Nehemiah 2:1

Nehemiah Is Permitted to Go to Jerusalem

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 

Genesis 40:2

40:2 Pharaoh was enraged with his two officials, ⁵  the cupbearer and the baker,

Genesis 40:9-13

40:9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph: ⁶  “In my dream, there was a vine in front of me. 40:10 On the vine there were three branches. As it budded, its blossoms opened and its clusters ripened into grapes. 40:11 Now Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, so I took the grapes, squeezed them into his ⁷  cup, and put the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” ⁸ 

40:12 “This is its meaning,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches represent ⁹  three days. 40:13 In three more days Pharaoh will reinstate you ¹⁰  and restore you to your office. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you did before ¹¹  when you were cupbearer.

Genesis 40:21

40:21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his former position ¹²  so that he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand,

Genesis 40:23

40:23 But the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph – he forgot him. ¹³ 

Genesis 41:9

41:9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures. ¹⁴ 

[2:1]  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.

[2:1]  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.

[2:1]  ³ tn Or “showed him a sullen face.” See HALOT 1251 s.v. רַע, רָע 9.

[2:1]  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.”

[40:2]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew word סָרִיס (saris), used here of these two men and of Potiphar (see 39:1), normally means “eunuch.” But evidence from Akkadian texts shows that in early times the title was used of a court official in general. Only later did it become more specialized in its use.

[40:9]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew text adds “and he said to him.” This has not been translated because it is redundant in English.

[40:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “the cup of Pharaoh.” The pronoun “his” has been used here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[40:11]  ⁸ sn The cupbearer’s dream is dominated by sets of three: three branches, three stages of growth, and three actions of the cupbearer.

[40:12]  ⁹ tn Heb “the three branches [are].”

[40:13]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “Pharaoh will lift up your head.” This Hebrew idiom usually refers to restoring dignity, office, or power. It is comparable to the modern saying “someone can hold his head up high.”

[40:13]  ¹¹ tn Heb “according to the former custom.”

[40:21]  ¹² tn Heb “his cupbearing.”

[40:23]  ¹³ tn The wayyiqtol verbal form here has a reiterative or emphasizing function.

[41:9]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “sins, offenses.” He probably refers here to the offenses that landed him in prison (see 40:1).