The Meaning of Nehemiah 1:3 Explained

Nehemiah 1:3

KJV: 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.

YLT: and they say to me, 'Those left, who have been left of the captivity there in the province, are in great evil, and in reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burnt with fire.'

Darby: And 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.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Nehemiah 1:3 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 1:1-11 - A Patriot's Prayer
Though living in luxury, in the winter palace of the Persian kings, Nehemiah's heart was keenly sensitive to all that affected his people. But he turned from tears to prayer, from man to God. Oh, that we could cry and sigh for the rents and breaches in the Church of God. We should deal much more successfully with men, if, like Nehemiah, we dealt more largely with God. Gordon used to say that he had met and conquered his enemies before he saw them. This prayer of Nehemiah's is very beautiful, saturated as it is with quotations from Scripture, and so effective with God, because based on His own Word. It was steeped in tears of contrition for sin, and offered without ceasing day and night. Nor was it solitary, for there seems to have been a little band of others united with him, Nehemiah 1:11. Lord, teach us to pray thus, till others are found kneeling with us. Here is a good petition for us as we go forth to our daily calling, in which so much depends on the attitude of our fellow-men. Prosper thy servant this day and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 1

1  Nehemiah, understanding by Hanani the misery of Jerusalem, mourns, fasts, and prays
5  His prayer

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 1:3 mean?

And they said to me the survivors [are] who are left from the captivity there in the province in distress great and reproach and the wall of Jerusalem [is] broken down and its gates [are burned] with fire
וַיֹּאמְרוּ֮ לִי֒ הַֽנִּשְׁאָרִ֞ים אֲשֶֽׁר־ נִשְׁאֲר֤וּ מִן־ הַשְּׁבִי֙ שָׁ֣ם בַּמְּדִינָ֔ה בְּרָעָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה וּבְחֶרְפָּ֑ה וְחוֹמַ֤ת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ מְפֹרָ֔צֶת וּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָ נִצְּת֥וּ בָאֵֽשׁ

וַיֹּאמְרוּ֮  And  they  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לִי֒  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
הַֽנִּשְׁאָרִ֞ים  the  survivors  [are] 
Parse: Article, Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שָׁאַר  
Sense: to remain, be left over, be left behind.
נִשְׁאֲר֤וּ  are  left 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁאַר  
Sense: to remain, be left over, be left behind.
הַשְּׁבִי֙  the  captivity 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁבִי 
Sense: captivity, captives.
בַּמְּדִינָ֔ה  in  the  province 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְדִינָה  
Sense: province, district.
בְּרָעָ֥ה  in  distress 
Parse: Preposition-b, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
גְדֹלָ֖ה  great 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
וּבְחֶרְפָּ֑ה  and  reproach 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרְפָּה  
Sense: reproach, scorn.
וְחוֹמַ֤ת  and  the  wall 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חֹומָה  
Sense: wall.
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙  of  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
מְפֹרָ֔צֶת  [is]  broken  down 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Participle, feminine singular
Root: פָּרַץ  
Sense: to break through or down or over, burst, breach.
וּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָ  and  its  gates 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
נִצְּת֥וּ  [are  burned] 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: יָצַת  
Sense: to kindle, burn, set on fire.
בָאֵֽשׁ  with  fire 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.