Commentary for Nehemiah 1:12

The words of Nehemiah, etc. Nehemiah wrote this book from here on.

the twentieth year This refers to the twentieth year of King Darius, who is identical with Artaxerxes. In Tractate Rosh Hashanah (3a, b), we find that the phrase “the twentieth year” is mentioned twice using similar wording [to teach us that it is speaking of the identical year]. It states below (2:1), “And it came to pass in the month of Nissan of the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, etc.” The years were calculated from the month of Tishrei. It says here, “And it was in the month of Kislev of the twentieth year, etc.” This refers to the Kislev coming after Tishrei. Further down it says (2:1), “And it was in the month of Nissan of the twentieth year, etc.” This refers to the Nissan of the same year. And I cannot explain that they calculated their years from the month of Nissan and that the incident mentioned below: “And it was in the month of Nissan, etc.” occurred before this incident: “And it was in the month of Kislev, etc.” It is true that events [in the Torah] are not necessarily recorded in chronological order. Nevertheless, the chapters indicate that the second chapter took place only because of the events of the first chapter.

one of my brethren one of my companions.

and I asked them about the Jews I asked them about the Jews who had escaped the Babylonian captivity and remained in Jerusalem.

who had escaped because they were saved from the Babylonian exile.

and about Jerusalem And I asked them about the city.

And they said to me They answered my first question first and my latter question last; first, concerning the Jews and afterwards, concerning the wall and the gates.

who remained Those Jews who remained in the province of Jerusalem are in great trouble and reproach because the gentiles plunder and pillage them.

and the wall of Jerusalem is breached And the wall of the city is breached, and the gates are burned with fire as they were before, for Israel had not built the wall of the city or its gates, only the Temple.

were burned Heb. נִצְתוּ, like נֻצְתוּ.

for days Heb. יָמִים, many days.

I beseech You Heb. אָנָא, an expression of request and supplication.

attentive Heb. קַשֶּׁבֶת, like קוֹשֶּׁבֶת, listening, for just as one says from אוֹהֵב, אָהַב, so does one say from קָשַּׁב, קוֹשֵּׁב and קוֹשֶּׁבֶת.

We have dealt corruptly Heb. חֲבֹל, a noun, an expression of corruption, since the “heth” is vowelized with a “hataf pattah,” and I cannot interpret it as a verb form, because in that case, it would have to be vowelized with a large “kamatz.”

we have dealt corruptly Heb. חָבַלְנוּ, an expression of corruption, as in Daniel (6:23): “I have done no harm.”

if your exile is like the matter that is stated (Deut. 30:4): “If your exile is at the end of the heavens, etc.”

I beseech You, O Lord, may Your ear now be attentive At the beginning of his prayer he used this expression, and so after his prayer.

Your servant This is what he prayed for himself.

before this man before the king.

butler Heb. מַשְּׁקֶה, like (Gen. 40:1): “...the butler of (מַשְּׁקֶה) the king of Egypt.” This is what I explained above (Ezra 2:63) according to the words of our Sages, that Hattirshatha is Nehemiah.