Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:2–5

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?”

⁴“What is your request?” replied the king.

So I prayed to the God of heaven ⁵and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city where my fathers are buried, so that I may rebuild it.”

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

Nehemiah 2:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
What	מַה־	mah-	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
is your	אַתָּ֣ה	’at·tāh	Pronoun - second person masculine singular	H859 thou
request	מְבַקֵּ֑שׁ	mə·ḇaq·qêš	Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular	H1245 seek
replied	וַיֹּ֤אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
the king	הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ	ham·me·leḵ	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4428 king
So I prayed	וָֽאֶתְפַּלֵּ֔ל	wā·’eṯ·pal·lêl	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular	H6419 intervene, interpose
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
the God	אֱלֹהֵ֖י	’ĕ·lō·hê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H430 God
of heaven	הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃	haš·šā·mā·yim	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H8064 sky, aloft

Nehemiah 2:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
and answered	וָאֹמַ֣ר	wā·’ō·mar	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular	H559 utter, say
the king	לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ	lam·me·leḵ	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4428 king
If	אִם־	’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
it pleases	ט֔וֹב	ṭō·wḇ	Adjective - masculine singular	H2896 pleasant, agreeable, good
the king	הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ	ham·me·leḵ	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4428 king
and if	וְאִם־	wə·’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
your servant	עַבְדְּךָ֖	‘aḇ·də·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H5650 slave, servant
has found favor	יִיטַ֥ב	yî·ṭaḇ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3190 be good, well, glad, pleasing
in your sight	לְפָנֶ֑יךָ	lə·p̄ā·ne·ḵā	Preposition-l; Noun - common plural construct; second person masculine singular	H6440 face, before
I ask that	אֲשֶׁ֧ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
you send me	תִּשְׁלָחֵ֣נִי	tiš·lā·ḥê·nî	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular; first person common singular	H7971 send
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Judah	יְהוּדָ֗ה	yə·hū·ḏāh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3063 Judah
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
the city	עִ֛יר	‘îr	Noun - feminine singular construct	H5892 excitement
where my fathers	אֲבֹתַ֖י	’ă·ḇō·ṯay	Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common singular	H1 father
are buried	קִבְר֥וֹת	qiḇ·rō·wṯ	Noun - masculine plural construct	H6913 grave, sepulchre
so that I may rebuild it	וְאֶבְנֶֽנָּה׃	wə·’eḇ·nen·nāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singular; third person feminine singular	H1129 build