That Hanani, one of my brothers, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, who were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
All Commentaries on Nehemiah 1:2 Go To Nehemiah 1
Bede
AD 735
And it came to pass in the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, and I took the wine and gave it to the king, and I was sad in his presence. Nisan is the first month of the year, according to the Hebrews, in which they were always to celebrate Passover; this month we call April. Therefore, from what he said above, namely that he mourned, fasted, and prayed for many days, it is unquestionably evident that for four successive months (namely the ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth) he gave attention to that most sacred devotion, waiting for an opportune moment in which he could tell his desire to the king. What is more, he was the chief butler;1 he used to offer the cup to the king and outwardly perform a joyful service, but inwardly was overcome by a grave sadness because he remembered that the holy city had been destroyed and that the people of God were held in disgrace and contempt by the enemies of God. Hence with those like him he bears witness, saying in a psalm: By the rivers of Babylon there we sat down and wept when we remembered you, Oh Zion.2
