Nehemiah 1:3
What does Nehemiah 1:3 mean?
A plain-English look at Nehemiah 1:3 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Nehemiah 1:3 means
The report is grim: the remnant is “in great affliction and reproach,” and Jerusalem’s wall is broken down with gates burned. This is more than urban decay; it is public shame and danger. Without walls and gates, a city is exposed to enemies and scorn. The language of reproach implies that God’s people—and by implication God’s name—are mocked. Though some exiles had returned and the Temple was rebuilt, the city remained vulnerable. The news explains why the people struggle: their weakness is structural and moral, not just economic. It also hints at opposition and neglect. The ruins stand as a visible reminder that restoration is unfinished and the covenant community remains under pressure.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949They said to me, The small band of Jews now living there in the land are in great trouble and shame: the wall of Jerusalem has been broken down, and its doorways burned with fire.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and they say to me, `Those left, who have been left of the captivity there in the province, <FI>are<Fi> in great evil, and in reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burnt with fire.'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And they said to me: They that have remained, and are left of the captivity there in the province, are in great affliction, and reproach: and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And they said to me, Those who remain, that are left of the captivity there in the province, are in great affliction and reproach; and the wall of Jerusalem is in ruins, and its gates are burned with fire.
Context
This verse supplies the problem that drives Nehemiah’s response. After his inquiry, the messengers disclose Jerusalem’s disgrace and insecurity. The chapter will not move to construction plans yet; it first turns inward to prayer. The devastation reported here shapes the tone of verse 4—Nehemiah’s grief and fasting—and sets the agenda for the intercession to follow in verses 5–11. Without this stark assessment, his intense lament and covenant-based plea might seem excessive or abstract.
v.2that Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men out of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, that were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
v.3This passage
v.4And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Isaiah 43:28
Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary; and I will make Jacob a curse, and Israel a reviling.
- Psalms 44:11
Thou hast made us like sheep appointed for food, And hast scattered us among the nations.
- Jeremiah 52:14
And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about.
- Isaiah 32:9
Rise up, ye women that are at ease, andhear my voice; ye careless daughters, give ear unto my speech.
- Isaiah 64:10
Thy holy cities are become a wilderness, Zion is become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
- Nehemiah 2:3
And I said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?
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