And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The devastating report isn't just about a broken wall; it reveals that Jerusalem's gates, the very symbols of its safety and openness, were burned. This detail highlights not just destruction, but a profound vulnerability and shame, indicating that the city had remained defenseless and disgraced for a very long time, a constant scar from its past defeat.
And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Nehemiah has just heard devastating news from his homeland. The people who returned from exile are not thriving but are instead in deep trouble and shame, constantly mocked by surrounding nations. Their city, Jerusalem, is exposed and defenseless because its wall is still broken down, and its gates remain destroyed by fire, a condition that has persisted since the Babylonian conquest.
Why does the state of Jerusalem's walls matter so much? It wasn't just about bricks and mortar, but about their identity and security.
When Nehemiah's friends tell him about Jerusalem, they're not just describing a city in disrepair. They're recounting a deep national shame.
More Than Just Broken Walls
The wall of Jerusalem had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar over a hundred years before Nehemiah heard this news. While the Temple had been rebuilt, the wall—the city's defense and symbol of its restored sovereignty—remained in ruins. This wasn't a recent event that had just happened, but a lingering scar from past defeat. Their enemies could easily mock them, and their lack of defense left them vulnerable and exposed.
Who are these 'remnant' people, and why are they in such 'affliction and reproach'?
The people Nehemiah's friends describe are the descendants of those who were exiled to Babylon. They are the 'remnant' – those who survived and returned to Judah.
Living Under a Shadow
Despite returning to their homeland, they lived in a state of constant distress and shame. Their enemies, like the Samaritans, looked down on them and harassed them. The broken walls of Jerusalem were a constant, visible reminder of their powerlessness and vulnerability. They were not fully restored, not fully safe, and not fully respected, living in the shadow of their ancestors' defeat.
Understand the original words
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she'erit · Hebrew Noun
A term referring to the survivors of God's people, especially those who returned or remained after divine judgment (exile). It implies a small portion saved by God’s grace to maintain the covenant lineage.
cherpah · Hebrew Noun
A state of public humiliation or dishonor, often resulting from divine judgment or the reproach of enemies against God’s people and their city.
The verse highlights that Nehemiah's concern isn't about a recent disaster, but the enduring shame and vulnerability of Jerusalem, which has remained undefended since its destruction over a century earlier.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar conquers Jerusalem, destroys the city walls, burns the gates, and devastates the Temple. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile for most of the remaining Jewish population.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon
The Persian Empire, under Cyrus the Great, overthrows the Babylonian Empire. Cyrus issues a decree allowing exiled peoples, including the Jews, to return to their homelands and rebuild their religious centers.
c. 538 BC
First Return of Exiles to Jerusalem
Under the leadership of Zerubbabel, the first group of Jewish exiles returns to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. However, the city walls remain in ruins, making the community vulnerable.
c. 520-516 BC
Rebuilding of the Temple
Despite opposition and delays, the Jewish returnees, encouraged by prophets Haggai and Zechariah, complete the rebuilding of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
c. 445 BC— this verse
Nehemiah Receives News of Jerusalem's Plight
Nehemiah, a Jewish official serving in the Persian court at Susa, learns from visitors about the continued distress of the remnant in Jerusalem and the broken state of its walls and gates.
This verse highlights the larger context of the exile, showing that even in distress, God's people should seek the peace and prosperity of the land they are in, setting the stage for Nehemiah's concern for Jerusalem's well-being.
Ezra 4:12This passage directly speaks to the opposition faced by the returning exiles when attempting to rebuild, providing background to the 'affliction and reproach' mentioned in Nehemiah 1:3 and the ongoing state of the city's defenses.
Psalm 74:3-7This psalm laments the destruction of Jerusalem's sanctuary and fortifications, mirroring the deep sorrow and shame Nehemiah hears about concerning the broken walls and burned gates.
Lamentations 1:1-4The Book of Lamentations vividly describes Jerusalem in ruins and its people in shame after the Babylonian conquest, echoing the very situation Nehemiah learns about in this verse.
Nehemiah 2:13-15This passage shows Nehemiah's personal inspection of the broken walls at night, confirming the devastating report he received and fueling his determination to act.
pulpitNehemiah 1:3: "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."
Verse 3. - The wall of Jerusalem also is broken down. It has been supposed, either that the demolition of the wall here referred to was quite recent, having occurred during the space of twelve years which intervenes between the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah, or else that i…
gillNehemiah 1:3: "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."
And they said unto me, the remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province,.... In Judea, now reduced to a province of the Persian empire: are in great affliction and reproach; harassed and distressed, calumniated and vilified, by their enemies the Samarita…
The devastating report isn't just about a broken wall; it reveals that Jerusalem's gates, the very symbols of its safety and openness, were burned. This detail highlights not just destruction, but a profound vulnerability and shame, indicating that the city had remained defenseless and disgraced for a very long time, a constant scar from its past defeat.
Nehemiah has just heard devastating news from his homeland. The people who returned from exile are not thriving but are instead in deep trouble and shame, constantly mocked by surrounding nations. Their city, Jerusalem, is exposed and defenseless because its wall is still broken down, and its gates remain destroyed by fire, a condition that has persisted since the Babylonian conquest.
Nehemiah has just heard devastating news from his homeland. The people who returned from exile are not thriving but are instead in deep trouble and shame, constantly mocked by surrounding nations. Their city, Jerusalem, is exposed and defenseless because its wall is still broken down, and its gates remain destroyed by fire, a condition that has persisted since the Babylonian conquest.
"And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”" — The devastating report isn't just about a broken wall; it reveals that Jerusalem's gates, the very symbols of its safety and openness, were burned. This detail highlights not just destruction, but…
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Last reviewed October 2026