English Standard Version
Nehemiah 2:4
4Then the king said to me, "What are you requesting?" So I prayed to the God of heaven.
Nehemiah 2:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
- New International Version (NIV)The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
- New Living Translation (NLT)The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?” With a prayer to the God of heaven,
Context of Nehemiah 2:4
2And the king said to me, "Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart." Then I was very much afraid. 3I 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?" Then the king said to me, "What are you requesting?" So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it." 6And 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.
Read all of Nehemiah 2Nehemiah 2:4 word by word
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לִי֙ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ עַל־מַה־זֶּ֖ה אַתָּ֣ה מְבַקֵּ֑שׁ וָֽאֶתְפַּלֵּ֔ל אֶל־אֱלֹהֵ֖י הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Nehemiah 2:4
- 1 Kings 3:5At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, "Ask what I shall give you."
- Esther 5:3And the king said to her, "What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom."
- Esther 7:2And on the second day, as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king again said to Esther, "What is your wish, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled."
- Mark 10:51And Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" And the blind man said to him, "Rabbi, let me recover my sight."
- Nehemiah 1:4As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
- 2 Samuel 15:31And it was told David, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." And David said, "O Lord, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness."
- Proverbs 3:6In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
- Philippians 4:6do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Commentaries on Nehemiah 2:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4So I prayed to the God of heaven - Before he dared to prefer his request to the king, he made his prayer to God, that his suit might be acceptable: and this he does by mental prayer. To the spirit of prayer every place is a praying place.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4I prayed to the God of heaven - Mentally and momentarily, before answering the king.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4What is your request?: The king followed the God of heaven, and Nehemiah needed God's guidance and help for his request.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 2:4
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries