Nehemiah 1:6

The humble access leading to the confession of sin.

let thine ear now be attentive The word -attentive" is not very common in the original. It occurs again in Nehemiah 1:11, in Psalms 130:2. And with the rendering -attent" (A.V. and R.V.) in 2Ch 6:40; 2 Chronicles 7:15. The LXX. renders πρόσεχον.

and thine eyes open We should expect this clause to come first, as in 2 Chronicles 6:40; 2 Chronicles 7:15. We need not however supply the words -to the misery of thy people" or -to him that prayeth." A similar passage in 1 Kings 8:52, -that thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant," shows that the metaphor is not to be pressed too literally.

hear R.V. hearken unto. An alteration due to the wish to give the full force of the Hebrew. -Thy servant." Compare 1 Samuel 3:9-10; 1Sa 23:10; 2 Samuel 7:20.

now, day and night R.V. at this time, day and night. Literally, -this day, day and night," cf. Nehemiah 1:11. -At this time" then refers to the -certain days" mentioned in Nehemiah 1:4: it does not mean that he went into the presence of the king on the day of this prayer.

The Vulgate -hodie nocte et die." Cf. Acts 20:31 -night and day with tears."

for the children of Israel thy servants i.e. in their behalf. In spite of their sin and disobedience, the children of Israel are still God's servants, cf. Leviticus 25:55; Isaiah 63:17. The exact phrase used here does not occur elsewhere. But the permanent ideal relation, in spite of all failure or rebellion, is frequently expressed in the prophets; cf. -Jacob, my servant," used in Isaiah (Isaiah 41:8; Isaiah 44:2 &c.), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 30:10; Jeremiah 46:27-28), Ezekiel 37:25.

and confess R.V. while I confess. The A.V. is not grammatical.

-Confess." See on Ezra 10:1.

the sins of the children of Israel, which we&c. Nehemiah identifies himself with the guilt of the people. Cf. Moses in Exodus 34:9 -Pardon our iniquity and our sin."

both I and my father's house i.e. Neither the individual nor the family being free from the responsibility of national sin. It has been remarked that, if Nehemiah belonged to the house of David, there would be a special appropriateness in these words. According to one tradition (Euseb.), he was of the tribe of Judah.