New English Translation
Nehemiah 2:8
8and a letter for Asaph the keeper of the king’s nature preserve, so that he will give me timber for beams for the gates of the fortress adjacent to the temple and for the city wall and for the house to which I go.” So the king granted me these requests, for the good hand of my God was on 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 the king, with his consort sitting beside him, replied, “How long would your trip take, and when would you return?” Since the king was amenable to dispatching me, I gave him a time. 7I said to the king, “If the king is so inclined, let him give me letters for the governors of Trans-Euphrates that will enable me to travel safely until I reach Judah, and a letter for Asaph the keeper of the king’s nature preserve, so that he will give me timber for beams for the gates of the fortress adjacent to the temple and for the city wall and for the house to which I go.” So the king granted me these requests, for the good hand of my God was on me. 9Then I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, and I presented to them the letters from the king. The king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. 10When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard all this, they were very displeased that someone had come to seek benefit for the Israelites.
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 said to them, “You see the problem that we have: Jerusalem is desolate and its gates are burned. Come on! Let’s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that this reproach will not continue.”
- Nehemiah 3:1Then Eliashib the high priest and his priestly colleagues arose and built the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and erected its doors, working as far as the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel.
- Nehemiah 3:7Adjacent to them worked Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, who were men of Gibeon and Mizpah. These towns were under the jurisdiction of the governor of Trans-Euphrates.
- Nehemiah 7:2I then put in charge over Jerusalem my brother Hanani and Hananiah the chief of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many do.
- Nehemiah 2:18Then I related to them how the good hand of my God was on me and what the king had said to me. Then they replied, “Let’s begin rebuilding right away!” So they readied themselves for this good project.
- Genesis 32:28“No longer will your name be Jacob,” the man told him, “but Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have prevailed.”
- Ezra 5:5But God was watching over the elders of Judah, and they were not stopped until a report could be dispatched to Darius and a letter could be sent back concerning this.
- Ezra 6:22They observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, for the Lord had given them joy and had changed the opinion of the king of Assyria toward them, so that he assisted them in the work on the temple of God, the God of Israel.
- Ezra 7:6This Ezra is the one who came up from Babylon. He was a scribe who was skilled in the law of Moses which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king supplied him with everything he requested, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.
- Proverbs 21:1The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord like channels of water; he turns it wherever he wants.
- Isaiah 66:14When you see this, you will be happy, and you will be revived. The Lord will reveal his power to his servants and his anger to his enemies.
- Daniel 1:9Then God made the overseer of the court officials sympathetic to Daniel.
- Acts 7:10and rescued him from all his troubles, and granted him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household.
- Acts 26:22I have experienced help from God to this day, and so I stand testifying to both small and great, saying nothing except what the prophets and Moses said was going to happen:
- 2 Corinthians 8:16But thanks be to God who put in the heart of Titus the same devotion I have for you,
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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