Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:2–3

²so the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, though you are not ill? This could only be sadness of the heart.”

I was overwhelmed with fear ³and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

Read all of Nehemiah 2

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Nehemiah 2:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
so the king	הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ	ham·me·leḵ	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4428 king
said	וַיֹּאמֶר֩	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to me	לִ֨י	lî	Preposition; first person common singular
Why	מַדּ֣וּעַ׀	mad·dū·a‘	Interrogative	H4069 wherefore?
your face	פָּנֶ֣יךָ	pā·ne·ḵā	Noun - common plural construct; second person masculine singular	H6440 face, before
sad	רָעִ֗ים	rā·‘îm	Adjective - masculine plural	H7451 bad, evil
though you	וְאַתָּה֙	wə·’at·tāh	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - second person masculine singular	H859 thou
not	אֵֽינְךָ֣	’ê·nə·ḵā	Adverb; second person masculine singular	H369 nothing, nought
ill	חוֹלֶ֔ה	ḥō·w·leh	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H2470 be weak, sick
This	זֶ֔ה	zeh	Pronoun - masculine singular	H2088 this, that
could only be	אֵ֣ין	’ên	Adverb	H369 nothing, nought
sadness	רֹ֣עַֽ	rō·a‘	Noun - masculine singular construct	H7455 badness, evil
of the heart	לֵ֑ב	lêḇ	Noun - masculine singular	H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart
I was overwhelmed with fear	וָאִירָ֖א	wā·’î·rā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular	H3372 fear

Nehemiah 2:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
and replied	וָאֹמַ֣ר	wā·’ō·mar	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular	H559 utter, say
to the king	לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ	lam·me·leḵ	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4428 king
May the king	הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ	ham·me·leḵ	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4428 king
live forever	יִחְיֶ֑ה	yiḥ·yeh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H2421 live
Why	מַדּ֜וּעַ	mad·dū·a‘	Interrogative	H4069 wherefore?
should I not	לֹא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
be sad	יֵרְע֣וּ	yê·rə·‘ū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7489 be evil, bad
when	אֲשֶׁ֨ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
the city	הָעִ֜יר	hā·‘îr	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H5892 excitement
where	בֵּית־	bêṯ-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1004 house
my fathers	אֲבֹתַי֙	’ă·ḇō·ṯay	Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common singular	H1 father
are buried	קִבְר֤וֹת	qiḇ·rō·wṯ	Noun - masculine plural construct	H6913 grave, sepulchre
lies in ruins	חֲרֵבָ֔ה	ḥă·rê·ḇāh	Adjective - feminine singular	H2720 dry
and its gates	וּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָ	ū·šə·‘ā·re·hā	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine singular	H8179 gate
have been destroyed	אֻכְּל֥וּ	’uk·kə·lū	Verb - QalPass - Perfect - third person common plural	H398 eat
by fire	בָאֵֽשׁ׃ס	ḇā·’êš	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - common singular	H784 fire

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Nehemiah 2:2 Proverbs 15:13

Nehemiah 2:3 Nehemiah 1:3 · 1 Kings 1:31 · Daniel 5:10 · Daniel 2:4 · Psalm 137:6 · 2 Chronicles 32:33 · 2 Chronicles 28:27 · Lamentations 2:9 · Daniel 6:21 · 2 Chronicles 21:20 · Daniel 6:6

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.