2:1 Then in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought to me, 1 I took the wine and gave it to the king. Previously 2 I had not been depressed 3 in the king’s presence. 4
2:3 I replied to the king, “O king, live forever! Why would I not appear dejected when the city with the graves of my ancestors 5 lies desolate and its gates destroyed 6 by fire?”
5:12 They replied, “We will return these things, 8 and we will no longer demand anything from them. We will do just as you say.” Then I called the priests and made the wealthy and the officials 9 swear to do what had been promised. 10
6:3 So I sent messengers to them saying, “I am engaged in 12 an important work, and I am unable to come down. Why should the work come to a halt when I leave it to come down to you?”
6:8 I sent word back to him, “We are not engaged in these activities you are describing. 13 All of this is a figment of your imagination.” 14
6:9 All of them were wanting 15 to scare us, supposing, “Their hands will grow slack from the work, and it won’t get done.”
So now, strengthen my hands! 16
6:11 But I replied, “Should a man like me run away? Would someone like me flee to the temple in order to save his life? 17 I will not go!”
7:61 These are the ones who came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer (although they were unable to certify 18 their family connection 19 or their ancestry, 20 as to whether they were really from Israel):
13:10 I also discovered that the grain offerings for the Levites had not been provided, and that as a result the Levites and the singers who performed this work had all gone off to their fields.
1 tc The translation reads with the LXX וְיַיִן לְפָנַי (vÿyayin lÿfanay, “and wine before me”) rather than יַיִן לְפָנָיו (yayin lÿfanayv, “wine before him”) of the MT. The initial vav (ו) on original וְיַיִן probably dropped out due to haplograpy or orthographic confusion with the two yods (י) which follow. The final vav on לְפָנָיו in the MT was probably added due to dittography with the vav on the immediately following word.
2 tc The translation reads לְפָנֵים (lÿfanim, “formerly”) rather than לְפָנָיו (lÿfanayv, “to his face”) of the MT. The MT seems to suggest that Nehemiah was not sad before the king, which is contrary to what follows.
3 tn Or “showed him a sullen face.” See HALOT 1251 s.v. רַע, רָע 9.
4 tn This expression is either to be inferred from the context, or perhaps one should read לְפָנָיו (lÿfanayv, “before him”; cf. the MT) in addition to לְפָנִים (lÿfanim, “formerly”). See preceding note on the word “previously.”
1 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 5).
2 tn Heb “devoured” or “eaten” (so also in Neh 2:13).
1 tn Heb “burden-bearers.”
1 tn The words “these things” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
2 tn Heb “took an oath from them”; the referents (the wealthy and the officials, cf. v. 7) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
3 tn Heb “according to this word.”
1 tn Heb “we did not purchase.”
1 tn Heb “[am] doing.”
1 tn Heb “We are not according to these matters that you are saying.”
2 tn Heb “For from your heart you are inventing them.”
1 tn The participle has a desiderative nuance here, describing the desire of the subject and not necessarily the actual outcome. See also v. 14.
2 tn The statement “So now, strengthen my hands” is frequently understood as an implied prayer, but is taken differently by NAB (“But instead, I now redoubled my efforts”).
1 tn Heb “go into the temple and live.”
1 tn Heb “relate.”
2 tn Heb “the house of their fathers.”
3 tn Heb “their seed.”
1 tn The Hebrew term תִּרְשָׁתָא (tirshata’; KJV “Tirshatha”) is the official title of a Persian governor in Judea. In meaning it may be similar to “excellency” (cf. NAB). See further BDB 1077 s.v.; W. L. Holladay, Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, 395; HALOT 1798 s.v.
2 tn Heb “stood.”
1 tn The Hebrew expression here is elliptical. The words “your kindness” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
2 tn Heb “did not give ear to.”
3 tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”
1 tn Heb “bread.” The Hebrew term is generic here, however, referring to more than bread alone.