And 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.

NEHEMIAH 1:3KJV
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Nehemiah 1:3 (KJV)

What does Nehemiah 1:3 mean?

Nehemiah 1:3 reports that the people who survived the exile and are living back in Judah are suffering greatly and are disgraced, because Jerusalem’s wall is broken down and its gates have been burned. This news highlights the city’s vulnerability and the shame experienced by its people.

Nehemiah is being told this by some men who have come from Judah to visit him in Persia, where he serves as cupbearer to the king. The verse sets the stage for the whole book, showing why Nehemiah is so deeply troubled: the physical destruction of Jerusalem’s defenses means the people are unprotected and dishonored, which is a crisis for the Jewish community.

The Hebrew behind Nehemiah 1:3

  • רֶמְנָה (she'erith, transliterated remnant, H7604): This word refers to those who have survived or are left behind after disaster. Here, it emphasizes that only a small, struggling group remains in Jerusalem after the exile.
  • רָעָה (ra'ah, transliterated affliction, H7451): This word often means “evil” or “trouble.” In this context, it stresses the depth of the suffering and hardship the people are facing.
  • חֶרְפָּה (cherpah, transliterated reproach, H2781): This word means shame or disgrace. The verse highlights that the people’s situation is not just physically hard but also humiliating.
  • חוֹמָה (chomah, transliterated wall, H2346): The wall was essential for a city’s protection and dignity. Its destruction means Jerusalem is open to attack and has lost its sense of security and pride.

Why Nehemiah 1:3 matters

  • Nehemiah 1:3 explains the urgent reason for Nehemiah’s later actions and prayers; he is moved by the suffering and shame of his people, not just by the physical state of the city.
  • The verse shows that the problem is both practical (no protection) and emotional (deep disgrace), which helps readers understand why rebuilding the wall is so important in the story.
  • This verse connects the fate of Jerusalem’s people to the condition of the city itself, showing how the physical and spiritual well-being of the community are tied together in the narrative.

Where else these words appear

“burned” Hebrew H3341 · used in 28 verses

  • Joshua 8:8 And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire: according to the commandment of the LORD shall ye do. See, I have commanded you.
  • Isaiah 33:12 And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.
  • Jeremiah 46:19 O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity: for Noph shall be waste and desolate without an inhabitant.

“province” Hebrew H4082 · used in 40 verses

  • 1 Kings 20:14 And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou.
  • Esther 3:8 And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them.
  • Esther 9:3 And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.

“captivity” Hebrew H7628 · used in 47 verses

  • Exodus 12:29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.
  • Ezra 8:35 Also the children of those that had been carried away, which were come out of the captivity, offered burnt offerings unto the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve he goats for a sin offering: all this was a burnt offering unto the LORD.
  • Jeremiah 30:10 Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.

“down” Hebrew H6555 · used in 48 verses

  • Genesis 28:14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
  • 2 Kings 14:13 And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits.
  • Job 1:10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.