Discovery BoxNehemiah 2:1-18
Context2:1 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 2:2 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 5 lies desolate and its gates destroyed 6 by fire?” 2:4 The king responded, 7 “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 8 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 9 sitting beside him, replied, “How long would your trip take, and when would you return?” Since the king was amenable to dispatching me, 10 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 11 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, 12 so that he will give me timber for beams for the gates of the fortress adjacent to the temple and for the city wall 13 and for the house to which I go.” So the king granted me these requests, 14 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 15 heard all this, they were very displeased that someone had come to seek benefit for the Israelites.
2:11 So I came to Jerusalem. 16 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 17 I was riding. 2:13 I proceeded through the Valley Gate by night, in the direction of the Well of the Dragons 18 and the Dung Gate, 19 inspecting 20 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 21 the king had said to me. Then they replied, “Let’s begin rebuilding right away!” 22 So they readied themselves 23 for this good project.
[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.”
[2:3] 5 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 5).
[2:3] 6 tn Heb “devoured” or “eaten” (so also in Neh 2:13).
[2:5] 8 tn Heb “If upon the king it is good.” So also in v. 7.
[2:6] 9 tn Or “queen,” so most English versions (cf. HALOT 1415 s.v. שֵׁגַל); TEV “empress.”
[2:6] 10 tn Heb “It was good before the king and he sent me.”
[2:7] 11 tn Heb “across the river,” here and often elsewhere in the Book of Nehemiah.
[2:8] 12 tn Or “forest.” So HALOT 963 s.v. פַּרְדֵּס 2.
[2:8] 13 tc One medieval Hebrew
[2:8] 14 tn The Hebrew text does not include the expression “these requests,” but it is implied.
[2:10] 15 tn Heb “servant” (so KJV, ASV; NAB “slave”; NCV “officer.” This phrase also occurs in v. 19.
[2:11] 16 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[2:12] 17 tn Heb “the animal.”
[2:13] 18 tn Or “Well of the Serpents”; or “Well of the Jackals” (cf. ASV, NIV, NLT).
[2:13] 19 tn Or “Rubbish Gate” (so TEV); NASB “Refuse Gate”; NCV “Trash Gate”; CEV “Garbage Gate.”
[2:13] 20 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] 21 tn Heb “the words of the king which he had spoken to me.”
