12:8 And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who together with his colleagues 1 was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving.
12:31 I brought the leaders of Judah up on top of the wall, and I appointed two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed 2 on the top of the wall southward toward the Dung Gate.
12:1 These are the priests and Levites who returned 3 with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
1:4 When I heard these things I sat down abruptly, 4 crying and mourning for several days. I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
1:1 5 These are the words of Nehemiah 6 son of Hacaliah:
It so happened that in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year, 7 I was in Susa 8 the citadel.
1:1 9 These are the words of Nehemiah 10 son of Hacaliah:
It so happened that in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year, 11 I was in Susa 12 the citadel. 1:2 Hanani, who was one of my relatives, 13 along with some of the men from Judah, came to me, 14 and I asked them about the Jews who had escaped and had survived the exile, and about Jerusalem. 15
1:3 They said to me, “The remnant that remains from the exile there in the province are experiencing considerable 16 adversity and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem lies breached, and its gates have been burned down!” 17
1:4 When I heard these things I sat down abruptly, 18 crying and mourning for several days. I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 1:5 Then I said, “Please, O LORD God of heaven, great and awesome God, who keeps his loving covenant 19 with those who love him and obey 20 his commandments, 1:6 may your ear be attentive and your eyes be open to hear the prayer of your servant that I am praying to you today throughout both day and night on behalf of your servants the Israelites. I am confessing the sins of the Israelites that we have committed 21 against you – both I myself and my family 22 have sinned.
1 tn Heb “he and his brothers.”
2 tc The translation reads וְהָאַחַת הֹלֶכֶת (vÿha’akhat holekhet, “and one was proceeding”) rather than the MT reading וְתַהֲלֻכֹת (vÿtahalukhot, “and processions”).
3 tn Heb “who went up.”
4 tn Heb “sat down.” Context suggests that this was a rather sudden action, resulting from the emotional shock of the unpleasant news, so “abruptly” has been supplied in the present translation.
5 sn In ancient Judaism Ezra and Nehemiah were regarded as a single book with dual authorship. According to the Talmud, “Ezra wrote his book” (b. Bava Batra 15a). The Gemara then asks and answers, “And who finished it? Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.” Accordingly, the two are joined in the Leningrad Codex (ca.
6 sn The name Nehemiah in Hebrew (נְחֶמְיָה, nÿkhemyah) means “the
7 tn That is, the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign (cf. 2:1).
8 tn Heb “Shushan.”
9 sn In ancient Judaism Ezra and Nehemiah were regarded as a single book with dual authorship. According to the Talmud, “Ezra wrote his book” (b. Bava Batra 15a). The Gemara then asks and answers, “And who finished it? Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.” Accordingly, the two are joined in the Leningrad Codex (ca.
10 sn The name Nehemiah in Hebrew (נְחֶמְיָה, nÿkhemyah) means “the
11 tn That is, the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign (cf. 2:1).
12 tn Heb “Shushan.”
13 tn Heb “brothers.”
14 tn The Hebrew text does not include the words “to me”; these words were supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
15 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
16 tn Heb “great.”
17 tn Heb “have been burned with fire” (so also in Neh 2:17). The expression “burned with fire” is redundant in contemporary English; the translation uses “burned down” for stylistic reasons.
18 tn Heb “sat down.” Context suggests that this was a rather sudden action, resulting from the emotional shock of the unpleasant news, so “abruptly” has been supplied in the present translation.
19 tn Heb “the covenant and loyal love.” The phrase is a hendiadys: the first noun retains its full nominal sense, while the second noun functions adjectivally (“loyal love” = loving). Alternately, the first might function adjectivally and the second noun function as the noun: “covenant and loyal love” = covenant fidelity (see Neh 9:32).
20 tn Heb “keep.” The Hebrew verb שָׁמַר (shamar, “to observe; to keep”) is often used as an idiom that means “to obey” the commandments of God (e.g., Exod 20:6; Deut 5:16; 23:24; 29:8; Judg 2:22; 1 Kgs 2:43; 11:11; Ps 119:8, 17, 34; Jer 35:18; Ezek 17:14; Amos 2:4). See BDB 1036 s.v. 3.c.
21 tn Heb “have sinned.” For stylistic reasons – to avoid redundancy in English – this was translated as “committed.”
22 tn Heb “the house of my father.”