11:1 So the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem, 2 while the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten to settle in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the other nine 3 remained in other cities.
6:1 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and no breach remained in it (even though up to that time I had not positioned doors in the gates),
Now 11 I was cupbearer for the king.
1 tc The translation reads with the Lucianic Greek recension and Vulgate הַתְּהִלָה (hattÿhilah, “the praise”) rather than the MT reading הַתְּחִלָּה (hattÿkhillah, “the beginning”).
2 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
3 tn Heb “nine of the hands.” The word “hand” is used here in the sense or a part or portion.
4 tn Heb “brothers.”
5 tn The Hebrew text does not include the words “to me”; these words were supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
6 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
7 tn The interjection אָנָּא (’anna’) is an emphatic term of entreaty: “please!” (BDB 58 s.v.; HALOT 69-70 s.v.). This term is normally reserved for pleas for mercy from God in life-and-death situations (2 Kgs 20:3 = Isa 38:3; Pss 116:4; 118:25; Jonah 1:14; 4:2) and for forgiveness of heinous sins that would result or have resulted in severe judgment from God (Exod 32:31; Dan 9:4; Neh 1:5, 11).
8 tn Heb “let your ear be attentive.”
9 tn Heb “fear.”
10 tn Heb “grant compassion.” The words “to me” are supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness and style in English.
11 tn The vav (ו) on וַאֲנִי (va’ani, “Now, I”) introduces a disjunctive parenthetical clause that provides background information to the reader.