Definition

Proper noun: * A book of the Old Testament: The Book of Nehemiah is a historical book in the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament. It narrates the story of Nehemiah, a Jewish official serving the Persian king Artaxerxes I, who leads the third wave of returning exiles to Jerusalem in the mid-5th century BC. His primary mission is to rebuild the city walls of Jerusalem and implement religious and social reforms among the Jewish community following the Babylonian Captivity.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The Book of Nehemiah provides a first-person account of the reconstruction of Jerusalem's walls.
  • In the Book of Nehemiah, the protagonist serves as the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes.
  • Scholars often study the Book of Nehemiah alongside the Book of Ezra for a complete picture of the post-exilic period.

Advanced Usage

• "The Nehemiah Memoir": A term used by biblical scholars to refer to the portions of the book believed to be written in the first person by Nehemiah himself.
  • The so-called "Nehemiah Memoir" forms the core narrative of the Book of Nehemiah.

Variants and Related Words

• Nehemiah (Proper noun): The titular leader and primary figure of the book.
  • Nehemiah was deeply grieved when he heard about Jerusalem's broken walls.
• Nehemian (Adjective): Pertaining to Nehemiah or the Book of Nehemiah (less common).
  • The Nehemian narrative emphasizes prayer and decisive action.

Synonyms

• Nehemiah: Often used synonymously to refer to the book itself in theological or scholarly contexts.
  • The events described in Nehemiah took place after the Babylonian exile.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "A Nehemiah moment": A modern, figurative phrase (used in some religious and leadership contexts) describing a time that calls for determined, prayerful leadership to rebuild or restore something that has been broken down.
  • The community leader said it was their "Nehemiah moment" to rebuild the town's infrastructure.

Noun

1. an Old Testament book telling how a Jewish official at the court of Artaxerxes I in 444 BC became a leader in rebuilding Jerusalem after the Babylonian Captivity