1-2
Nehemiah against Sanballat and Tobiah
RoleStated in the textSanballat of Samaria and Tobiah the Ammonite opposed the wall by mockery, conspiracy and intrigue, including a letter and a hired prophet. Both had connections with priestly families in Jerusalem; Tobiah even had a room in the temple, which Nehemiah removed.
Sources: Neh 2:10 · Neh 4:1-8 · Neh 6:1-14 · Neh 13:4-8
Artaxerxes: patron of both missions
RoleStated in the textArtaxerxes authorised Ezra with a letter granting funds and judicial authority, and, after first halting the work on the walls (Ezra 4), allowed Nehemiah to rebuild. Jewish community life in Judah depended on Persian goodwill.
Sources: Ezra 7:11-26 · Ezra 4:21-23 · Neh 2:5-8
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
5 verses in 1 book · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H5166