Discovery BoxNehemiah 1:1--2:20
Context1:1 1 These are the words of Nehemiah 2 son of Hacaliah:
It so happened that in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year, 3 I was in Susa 4 the citadel. 1:2 Hanani, who was one of my relatives, 5 along with some of the men from Judah, came to me, 6 and I asked them about the Jews who had escaped and had survived the exile, and about Jerusalem. 7
1:3 They said to me, “The remnant that remains from the exile there in the province are experiencing considerable 8 adversity and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem lies breached, and its gates have been burned down!” 9
1:4 When I heard these things I sat down abruptly, 10 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 11 with those who love him and obey 12 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 13 against you – both I myself and my family 14 have sinned. 1:7 We have behaved corruptly against you, not obeying the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments that you commanded your servant Moses. 1:8 Please recall the word you commanded your servant Moses: ‘If you act unfaithfully, I will scatter you among the nations. 15 1:9 But if you repent 16 and obey 17 my commandments and do them, then even if your dispersed people are in the most remote location, 18 I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen for my name to reside.’ 1:10 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your mighty strength and by your powerful hand. 1:11 Please, 19 O Lord, listen attentively 20 to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who take pleasure in showing respect 21 to your name. Grant your servant success today and show compassion to me 22 in the presence of this man.”
Now 23 I was cupbearer for the king.
2:1 Then in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought to me, 24 I took the wine and gave it to the king. Previously 25 I had not been depressed 26 in the king’s presence. 27 2:2 So the king said to me, “Why do you appear to be depressed when you aren’t sick? What can this be other than sadness of heart?” This made me very fearful.
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 28 lies desolate and its gates destroyed 29 by fire?” 2:4 The king responded, 30 “What is it you are seeking?” Then I quickly prayed to the God of heaven 2:5 and said to the king, “If the king is so inclined 31 and if your servant has found favor in your sight, dispatch me to Judah, to the city with the graves of my ancestors, so that I can rebuild it.” 2:6 Then the king, with his consort 32 sitting beside him, replied, “How long would your trip take, and when would you return?” Since the king was amenable to dispatching me, 33 I gave him a time. 2:7 I said to the king, “If the king is so inclined, let him give me letters for the governors of Trans-Euphrates 34 that will enable me to travel safely until I reach Judah, 2:8 and a letter for Asaph the keeper of the king’s nature preserve, 35 so that he will give me timber for beams for the gates of the fortress adjacent to the temple and for the city wall 36 and for the house to which I go.” So the king granted me these requests, 37 for the good hand of my God was on me. 2:9 Then I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, and I presented to them the letters from the king. The king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. 2:10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official 38 heard all this, they were very displeased that someone had come to seek benefit for the Israelites.
2:11 So I came to Jerusalem. 39 When I had been there for three days, 2:12 I got up during the night, along with a few men who were with me. But I did not tell anyone what my God was putting on my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no animals with me, except for the one 40 I was riding. 2:13 I proceeded through the Valley Gate by night, in the direction of the Well of the Dragons 41 and the Dung Gate, 42 inspecting 43 the walls of Jerusalem that had been breached and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. 2:14 I passed on to the Gate of the Well and the King’s Pool, where there was not enough room for my animal to pass with me. 2:15 I continued up the valley during the night, inspecting the wall. Then I turned back and came to the Valley Gate, and so returned. 2:16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I had been doing, for up to this point I had not told any of the Jews or the priests or the nobles or the officials or the rest of the workers. 2:17 Then I said to them, “You see the problem that we have: Jerusalem is desolate and its gates are burned. Come on! Let’s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that this reproach will not continue.” 2:18 Then I related to them how the good hand of my God was on me and what 44 the king had said to me. Then they replied, “Let’s begin rebuilding right away!” 45 So they readied themselves 46 for this good project. 2:19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard all this, 47 they derided us and expressed contempt toward us. They said, “What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” 2:20 I responded to them by saying, “The God of heaven will prosper us. We his servants will start the rebuilding. 48 But you have no just or ancient right in Jerusalem.” 49
[1:1] 1 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.
[1:1] 2 sn The name Nehemiah in Hebrew (נְחֶמְיָה, nÿkhemyah) means “the
[1:1] 3 tn That is, the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign (cf. 2:1).
[1:2] 6 tn The Hebrew text does not include the words “to me”; these words were supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
[1:2] 7 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:3] 9 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.
[1:4] 10 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.
[1:5] 11 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).
[1:5] 12 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.
[1:6] 13 tn Heb “have sinned.” For stylistic reasons – to avoid redundancy in English – this was translated as “committed.”
[1:6] 14 tn Heb “the house of my father.”
[1:9] 17 tn Heb “keep.” See the note on the word “obey” in Neh 1:5.
[1:9] 18 tn Heb “at the end of the heavens.”
[1:11] 19 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).
[1:11] 20 tn Heb “let your ear be attentive.”
[1:11] 22 tn Heb “grant compassion.” The words “to me” are supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness and style in English.
[1:11] 23 tn The vav (ו) on וַאֲנִי (va’ani, “Now, I”) introduces a disjunctive parenthetical clause that provides background information to the reader.
[2:1] 24 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.
[2:1] 25 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.
[2:1] 26 tn Or “showed him a sullen face.” See HALOT 1251 s.v. רַע, רָע 9.
[2:1] 27 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.”
[2:3] 28 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 5).
[2:3] 29 tn Heb “devoured” or “eaten” (so also in Neh 2:13).
[2:5] 31 tn Heb “If upon the king it is good.” So also in v. 7.
[2:6] 32 tn Or “queen,” so most English versions (cf. HALOT 1415 s.v. שֵׁגַל); TEV “empress.”
[2:6] 33 tn Heb “It was good before the king and he sent me.”
[2:7] 34 tn Heb “across the river,” here and often elsewhere in the Book of Nehemiah.
[2:8] 35 tn Or “forest.” So HALOT 963 s.v. פַּרְדֵּס 2.
[2:8] 36 tc One medieval Hebrew
[2:8] 37 tn The Hebrew text does not include the expression “these requests,” but it is implied.
[2:10] 38 tn Heb “servant” (so KJV, ASV; NAB “slave”; NCV “officer.” This phrase also occurs in v. 19.
[2:11] 39 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[2:12] 40 tn Heb “the animal.”
[2:13] 41 tn Or “Well of the Serpents”; or “Well of the Jackals” (cf. ASV, NIV, NLT).
[2:13] 42 tn Or “Rubbish Gate” (so TEV); NASB “Refuse Gate”; NCV “Trash Gate”; CEV “Garbage Gate.”
[2:13] 43 tc For the MT reading שֹׂבֵר (sover, “inspecting”) the LXX erroneously has שֹׁבֵר (shover, “breaking”). However, further destruction of Jerusalem’s walls was obviously not a part of Nehemiah’s purpose.
[2:18] 44 tn Heb “the words of the king which he had spoken to me.”
[2:18] 45 tn Heb “Arise! Let us rebuild!”
[2:18] 46 tn Heb “strengthened their hands.”
[2:19] 47 tn The Hebrew text does not include the words “all this,” but they have been added in the translation for clarity.
[2:20] 48 tn Heb “will arise and build.” The idiom “arise and…” means to begin the action described by the second verb.
[2:20] 49 tn Heb “portion or right or remembrance.” The expression is probably a hendiatris: The first two nouns retain their full nominal function, while the third noun functions adjectivally (“right or remembrance” = “ancient right”).
