Nehemiah 2:3

Nehemiah 2:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And 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?
• New International Version (NIV)but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)I said to the king, "Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)and said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?”

Context of Nehemiah 2:3

1During the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence, 2so the king said to me, “Why do you look so sad, when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.” I was overwhelmed with fear and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” 4Then the king asked me, “What is your request?” So I prayed to the God of the heavens 5and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I may rebuild it.”

Nehemiah 2:3 word by word

וָאֹמַ֣ר לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ לְעוֹלָ֣ם יִחְיֶ֑ה מַדּ֜וּעַ לֹא־יֵרְע֣וּ פָנַ֗י אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָעִ֜יר בֵּית־קִבְר֤וֹת אֲבֹתַי֙ חֲרֵבָ֔ה וּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָ אֻכְּל֥וּ בָאֵֽשׁ׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• liveחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
• for everעוֹלָם‛ôlâm ‛ôlâm · forever: enduringH5769
• why should not my countenanceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
• be sadיָרַעyâra‛ · quiverH3415
• when the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• the placeבֵּיתbayith · betweenH1004
• of my fathers’אָב'âb · fatherH1
• sepulchresקֶ֫בֶרqeber qibrâh · graveH6913
• wasteחָרֵבchârêb · desolateH2720
• and the gatesשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
• thereof are consumedאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• with fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784

Cross-references for Nehemiah 2:3

• 1 Kings 1:31Bathsheba knelt low with her face to the ground, paying homage to the king, and said, “May my lord King David live forever!”
• Daniel 2:4The Chaldeans spoke to the king (Aramaic begins here): “May the king live forever. Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”
• Daniel 3:9They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever.
• Daniel 5:10Because of the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen came to the banquet hall. “May the king live forever,” she said. “Don’t let your thoughts terrify you or your face be pale.
• Daniel 6:6So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said to him, “May King Darius live forever.
• Nehemiah 1:3They said to me, “The remnant in the province, who survived the exile, are in great trouble and disgrace. Jerusalem’s wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned.”
• Psalms 102:14For your servants take delight in its stones and favor its dust.
• Psalms 137:6May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not exalt Jerusalem as my greatest joy!
• Lamentations 2:9Zion’s gates have fallen to the ground; he has destroyed and shattered the bars on her gates. Her king and her leaders live among the nations, instruction is no more, and even her prophets receive no vision from the Lord.
• 2 Chronicles 21:20Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king; he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. He died to no one’s regret and was buried in the city of David but not in the tombs of the kings.
• 2 Chronicles 28:27Ahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city, in Jerusalem, but they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. His son Hezekiah became king in his place.
• 2 Chronicles 32:33Hezekiah rested with his ancestors and was buried on the ascent to the tombs of David’s descendants. All Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem paid him honor at his death. His son Manasseh became king in his place.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 2:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Let 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, , ' , "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 the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3The city … of my fathers‘ sepulchres - We may conclude from this that Nehemiah was of the tribe of Judah, as Eusebius and Jerome say that he was.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Nehemiah showed his loyalty by saying, May the king live forever! (compare Daniel 2:4), but he still admitted his sadness.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-52-5. the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad?--It was deemed highly unbecoming to appear in the royal presence with any weeds or signs of sorrow (Es 4:2); and hence it was no wonder that the king was struck with the dejected air of his cupbearer, while that attendant, on his part, felt his agitation increased by his deep anxiety about the issue of the conversation so abruptly begun. But the piety and intense earnestness of the man immediately…Read the comment

Topics related to Nehemiah 2:3

• Countenance
• Country
• Nehemiah
• Patriotism

In the dictionaries

• Gate
• Laugh
• Nehemiah
• Prayer
• Reproach
• Scorn
• Countenance
• Ezra-Nehemiah
• Greeting
• Siege

Commentaries on Nehemiah 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings