Nehemiah 5:19
Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Nehemiah 5:19
Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Nehemiah isn't asking for a trophy; he's appealing to God's faithfulness, asking Him to remember his deeds done for God's people and respond accordingly. This isn't about earning favor, but about trusting that God sees and will respond to actions motivated by love for Him and His own. It’s a prayer grounded in the deep confidence that God's justice and goodness will reflect the kindness shown to His people.
Nehemiah has just confronted the wealthy leaders for exploiting the poor, and they've agreed to make restitution and cease their usury. In the midst of this challenging confrontation and the ongoing work of rebuilding, Nehemiah expresses a heartfelt prayer. He acknowledges that his efforts to help the people and uphold justice were done for God, and now he trusts God to remember and reward his faithfulness.
Nehemiah poured out his heart in a prayer for divine remembrance. But was he seeking personal glory or something deeper?
Nehemiah’s prayer isn't about bragging or demanding his due. He’s just finished confronting the wealthy elite for exploiting their own people. Now, alone and likely feeling the weight of his actions, he turns to God.
He knows his efforts won't earn him favor with the people he’s just challenged. So, he appeals to the One who sees all and values faithfulness. It's a prayer of simple trust, asking God to acknowledge his deeds done for God’s people, and to respond with His goodness.
This isn't a transactional bargain, but an act of faith. He’s not saying, 'I did X, so you owe me Y.' Instead, he's saying, 'God, you know my heart and my actions. As I’ve strived to do good for Your people, I trust You to respond with Your goodness towards me.'
Does Nehemiah’s straightforward request sound a little… bold? Let's explore why his words, though striking, are disarmingly honest.
It’s easy for us, with our modern sensibilities, to hear Nehemiah’s prayer and think it sounds self-congratulatory. But the original context reveals something quite different.
Nehemiah was a leader under immense pressure. He faced corruption, opposition, and the sheer exhaustion of rebuilding a community under constant threat. His prayer is the candid expression of a man deeply aware of the personal cost of his faithfulness.
He’s not seeking fame; he’s acknowledging the moral effort involved. It’s the honest cry of someone who has poured himself out for others and is placing his hope in God’s just and kind recognition. Think of it like a coach acknowledging the hard work of their team, not for pride, but for the record of their effort.
Understand the original words
zakar · Hebrew Verb
A frequent prayer in the Psalms and prophetic literature, this reflects a covenantal appeal where the believer asks God to acknowledge their faithfulness and bestow blessing or favor in response to their obedient conduct.
This prayer is nestled within a critical period of rebuilding and reform in Jerusalem. Nehemiah's bold actions against the wealthy elite's exploitation of the poor, detailed in Nehemiah 5, highlight the immense pressure and personal cost involved in trying to establish justice. His plea is a raw, honest appeal to God, acknowledging that his only hope for vindication and reward lay in the Lord's remembrance, not in the fickle gratitude of the people he served.
538 BC
First Return from Exile
The first wave of Jewish exiles, led by Zerubbabel, returned to Jerusalem from Babylon. They began rebuilding the Temple, facing initial opposition.
458 BC
Ezra's Return and Reforms
Ezra the scribe returned to Jerusalem with a large group, bringing crucial religious reforms and re-establishing the Law among the people.
c. 445 BC
Nehemiah Appointed Governor
Nehemiah, cupbearer to King Artaxerxes I of Persia, received permission and resources to return to Jerusalem and rebuild its walls.
c. 444-443 BC
Rebuilding the Walls of Jerusalem
Nehemiah rallied the people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem despite significant opposition from surrounding peoples, including Sanballat and Tobiah.
This passage echoes Nehemiah's sentiment, assuring believers that God is righteous and will not forget their acts of service and love shown to others, mirroring Nehemiah's plea for his deeds to be remembered.
Luke 6:38The principle of 'give, and it will be given to you' resonates deeply here, as Nehemiah, who gave generously of his time and effort for his people, asks God to 'give' good to him in return for his actions.
Matthew 25:34-40Jesus' teaching about how acts of kindness done to the least of these are done to Him directly highlights the divine perspective on selfless service, aligning with Nehemiah's confidence that God sees and values his work for the people.
2 Chronicles 6:42This verse contains a similar appeal to God to 'remember the mercies' shown to David, providing a precedent in Scripture for a leader appealing to God's remembrance of faithfulness and past acts of service.
clarkeNehemiah 5:19: "Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people."
Think upon me, my God, for good - Nehemiah wishes for no reward from man; and he only asks mercy at the hand of his God for what his providence enabled him to do; and which, according to the good hand of his God upon him, he had done faithfully. He does not offer his good deeds to God in extenuation of his sins, or as a compensation for the heaven he expected. Nothing of the kind: he simply says…
pooleNehemiah 5:19: "Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people."
As I have done thy people good for thy sake, so do me good for thine own sake; for thou art pleased, and hast promised graciously to reward us according to our works, and to mete to men the same measure which they mete to others.
Nehemiah isn't asking for a trophy; he's appealing to God's faithfulness, asking Him to remember his deeds done for God's people and respond accordingly. This isn't about earning favor, but about trusting that God sees and will respond to actions motivated by love for Him and His own. It’s a prayer grounded in the deep confidence that God's justice and goodness will reflect the kindness shown to His people.
Nehemiah has just confronted the wealthy leaders for exploiting the poor, and they've agreed to make restitution and cease their usury. In the midst of this challenging confrontation and the ongoing work of rebuilding, Nehemiah expresses a heartfelt prayer. He acknowledges that his efforts to help the people and uphold justice were done for God, and now he trusts God to remember and reward his faithfulness.
Nehemiah has just confronted the wealthy leaders for exploiting the poor, and they've agreed to make restitution and cease their usury. In the midst of this challenging confrontation and the ongoing work of rebuilding, Nehemiah expresses a heartfelt prayer. He acknowledges that his efforts to help the people and uphold justice were done for God, and now he trusts God to remember and reward his faithfulness.
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c. 443 BC— this verse
Addressing Economic Injustice
Nehemiah confronted the Jewish nobles and officials for oppressing the poor by charging exorbitant interest on loans, forcing many into servitude. He successfully led them to revoke these debts and return pledged property.
c. 440 BC
Nehemiah's Second Term
Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem for a second term as governor, where he again had to address religious and social corruption that had crept back in.
"Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people." — Nehemiah isn't asking for a trophy; he's appealing to God's faithfulness, asking Him to remember his deeds done for God's people and respond accordingly. This isn't about earning favor, but about t…