Nehemiah 2
Study sheet, King James Version, with the original-language words this chapter turns on.
The text
1And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.
2Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,
3And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?
4Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
5And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it.
6And the king said unto me,(the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.
7Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;
8And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
9Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.
10When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
11So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
12And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.
13And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.
14Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king's pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.
15Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned.
16And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.
17Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
18Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.
19But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?
20Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.
Words in this chapter
Definitions are Strong's own wording from his Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Counts are how often each word appears in this chapter, from the tagged text.
- מֶלֶךְmelekH442819× in this chapter
a king
- אֲשֶׁרʼăsherH83416× in this chapter
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
- אֵלʼêlH41314× in this chapter
near, with or among; often in general, to
- אָמַרʼâmarH55911× in this chapter
to say (used with great latitude)
- הָיָהhâyâhH19618× in this chapter
to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
- עַלʻalH59218× in this chapter
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
- שַׁעַרshaʻarH81798× in this chapter
an opening, i.e. door or gate
- נָתַןnâthanH54147× in this chapter
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
- פָּנִיםpânîymH64407× in this chapter
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)
- טוֹבṭôwbH28966× in this chapter
good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)
- יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִםYᵉrûwshâlaimH33896× in this chapter
Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine
- לֹאlôʼH38086× in this chapter
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
- אֵתʼêthH8536× in this chapter
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
- בּוֹאbôwʼH9356× in this chapter
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
- אַיִןʼayinH3695× in this chapter
a non-entity; generally used as a negative particle
- אֱלֹהִיםʼĕlôhîymH4305× in this chapter
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
- אִםʼimH5185× in this chapter
used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not
- אַתָּהʼattâhH8595× in this chapter
thou and thee, or (plural) ye and you
- בָּנָהbânâhH11294× in this chapter
to build (literally and figuratively)
- חוֹמָהchôwmâhH23464× in this chapter
a wall of protection
- מָהmâhH41004× in this chapter
properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senses
- עֶבֶדʻebedH56504× in this chapter
a servant
- עָשָׂהʻâsâhH62134× in this chapter
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
- רַעraʻH74514× in this chapter
bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)
- שׁוּבshûwbH77254× in this chapter
to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again
- בַּיִתbayithH10043× in this chapter
a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
- אִגֶּרֶתʼiggerethH1073× in this chapter
an epistle
- דָּבָרdâbârH16973× in this chapter
a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
- זֶהzehH20883× in this chapter
the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that
- יָדyâdH30273× in this chapter
a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),
- לַיִלlayilH39153× in this chapter
properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e. night; figuratively, adversity
- נָגַדnâgadH50463× in this chapter
properly, to front, i.e. stand boldly out opposite; by implication (causatively), to manifest; figuratively, to announce (always by word of mouth to one present); specifically, to expose, predict, explain, praise
- עָבַרʻâbarH56743× in this chapter
to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in copulation)
- עַדʻadH57043× in this chapter
as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)
- אֲנִיʼănîyH5893× in this chapter
I
- עִירʻîyrH58923× in this chapter
a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)
- עִםʻimH59733× in this chapter
adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then usually unrepresented in English)
- קוּםqûwmH69653× in this chapter
to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative)
- אֵשׁʼêshH7843× in this chapter
fire (literally or figuratively)
- שָׁלַחshâlachH79713× in this chapter
to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)