Nehemiah 2:1

Nehemiah 2:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And 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.
• New International Version (NIV)In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before,
• English Standard Version (ESV)In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before.

Context of Nehemiah 2:1

It was the month of Nisan, when King Artaxerxes had ruled Babylon for 20 years. I had the king's wine ready for him to drink. I took it to give to him. He saw that I was sad. I had not been sad in front of the king before. 2The king asked me, ‘Why are you sad? You are not ill. This must mean that you are very upset.’ I was very frightened. 3I replied to the king, ‘May the king live for ever! I am sad because enemies have destroyed the city where my ancestors are buried. They burned the city's gates.’

Nehemiah 2:1 word by word

וַיְהִ֣י׀ בְּחֹ֣דֶשׁ נִיסָ֗ן שְׁנַ֥ת עֶשְׂרִ֛ים לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֥סְתְּא הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ יַ֣יִן לְפָנָ֑יו וָאֶשָּׂ֤א אֶת־הַיַּ֙יִן֙ וָאֶתְּנָ֣ה לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְלֹא־הָיִ֥יתִי רַ֖ע לְפָנָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And it came to pass in the monthחֹ֫דֶשׁchôdesh · monthH2320
• Nisanנִיסָןnîysân · NisanH5212
• in the twentiethעֶשְׂרִים‛eώrîym · twentyH6242
• yearשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
• of Artaxerxesאַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׂתָּא'artachshashtâ' 'artachshasht' · ArtaxerxesH783
• the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• wineיַ֫יִןyayin · wineH3196
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• him: and I took upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: raiseH5375
• and gaveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• sadרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: harmfulH7451

Cross-references for Nehemiah 2:1

• Esther 3:7Haman asked his advisors when would be the right time to make this happen. He asked them in the first month of the year (Nisan), during Xerxes' 12th year as king. Haman's advisors threw dice to decide the right time to destroy the Jews. The dice chose the 12th month of the year (Adar). The dice were called ‘Purim’.
• Nehemiah 1:1These are the words of Nehemiah, Hacaliah's son. It was the month Kislev. This was when King Artaxerxes had ruled for 20 years. I was in the big city of Susa.
• Ezra 7:1After these things, Ezra came to Jerusalem from Babylon. This happened while Artaxerxes was king of Persia. This is the list of Ezra's ancestors: He was the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah.
• Nehemiah 1:11Please listen to my prayer, my Lord. Hear the prayers of your people who love to respect your name. Please cause the king to be kind to me. May he give me what I ask for.’ I was the king's cupbearer.
• Genesis 40:11Pharaoh's cup was in my hand. I took the grapes and I squeezed them. Then I put the juice into the cup and I gave the cup to Pharaoh.’

Commentaries on Nehemiah 2:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Month Nisan - Answering to a part of our March and April. I took up the wine - It is supposed that the kings of Persia had a different cup-bearer for each quarter of the year, and that it had just now come to Nehemiah's turn.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Nisan was the name given by the Persian Jews to the month previously called “Abib,” the first month of the Jewish year, or that which followed the vernal equinox. It fell four months after Chisleu Nehemiah 1:1. The twentieth year - As Artaxerxes ascended the throne in 465 B.C., his 20th year would correspond to 445-444 B.C.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Nehemiah's request to the king. (1-8) Nehemiah comes to Jerusalem. (9-18) The opposition of the adversaries. (19-20) Verses 1-8 Our prayers must be seconded with serious endeavours, else we mock God. We are not limited to certain moments in our addresses to the King of kings, but have liberty to go to him at all times; approaches to the throne of grace are never out of season. But the sense of God's displeasure and the afflictions of his people, are…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1never been sad in his presence: A servant should not let personal issues affect serving the king.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 2:1

• Butler
• Country
• Month
• Nehemiah

In the dictionaries

• Artaxerxes
• Abib
• Laugh
• Nisan
• Prayer
• Reproach
• Scorn
• Calendar
• Chronology of the Old Testament
• Ezra-Nehemiah

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