Bible Characters · Exile & Return
Nehemiah
The cupbearer of Artaxerxes who heard of Jerusalem's ruin, prayed, got the king's leave, and rebuilt the city's wall in fifty-two days.
The facts, as Scripture gives them
- Lived
- Governor of Judah for twelve years (Nehemiah 5:14). Dates not given in Scripture.
- Region
- Susa in Persia, then Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 1:1; Nehemiah 2:11)
- Work
- Cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, then governor in the land of Judah. (Nehemiah 1:11; Nehemiah 5:14)
Key verses
When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and disheartened, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God.
Nehemiah 6:16 (BSB)
Then Nehemiah told them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send out portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Nehemiah 8:10 (BSB)
What they did
- Heard from his brother Hanani that Jerusalem's wall was broken and its gates burned, and wept, fasted and prayed for days. (Nehemiah 1:2-11)
- Asked the king's permission to go and rebuild, and was sent with letters and timber. (Nehemiah 2:5-8)
- Rode around the ruins by night, then rallied the people: come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 2:12-18)
- Built under threat, the workers holding a weapon in one hand and building with the other, and would not come down to Sanballat's meetings. (Nehemiah 4:17-18; Nehemiah 6:3)
- Completed the wall in fifty-two days, so that the surrounding nations were afraid, for they realised this task had been accomplished by our God. (Nehemiah 6:15-16)
- Stood beside Ezra as the Law was read to the assembled people, and told them not to grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:9-10)
- As governor, refused the governor's food allowance and ate at his own expense, unlike those before him. (Nehemiah 5:14-18)
Family
- Father
- Hacaliah (Nehemiah 1:1)
- Siblings
- Hanani (Nehemiah 1:2)
Connected to
- Ezra: The scribe who read the Law to the people Nehemiah had gathered (Nehemiah 8:1-9)
- Artaxerxes: The king he served as cupbearer, who gave him leave to rebuild (Nehemiah 2:1-8)
- Sanballat: The Horonite who mocked the work and plotted against him (Nehemiah 2:19; Nehemiah 4:1-2)
- Hanani: His brother, who brought him the news from Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:2)
Mentioned in
Nehemiah.
Every reference (5)
Nehemiah 1:1 · Nehemiah 8:9 · Nehemiah 10:1 · Nehemiah 12:26 · Nehemiah 12:47
Review status: in-theological-review. Every Contend profile passes a human theological review against the Statement of Faith before it is published as approved teaching. This profile is in that queue. Sources: Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (public domain), verified verse by verse. Name and reference data: STEP Bible (TIPNR), Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0.