Nehemiah 2:6

Nehemiah 2:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And 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.
• New International Version (NIV)Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), "How long will you be gone, and when will you return?" So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the king said to me (the queen also sitting beside him), “How long will your journey be? And when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.

Context of Nehemiah 2:6

4The king asked me, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ So I prayed to our God who rules from heaven. 5Then I said to the king, ‘Please sir, if you think it is a good idea and you are pleased with me, let me go to Judah. If you agree to send me there, I can build again the city where my ancestors are buried.’ The king was sitting with the queen next to him. The king asked me, ‘How long will you be away? When will you return?’ I told the king how long I would be away. Because the king was happy to send me, I told him when I would leave. 7I said to the king, ‘If the king agrees, please give me some letters to say that I have your authority. I will show the letters to your officers who rule the region on the west side of the Euphrates river. Then I will be able to travel safely on the journey to Judah. 8Also give me a letter for Asaph, who takes care of the king's forest there. Tell him to give me wood from the trees. I need to make beams to mend the gates of the strong place near the temple. I also need to mend the city's wall. And I need to build a house for myself to live in.’ The king agreed to do what I asked him, because my God was with me.

Nehemiah 2:6 word by word

וַיֹּאמֶר֩ לִ֨י הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ וְהַשֵּׁגַ֣ל׀ יוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת אֶצְל֗וֹ עַד־מָתַ֛י יִהְיֶ֥ה מַֽהֲלָכֲךָ֖ וּמָתַ֣י תָּשׁ֑וּב וַיִּיטַ֤ב לִפְנֵֽי־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֔נִי וָֽאֶתְּנָ֥ה ל֖וֹ זְמָֽן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto me, (the queenשֵׁגָלshêgâl · queenH7694
• also sittingיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• by himאֵ֫צֶל'êtsel · besideH681
• For how long shall thy journeyמַהֲלָךְmahălâk · journeyH4109
• be? and when wilt thou returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• So it pleasedפָּנֶהpânîym · face ofH6440
• So it pleasedיָטַבyâţab · be goodH3190
• to sendשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• me; and I setנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• him a timeזְמָ֑ןzemân · timeH2165

Cross-references for Nehemiah 2:6

• Nehemiah 2:4The king asked me, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ So I prayed to our God who rules from heaven.
• 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.
• Isaiah 58:12You will build again the cities which became heaps of stones a long time ago. You will build your houses on the old foundations. People will call you, “Builders who mend the walls and the streets with their houses.”
• Isaiah 61:4God's people will build again their towns that became heaps of stones a long time ago. Once again, they will live in the cities that have been empty for so long.
• Isaiah 65:24Before they call to me for help, I will answer them. While they are still praying, I will hear them.
• Nehemiah 5:14All the time that I ruled the land of Judah, I did not eat the government officer's special food. I was the ruler from the 20th year of King Artaxerxes until his 32nd year as king. For all those 12 years, I and my relatives refused to eat the special food.
• Nehemiah 13:6But when this happened, I was not in Jerusalem. In the 32nd year that King Artaxerxes ruled in Babylon, I had returned to visit him. After I had been there for some time, I asked the king to let me return to Jerusalem.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 2:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6The queen also sitting by him - Who probably forwarded his suit. This was not Esther, as Dean Prideaux supposes, nor perhaps the same Artaxerxes who had taken her to be queen; nor does שגל shegal signify queen, but rather harlot or concubine, she who was chief favourite. The Septuagint translate it , harlot; and properly too. See the introduction. I set him a time - How long this time was we are not told; it is by no means likely that it was long…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6The queen - Though the Persian kings practiced polygamy, they always had one chief wife, who alone was recognized as “queen.” The chief wife of Longimanus was Damaspia. I set him a time - Nehemiah appears to have stayed at Jerusalem twelve years from his first arrival Nehemiah 5:14; but he can scarcely have mentioned so long a term to the king. Probably his leave of absence was prolonged from time to time.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6How long will your journey take (see Ezra 5:14): Nehemiah likely asked for a short time at first and later requested more time.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-96-9. the queen also sitting by him--As the Persian monarchs did not admit their wives to be present at their state festivals, this must have been a private occasion. The queen referred to was probably Esther, whose presence would tend greatly to embolden Nehemiah in stating his request; and through her influence, powerfully exerted it may be supposed, also by her sympathy with the patriotic design, his petition was granted, to go as deputy governor of…Read the comment

Topics related to Nehemiah 2:6

• Country
• Nehemiah
• Persia
• Queen
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Laugh
• Prayer
• Reproach
• Scorn
• Ezra-Nehemiah
• Nehemiah
• Queen
• Persia

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