Nehemiah
Nehemiah 2:7–9
7I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may letters be given to me for the governors west of the Euphrates,b so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah. 8And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I will occupy.”
And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.
9Then I went to the governors west of the Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.
Footnotes
- b 2:7 Hebrew beyond the River; also in verse 9
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 2:7
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I also said | וָאוֹמַר֮ | wā·’ō·w·mar | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular | H559 utter, say |
| to | לַמֶּלֶךְ֒ | 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 |
| may letters | אִגְּרוֹת֙ | ’ig·gə·rō·wṯ | Noun - feminine plural | H107 letter, letter-missive |
| be given | יִתְּנוּ־ | yit·tə·nū- | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | H5414 give, put, set |
| to me | לִ֔י | lî | Preposition; first person common singular | |
| for | עַֽל־ | ‘al- | Preposition | H5921 height |
| the governors | פַּחֲו֖וֹת | pa·ḥă·wō·wṯ | Noun - masculine plural construct | H6346 governor |
| west | עֵ֣בֶר | ‘ê·ḇer | Noun - masculine singular construct | H5676 region across or beyond, side |
| of the Euphrates | הַנָּהָ֑ר | han·nā·hār | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H5104 stream, river |
| so that | אֲשֶׁר֙ | ’ă·šer | Pronoun - relative | H834 particle of relation |
| they will grant me safe passage | יַעֲבִיר֔וּנִי | ya·‘ă·ḇî·rū·nî | Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural; first person common singular | H5674 pass over, through, by, pass on |
| until | עַ֥ד | ‘aḏ | Preposition | H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while |
| I reach | אָב֖וֹא | ’ā·ḇō·w | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular | H935 come in, come, go in, go |
| Judah | יְהוּדָֽה׃ | yə·hū·ḏāh | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H3063 Judah |
Nehemiah 2:8
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| And may I have a letter | וְאִגֶּ֡רֶת | wə·’ig·ge·reṯ | Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular | H107 letter, letter-missive |
| to | אֶל־ | ’el- | Preposition | H413 motion to |
| Asaph | אָסָף֩ | ’ā·sāp̄ | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H623 Asaph |
| keeper | שֹׁמֵ֨ר | šō·mêr | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular | H8104 keep, watch, preserve |
| of the king’s | אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ’ă·šer | Pronoun - relative | H834 particle of relation |
| forest | הַפַּרְדֵּ֜ס | hap·par·dês | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H6508 preserve, park |
| so that | אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ’ă·šer | Pronoun - relative | H834 particle of relation |
| he will give | יִתֶּן־ | yit·ten- | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | H5414 give, put, set |
| me | לִ֣י | lî | Preposition; first person common singular | |
| timber | עֵצִ֡ים | ‘ê·ṣîm | Noun - masculine plural | H6086 tree, trees, wood |
| to make beams | לְ֠קָרוֹת | lə·qā·rō·wṯ | Preposition-l; Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | H7136 encounter, meet, befall |
| for | אֶת־ | ’eṯ- | Direct object marker | H853 mark of the accusative |
| the gates | שַׁעֲרֵ֨י | ša·‘ă·rê | Noun - masculine plural construct | H8179 gate |
| of the citadel | הַבִּירָ֤ה | hab·bî·rāh | Article; Noun - feminine singular | H1002 castle, palace |
| to the temple | לַבַּ֙יִת֙ | lab·ba·yiṯ | Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine singular | H1004 house |
| for the city | הָעִ֔יר | hā·‘îr | Article; Noun - feminine singular | H5892 excitement |
| wall | וּלְחוֹמַ֣ת | ū·lə·ḥō·w·maṯ | Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Noun - feminine singular construct | H2346 wall |
| and for the house | וְלַבַּ֖יִת | wə·lab·ba·yiṯ | Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine singular | H1004 house |
| I will occupy | אָב֣וֹא | ’ā·ḇō·w | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular | H935 come in, come, go in, go |
| And because the gracious | הַטּוֹבָ֥ה | haṭ·ṭō·w·ḇāh | Article; Adjective - feminine singular | H2896 pleasant, agreeable, good |
| hand | כְּיַד־ | kə·yaḏ- | Preposition-k; Noun - feminine singular construct | H3027 hand |
| of my God | אֱלֹהַ֖י | ’ĕ·lō·hay | Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common singular | H430 God |
| was upon me | עָלָֽי׃ | ‘ā·lāy | Preposition; first person common singular | H5921 height |
| the king | הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | ham·me·leḵ | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H4428 king |
| granted | וַיִּתֶּן־ | way·yit·ten- | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | H5414 give, put, set |
| my requests | לִ֣י | lî | Preposition; first person common singular |
Nehemiah 2:9
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Then I went | וָֽאָב֗וֹא | wā·’ā·ḇō·w | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular | H935 come in, come, go in, go |
| to | אֶֽל־ | ’el- | Preposition | H413 motion to |
| the governors | פַּֽחֲווֹת֙ | pa·ḥă·wō·wṯ | Noun - masculine plural construct | H6346 governor |
| west | עֵ֣בֶר | ‘ê·ḇer | Noun - masculine singular construct | H5676 region across or beyond, side |
| of the Euphrates | הַנָּהָ֔ר | han·nā·hār | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H5104 stream, river |
| and gave | וָאֶתְּנָ֣ה | wā·’et·tə·nāh | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular; third person feminine singular | H5414 give, put, set |
| them | לָהֶ֔ם | lā·hem | Preposition; third person masculine plural | |
| the king’s | הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ | ham·me·leḵ | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H4428 king |
| letters | אִגְּר֣וֹת | ’ig·gə·rō·wṯ | Noun - feminine plural construct | H107 letter, letter-missive |
| The king | הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | ham·me·leḵ | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H4428 king |
| had also sent | וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח | way·yiš·laḥ | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | H7971 send |
| army | חַ֖יִל | ḥa·yil | Noun - masculine singular | H2428 strength, efficiency, wealth, army |
| officers | שָׂ֥רֵי | śā·rê | Noun - masculine plural construct | H8269 chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince |
| and cavalry | וּפָרָשִֽׁים׃פ | ū·p̄ā·rā·šîm | Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural | H6571 horse, steed |
| with me | עִמִּי֙ | ‘im·mî | Preposition; first person common singular | H5973 with |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
Nehemiah 2:7 Ezra 7:21 · Nehemiah 2:9 · Ezra 8:36 · Ezra 6:6 · Ezra 8:22
Nehemiah 2:8 Isaiah 66:14 · Ezra 7:6 · Nehemiah 7:2 · Daniel 1:9 · Nehemiah 2:17–18 · Ezra 5:5 · Genesis 32:28
Nehemiah 2:9 Ezra 8:22
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.