The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the citadel,
Read Chapter 1
Athanasius the Apostolic
AD 373
[Synopsis on Nehemiah] In the second book he says the same things (as the book of Ezra) concerning the return from Babylon, except the riddles. On the other hand, he relates more things concerning Nehemiah the eunuch, how he too asked for the building of the temple, and how Ezra performed the function of a scribe, while Josue, Baneas and Habia instructed the people. He relates that Ezra explained the knowledge of the Lord by reading; that the people, through his reading, understood what things must be done and celebrated the phase. They also observed a fast in the seventh month, and the feast of the Tabernacles, as is written. "They had not done so since the days of Josue the son of Nun", he says. When Ezra saw Azotian women married to Hebrews, he mourned and cried, and made everyone promise to keep God's law, and he cast out those women, as being joined by unlawful union, and everyone swore to keep the law. And, thus sanctified and cleansed, they rejoiced, and each man went ...
Nehemiah is interpreted in Latin as 'My consoler is the Lord' or as 'the consoler from the Lord'. For when Nehemiah restored Jerusalem's walls and, after delivering them from the disdain of their enemies, raised up the people of God to the observance of the divine law, it is surely clear that by his word and deed and person he not unsuitably designates the mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who indicates that he was sent to console the poor in spirit when he said to his disciples as he was about to ascend to heaven: / will ask the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete? i.e. a Consoler, by whom the psalmist showed that God's holy city (namely the Church) would be rebuilt and also that those who mourn would be consoled when he said: The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. He heals the broken-hearted? and so on. The figure of Nehemiah also is suitable for holy preachers, through whose teaching heavenly consolation is revealed to us as they promi...
Words, or transactions written by Nehemias. (Menochius)
Helcias, or Hebrew and Septaugint, "Chelcias. "
Casleu, the third of the civil year, 1 Esdras x. 9.
Year of Artaxerxes, (Calmet) after he was associated with his father on the throne; (Tirinus) or rather the death of Xerxes. From this period the seventy weeks of Daniel are dated, (Du Hamel) or from the 23rd of Artaxerxes, and the 28th of Xerxes, (Tirinus) as above three years must have been consumed in making preparations for the walls (Josephus, xi. 5.)
The name of Nehemias, "comforter of God "as well as his being sent by a king to build, prefigured Jesus Christ, sent by God to comfort and establish his Church. (Ven. Bede) (Worthington) (Haydock)
Susa. Hebrew, "in Susa, the palace "where the kings of Persia resided in the months of winter, (Athen. xii. 1.) and of spring. (Xenophon) (Cyr. viii.) (Curt. v. 8.)
Here Darius probably kept his court at other times, Esther i. 2. (Calmet)
Susa was situated on the river Coaspes, bet...
This Book takes its name from the writer, who was cupbearer to Artaxerxes (surnamed Longimanus) king of Persia, and was sent by him with a commission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. It is also called the second book of Esdras; because it is a continuation of the history, begun by Esdras, of the state of the people of God after their return from captivity.
