Who was Nehemiah in the Bible?

The name of three post-exile Israelites

Hebrew name: חֶמְיָה (nechemyah)

Name meaning: “Yahweh comforts”

a. An exile (Ezra 2:2; Nehemiah 7:7)

Nehemiah was an exile who returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel (late 6th century B.C.).

b. Governor of Judah (Nehemiah 1:1 ff.)

Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah was a governor of Judah following the exile. His account of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem and other key events in post-exile Judah is documented in the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah’s story begins with him serving as the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes of Persia. When he heard about the distress of the Israelites in Jerusalem and the broken walls of the city, he was deeply moved and sought the king’s permission to go to Jerusalem to help rebuild the walls. Nehemiah’s leadership and organizational skills were instrumental in rallying the people to work together in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Despite facing opposition and threats from enemies, Nehemiah remained steadfast in his faith and determination to complete the task.

c. A builder (Nehemiah 3:16)

Nehemiah, son of Azbuk, is named as one of the builders who helped repair the Jerusalem wall after the exile.