Nehemiah 2:1-10

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 2:9

Then I came to the governors beyond the river ,.... Who these governors were, whether the same who were in the second year of this king's reign eighteen years ago, Tatnai and Shetharboznai, is not certain: now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me ; both to do him honour, and for his safety; and coming thus attended, must serve to recommend him to the governor, who received him from them at the river Euphrates, and conducted him to Judah. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 2:10

When Sanballat the Horonite ,.... Who either presided at Horonaim, or sprung from thence, a city of Moab, Isaiah 15:5 and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite ; who was formerly a slave, but now raised, from a low mean estate, to be governor in the land of Ammon, though still a vassal of the king of Persia: heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there came a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel ; to which the Moabites and Ammonites were always averse, and ever bore... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Nehemiah 2:1

Month Nisan - Answering to a part of our March and April. I took up the wine - It is supposed that the kings of Persia had a different cup-bearer for each quarter of the year, and that it had just now come to Nehemiah's turn. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Nehemiah 2:2

Then I was very sore afraid - Probably the king spoke as if he had some suspicion that Nehemiah harboured some bad design, and that his face indicated some conceived treachery or remorse. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Nehemiah 2:3

Let the king live for ever - Far from wishing ill to my master, I wish him on the contrary to live and prosper for ever. Aelian, Hist. Var. lib. i. c. 32, uses the same form of speech in reference to Artaxerxes Mnemon, one of the Persian kings, Βασιλευ Αρταξερξη, δι ' αιωνος βασιλευοις , "O King Artaxerxes, may you reign for ever," when speaking of the custom of presenting them annually with an offering of earth and water; as if they had said, May you reign for ever over these! read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Nehemiah 2:4

So I prayed to the God of heaven - Before he dared to prefer his request to the king, he made his prayer to God, that his suit might be acceptable: and this he does by mental prayer. To the spirit of prayer every place is a praying place. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Nehemiah 2:5

The city of my fathers ' sepulchres - The tombs of the dead were sacred among the ancients, and nothing could appear to them more detestable than disturbing the ashes or remains of the dead. Nehemiah knew that in mentioning this circumstance he should strongly interest the feelings of the Persian king. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Nehemiah 2:6

The queen also sitting by him - Who probably forwarded his suit. This was not Esther, as Dean Prideaux supposes, nor perhaps the same Artaxerxes who had taken her to be queen; nor does שגל shegal signify queen, but rather harlot or concubine, she who was chief favourite. The Septuagint translate it παλλακη , harlot; and properly too. See the introduction. I set him a time - How long this time was we are not told; it is by no means likely that it was long, probably... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Nehemiah 2:8

Asaph the keeper of the king ' s forest - הפרדס hapardes of the paradise of the king. This I believe is originally a Persian word; it frequently occurs in Arabic, ferdoos , and in Greek, παραδεισος , and in both signifies a pleasant garden, vineyard, pleasure garden, and what we call a paradise. Above the hall of audience, in the imperial palace at Dehli, the following Persian couplet is inscribed: - "If there be a paradise on the face of the earth, this is it, this... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Nehemiah 2:10

Sanballat the Horonite - Probably a native of Horonaim, a Moabite by birth, and at this time governor of the Samaritans under the king of Persia. Tobiah the servant - He was an Ammonite; and here, under the Persian king, joint governor with Sanballat. Some suppose that the Sanballat here mentioned was the same who persuaded Alexander to build a temple on Mount Gerizim in favor of the Samaritans. Pelagius thinks there were two governors of this name. read more

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