Nehemiah 1:4

Hebrew
וַיְהִ֞יplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigהָיָה

hebrew

The word הָיָה means “to exist” or “to be” or “to become” or “to come into being” and occurs 3561 times in the Old Testament.

This is the foundational verb of existence, identity, becoming and occurrence.

* It is used in the creation narrative of Genesis 1, represented by the English words Genesis 1:3Exodus 3:12Ruth 1:1Isaiah 2:2
כְּשָׁמְעִ֣י אֶתplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigאֵת

hebrew

The Hebrew אֵת word does not have a corresponding word in English. In Hebrew, it is a marker of the accusative, i.e. the word following it is the object of the sentence.

For example, in Genesis 1:1 the word is preceded by בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים (
הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה יָשַׁ֨בְתִּי֙ וָֽאֶבְכֶּ֔ה וָאֶתְאַבְּלָ֖ה יָמִ֑ים וָֽאֱהִ֥יplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigהָיָה

hebrew

The word הָיָה means “to exist” or “to be” or “to become” or “to come into being” and occurs 3561 times in the Old Testament.

This is the foundational verb of existence, identity, becoming and occurrence.

* It is used in the creation narrative of Genesis 1, represented by the English words Genesis 1:3Exodus 3:12Ruth 1:1Isaiah 2:2
צָם֙ וּמִתְפַּלֵּ֔ל לִפְנֵ֖י אֱלֹהֵ֥יplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigאֱלֹהִים

hebrew

Meanings:

* God * god * goddess * divine ones * angels

Noun, masculine
הַשָּׁמָֽיִםplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigשָׁמַיִם

hebrew

Meanings:

* Heaven or heavens * Sky * Compass

Masculine noun. The word is dual in form (ending in -ַיִם) which normally indicates two things (like eyes and hands), however, however it functions as a plural. Deuteronomy 10:14 states that Genesis 1:20Psalm 115:3
ESV
As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
NIV
When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.
NLT
When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.
LXX
καὶplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigκαί

greek

Meaning

* And * Also * Both * Even * Too * So

Is a conjunction that connects single words or terms or sentences. IT is most frequently translated as “and”
ἐγένετο ἐνplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigἐν

greek

Preposition meaning “in”.
τῷplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_big

greek

The definite article
ἀκοῦσαί με τοὺςplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_big

greek

The definite article
λόγουςplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigλόγος

Meaning

* A word or words * Statement * Message * Speech * Account * Used in John to mean God the Son

Masculine noun. Related to the verb λέγω.

λόγος in Greek Thought

Before the New Testament, λόγος already had deep philosophical use. In Greek philosophy, λόγος was the rational principle that ordered the universe, the divine reason that structured all things. In Heraclitus, λόγος referred to the unifying rational principle behind the constant change in the world.…
τούτουςplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigοὗτος / αὕτη /τοῦτο

greek

Meaning:

* These or this * This one, this person, this thing * They or he or she or it

Demonstrative pronoun.

οὗτος usually refers to something close to the speaker — “this” as opposed to ἐκεῖνος (John 9:161 John 5:111 Corinthians 15:501 John 4:9John 5:1Matthew 3:17John 7:26Luke 22:19
ἐκάθισα καὶplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigκαί

greek

Meaning

* And * Also * Both * Even * Too * So

Is a conjunction that connects single words or terms or sentences. IT is most frequently translated as “and”
ἔκλαυσα καὶplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigκαί

greek

Meaning

* And * Also * Both * Even * Too * So

Is a conjunction that connects single words or terms or sentences. IT is most frequently translated as “and”
ἐπένθησα ἡμέρας καὶplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigκαί

greek

Meaning

* And * Also * Both * Even * Too * So

Is a conjunction that connects single words or terms or sentences. IT is most frequently translated as “and”
ἤμηνplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigεἰμί

greek

εἰμί is the first person singular verb for “to be” (εἶναι [the infinitive form] = “to be”).

It an irregular verb, and, like English, changes significantly between person and tense. For example εἰμί is the word for am and ἦν is the word for was, e.g.
νηστεύων καὶplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigκαί

greek

Meaning

* And * Also * Both * Even * Too * So

Is a conjunction that connects single words or terms or sentences. IT is most frequently translated as “and”
προσευχόμενος ἐνώπιον θεοῦplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigθεὸς

greek

Masculine noun meaning:

* A god or goddess * God
τοῦplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_big

greek

The definite article
οὐρανοῦplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigοὐρανός

Meaning:

* The sky * Air * Heaven or heavens

278 occurrences in the New Testament.

Οὐρανός is used in Scripture to describe the sky and universe (that is, the visible expanse above the earth) as well as the transcendent realm where God is present. For example, in Matthew 6:26Matthew 24:29Matthew 6:9
KJV
And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

Nehemiah 1:3 ← Nehemiah 1:4 → Nehemiah 1:5

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