God’s Word Translation
Nehemiah 2:8
8Also, let me have a letter addressed to Asaph, the supervisor of Your Majesty’s forest. In the letter order him to give me wood for the gates of the fortress near the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I’ll move into.” (The king let me have the letters, because God was guiding me.)
Nehemiah 2:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
- New International Version (NIV)And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests.
- English Standard Version (ESV)and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy." And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.
- New King James Version (NKJV)and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he must give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel which pertains to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house that I will occupy.” And the king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me.
Context of Nehemiah 2:8
6Then, while the queen was sitting beside him, the king asked me, “How long will you be gone, and when will you come back?” When I gave him a specific date, he was willing to let me go. 7I also asked the king, “If it pleases Your Majesty, let me have letters addressed to the governors ⌞of the province⌟ west of the Euphrates River. In the letters tell them to grant me safe conduct until I arrive in Judah. Also, let me have a letter addressed to Asaph, the supervisor of Your Majesty’s forest. In the letter order him to give me wood for the gates of the fortress near the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I’ll move into.” (The king let me have the letters, because God was guiding me.) 9I went to the governors ⌞of the province⌟ west of the Euphrates River and gave them the king’s letters. (The king had sent army officers and cavalry to be with me.) 10But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, they were very upset that someone had come to give the people of Israel so much assistance.
Read all of Nehemiah 2Nehemiah 2:8 word by word
וְאִגֶּ֡רֶת אֶל־אָסָף֩ שֹׁמֵ֨ר הַפַּרְדֵּ֜ס אֲשֶׁ֣ר לַמֶּ֗לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִתֶּן־לִ֣י עֵצִ֡ים לְ֠קָרוֹת אֶת־שַׁעֲרֵ֨י הַבִּירָ֤ה אֲשֶׁר־לַבַּ֙יִת֙ וּלְחוֹמַ֣ת הָעִ֔יר וְלַבַּ֖יִת אֲשֶׁר־אָב֣וֹא אֵלָ֑יו וַיִּתֶּן־לִ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ כְּיַד־אֱלֹהַ֖י הַטּוֹבָ֥ה עָלָֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And a letterאִגֶּ֫רֶת'iggereth · letterH107
- unto Asaphאָסָף'âsâph · AsaphH623
- the keeperשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: guardH8104
- of the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- forestפַּרְדֵּסpardês · parkH6508
- that he may giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- me timberעֵץ‛êts · tree: woodH6086
- to make beamsקָרָהqârâh · to lay beamsH7136
- for the gatesשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
- of the palaceבִּירָהbîyrâh · palaceH1002
- to the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- and for the wallחוֹמָהchômâh · wallH2346
- of the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- that I shall enter intoבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- me, according to the goodטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
- of my Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
Cross-references for Nehemiah 2:8
- Nehemiah 2:17Then I told them, “You see the trouble we’re in. Jerusalem is in ruins, and its gates are burned down. Let’s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be insulted.”
- Nehemiah 3:1The chief priest Eliashib and his relatives, the priests, started by rebuilding Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place. They rebuilt as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and then as far as the Tower of Hananel.
- Nehemiah 3:7Next to them Melatiah from Gibeon and Jadon from Meronoth, with men from Gibeon and Mizpah, made repairs on the wall. They did this under the authority of the governor ⌞from the province⌟ west of the Euphrates River.
- Nehemiah 7:2I put my brother Hanani and Hananiah, the commander of the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem. Hananiah was a trustworthy man, and he feared God more than most people do.
- Nehemiah 2:18Then I told them that my God had been guiding me and what the king had told me. They replied, “Let’s begin to rebuild.” So they encouraged one another to begin this God-pleasing work.
- Genesis 32:28The man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob but Israel [He Struggles With God], because you have struggled with God and with men—and you have won.”
- Ezra 5:5But the leaders of the Jews were under God’s watchful eye. They couldn’t be stopped until Darius received a report and sent a reply to it.
- Ezra 6:22So for seven days they celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread because the Lord had made them joyful. The Lord had made the king of Assyria change his mind so that he supported the people in their work on the temple of God, the God of Israel.
- Ezra 7:6As a scribe, Ezra was an expert in Moses’ Teachings, which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king gave Ezra everything he requested because the Lord his God was guiding him.
- Proverbs 21:1The king’s heart is like streams of water. Both are under the Lord’s control. He turns them in any direction he chooses.
- Isaiah 66:14When you see it, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like new grass. The power of the Lord will be made known to his servants, but he will condemn his enemies.
- Daniel 1:9God made the chief-of-staff kind and compassionate toward Daniel.
- Acts 7:10and rescued him from all his suffering. When Joseph stood in the presence of Pharaoh (the king of Egypt), God gave Joseph divine favor and wisdom so that he became ruler of Egypt and of Pharaoh’s whole palace.
- Acts 26:22“God has been helping me to this day so that I can stand and testify to important and unimportant people. I tell them only what the prophets and Moses said would happen.
- 2 Corinthians 8:16I thank God for making Titus as dedicated to you as I am.
Commentaries on Nehemiah 2:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Asaph the keeper of the king's forest - הפרדס hapardes of the paradise of the king. This I believe is originally a Persian word; it frequently occurs in Arabic, ferdoos, and in Greek, , and in both signifies a pleasant garden, vineyard, pleasure garden, and what we call a paradise. Above the hall of audience, in the imperial palace at Dehli, the following Persian couplet is inscribed: - "If there be a paradise on the face of the earth, this is it, this is…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8The king‘s forest - Rather, park. The word used פרדס pardês compare ́ paradeisos found only here, in Ecclesiastes 2:5, and in Song of Song of Solomon 4:13 ), is of Persian, or at any rate of Aryan origin. The Persians signified by pariyadeza a walled enclosure, ornamented with trees, either planted or of natural growth, and containing numerous wild animals. The “paradise” here mentioned must have been in the neighborhood of Jerusalem, and may have…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8Temple fortress might mean the Tower of Hananel or the Tower of the Hundred. the gracious hand of my God was upon me: Nehemiah understood that God guided the king to grant these requests.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 2:8
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
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