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The Bible, King James version, Book 16: Nehemiah — Inside the Classic
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Project Gutenberg
2005
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Bible. Nehemiah
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13,615
Reading time
60 min
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2
For The Bible, King James version, Book 16: Nehemiah — Inside the Classic, the stored edition analysis reports 13,615 words, 1 hr estimated reading time, and 2 detected text sections.
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An editorial note on the structure of Nehemiah, examining its first-person narrative, alternating prayer and action, and the recurring image of walls as both physical and communal restoration.
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Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.
16:006:019 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.
16:007:001 Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed,
16:007:002 That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.
16:007:003 And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors, and bar them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one to be over against his house.
16:007:004 Now the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.
16:007:005 And my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first, and found written therein,
16:007:006 These are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity, of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one unto his city;
16:007:007 Who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number, I say, of the men of the people of Israel was this;
16:007:008 The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred seventy and two.
16:007:009 The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two.
16:007:010 The children of Arah, six hundred fifty and two.
16:007:011 The children of Pahathmoab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand and eight hundred and eighteen.
16:007:012 The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.
16:007:013 The children of Zattu, eight hundred forty and five.
16:007:014 The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore.
16:007:015 The children of Binnui, six hundred forty and eight.
16:007:016 The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and eight.
16:007:017 The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty and two.
16:007:018 The children of Adonikam, six hundred threescore and seven.
16:007:019 The children of Bigvai, two thousand threescore and seven.
16:007:020 The children of Adin, six hundred fifty and five.
16:007:021 The children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety and eight.
16:007:022 The children of Hashum, three hundred twenty and eight.
16:007:023 The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and four.
16:007:024 The children of Hariph, an hundred and twelve.
16:007:025 The children of Gibeon, ninety and five.
16:007:026 The men of Bethlehem and Netophah, an hundred fourscore and eight.
16:007:027 The men of Anathoth, an hundred twenty and eight.
16:007:028 The men of Bethazmaveth, forty and two.
16:007:029 The men of Kirjathjearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred forty and three.
16:007:030 The men of Ramah and Gaba, six hundred twenty and one.
16:007:031 The men of Michmas, an hundred and twenty and two.
16:007:032 The men of Bethel and Ai, an hundred twenty and three.
16:007:033 The men of the other Nebo, fifty and two.
16:007:034 The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.
16:007:035 The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.
16:007:036 The children of Jericho, three hundred forty and five.
16:007:037 The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and one.
16:007:038 The children of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.
16:007:039 The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three.
16:007:040 The children of Immer, a thousand fifty and two.
16:007:041 The children of Pashur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.
16:007:042 The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.
16:007:043 The Levites: the children of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, and of the children of Hodevah, seventy and four.
16:007:044 The singers: the children of Asaph, an hundred forty and eight.
16:007:045 The porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, an hundred thirty and eight.
16:007:046 The Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hashupha, the children of Tabbaoth,
16:007:047 The children of Keros, the children of Sia, the children of Padon,
16:007:048 The children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the children of Shalmai,
16:007:049 The children of Hanan, the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar,
16:007:050 The children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda,
16:007:051 The children of Gazzam, the children of Uzza, the children of Phaseah,
16:007:052 The children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephishesim,
16:007:053 The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,
16:007:054 The children of Bazlith, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,
The book of Nehemiah opens with a distinctive first-person voice: “The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah.” This personal account immediately sets the tone, as Nehemiah receives news of Jerusalem’s broken walls and burned gates. His response—weeping, mourning, fasting, and praying—establishes a pattern of emotional reaction followed by petition. The narrative moves from private grief to public action, a structure that recurs throughout the text.
First-Person Report and Royal Audience
Nehemiah’s account is told in the first person, a rare perspective in biblical historical books. He describes his role as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes and his sadness in the king’s presence, which leads to a direct request to rebuild Jerusalem. The dialogue is precise: the king asks, “For what dost thou make request?” and Nehemiah’s reply is immediate. This scene hinges on a specific detail—Nehemiah had “not been beforetime sad” before the king—which underscores the gravity of his mission. The narrative moves swiftly from personal lament to royal permission, showing how individual initiative triggers state action.
Alternating Prayer and Construction
The text repeatedly shifts between prayer and practical work. After receiving the king’s letters, Nehemiah inspects the walls by night, then announces to the people: “Let us build up the wall of Jerusalem.” The work is described in lists of gates and sections, each repaired by named individuals or groups. Yet these passages are punctuated by prayers, such as when Nehemiah responds to mockery: “Hear, O our God; for we are despised.” This alternation creates a rhythm where human effort is framed by divine appeal. The prayers themselves often echo earlier petitions, reinforcing the idea that restoration is both a physical and spiritual undertaking.
The Wall as a Unifying Image
The broken wall is the central problem of the book, and its rebuilding becomes a metaphor for communal restoration. The initial report states that “the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.” This image recurs in Nehemiah’s night inspection and in the detailed account of repairs. The wall’s completion is celebrated with a dedication ceremony involving two processions that walk on the wall in opposite directions. The physical structure thus binds the narrative together, from crisis to resolution. Even opposition from Sanballat and Tobiah focuses on the wall, as they mock the builders’ efforts. The wall is not just a fortification but a symbol of identity and divine favor.
Movement Between Scenes: Court, City, and Covenant
The narrative moves between distinct settings: the Persian court, the ruined city, and the assembly for covenant renewal. Nehemiah begins in Shushan the palace, then travels to Jerusalem, where he oversees construction amid threats. Later, the scene shifts to a public reading of the law by Ezra, followed by a lengthy prayer of confession that recounts Israel’s history from Abraham to the present. This prayer, in chapter 9, is a retrospective that connects the current rebuilding to past disobedience and mercy. The movement from court to city to covenant ceremony gives the book a layered structure, where personal leadership, communal labor, and liturgical remembrance are interwoven.
Readers attentive to the book’s structure will notice how Nehemiah’s first-person narrative creates intimacy, while the recurring image of the wall provides a tangible focus. The alternation of prayer and action, and the shifts between court, city, and assembly, reveal a work that is as much about spiritual renewal as about physical reconstruction. The text invites reflection on how individual resolve, communal effort, and religious tradition combine in the face of adversity.
That rainy afternoon, Nehemiah kept returning to the image of hands rebuilding walls—each stone a prayer, a decision, a person. I closed the book, and my gaze drifted to a shelf I’d long ignored, settling on The evolution of religion — Key Ideas to Explore. It felt less like a new direction and more like the same quiet current, moving underground. Walls, after all, only exist because someone first believed in what they held together.
Dylan Moore
3 weeks agoNoah Ramirez
1 month agoThere are no comments for this eBook.
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