Nehemiah 13:6 Commentary and Bible Study

The explanation is vital: ‘But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon’ – of course he is king of Persia, but that includes Babylon which he has conquered, and that is what is more meaningful to a Jew reading this – ‘came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king.’ It is generally believed that Nehemiah was away from Jerusalem for seven, eight, nine, some think as many as ten years, but for at least seven he is away. Any other explanation would be completely inconsistent with what we know of the character of Nehemiah. He was a true leader and would never have allowed the deterioration that we read about here if he had been present in Jerusalem. The point is that as soon as he returns he acts to correct this outrage. Those who serve the Lord cannot preside over disorder. They are appointed by the Lord to see and to take immediate steps to put right problems when they occur. Their zeal for the Lord will not allow them to delay.