Nehemiah 2:20

Nehemiah 2:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then 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.
• New International Version (NIV)I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then I replied to them, "The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem."
• New King James Version (NKJV)So I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.”

Context of Nehemiah 2:20

18And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me; as also of the king's words which he had said unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. And they strengthened their hands for the good [work]. 19And Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobijah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it; and they mocked us and despised us, and said, What is this thing which ye do? will ye rebel against the king? And I answered them, and said to them, The God of the heavens, he will prosper us, and we his servants will arise and build; but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 2:20 word by word

וָאָשִׁ֨יב אוֹתָ֜ם דָּבָ֗ר וָאוֹמַ֤ר לָהֶם֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם ה֚וּא יַצְלִ֣יחַֽ לָ֔נוּ וַאֲנַ֥חְנוּ עֲבָדָ֖יו נָק֣וּם וּבָנִ֑ינוּ וְלָכֶ֗ם אֵֽין־חֵ֧לֶק וּצְדָקָ֛ה וְזִכָּר֖וֹן בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃Read the interlinear

• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• heavensשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
• prosperצָלַחtsâlach tsâlêach · to rushH6743
• servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• ariseקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
• buildבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
• portionחֵ֫לֶקchêleq · portionH2506
• memorialזִכָּרוֹןzikrôn · memorialH2146
• Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389

Cross-references for Nehemiah 2:20

• Nehemiah 2:4And the king said to me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of the heavens.
• 2 Chronicles 26:5And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and in the days that he sought Jehovah, God made him to prosper.
• Psalms 20:5We will triumph in thy salvation, and in the name of our God will we set up our banners. Jehovah fulfil all thy petitions!
• Psalms 35:27Let them exult and rejoice that delight in my righteousness; and let them say continually, Jehovah be magnified, who delighteth in the prosperity of his servant.
• Psalms 102:13Thou wilt rise up, thou wilt have mercy upon Zion: for it is the time to be gracious to her, for the set time is come.
• Psalms 122:6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
• Ecclesiastes 7:18It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all.
• Ezra 4:3But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the chief fathers of Israel said to them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build a house to our God, but we alone will build to Jehovah the God of Israel, as king Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us.
• Acts 8:21Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not upright before God.
• Exodus 28:29And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment on his heart, when he goes in to the sanctuary, for a memorial before Jehovah continually.
• Leviticus 2:2And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons, the priests; and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial thereof on the altar, an offering by fire to Jehovah of a sweet odour.
• Leviticus 24:7And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row; and it shall be a bread of remembrance, an offering by fire to Jehovah.
• Numbers 10:10And in the day of your gladness, and in your set feasts, and in your new moons, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt-offerings and over your sacrifices of peace-offering; and they shall be to you for a memorial before your God: I am Jehovah your God.
• Isaiah 56:5even unto them will I give in my house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
• Zechariah 6:14And the crowns shall be for Helem, and for Tobijah, and for Jedaiah, and for Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of Jehovah.
• Acts 10:4But he, having fixed his eyes upon him, and become full of fear, said, What is it, Lord? And he said to him, Thy prayers and thine alms have gone up for a memorial before God.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 2:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Ye have no portion, nor right - To be a citizen of Jerusalem was a high honor; and they would not permit those who did not belong to the tribes of Israel to dwell there. Zerubbabel gave the same answer to the Samaritans, Ezra 4:3.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-20Verses 19-20 The enmity of the serpent's seed against the cause of Christ is confined to no age or nation. The application to ourselves is plain. The church of God asks for our help. Is it not desolate, and exposed to assaults? Does the consideration of its low estate cause you any grief? Let not business, pleasure, or the support of a party so engage attention, as that Zion and her welfare shall be nothing to you.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20The title God of heaven showed Persian audiences that Israel's true God was not just a local god. Nehemiah focused on obeying his ruler by building the walls.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-201. it came to pass in the month Nisan--This was nearly four months after he had learned the desolate and ruinous state of Jerusalem (Ne 1:1). The reasons for so long a delay cannot be ascertained. I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king--Xenophon has particularly remarked about the polished and graceful manner in which the cupbearers of the Median, and consequently the Persian, monarchs performed their duty of presenting the wine to their royal…Read the comment

Topics related to Nehemiah 2:20

• Country
• Faith

In the dictionaries

• God
• Jerusalem
• Laugh
• Reproach
• Scorn
• Ezra-Nehemiah
• Memorial; Memory
• Right
• Arabia, Arabian

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