New International Version
Nehemiah 1:11
11Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” I was cupbearer to the king.
Nehemiah 1:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer.
- English Standard Version (ESV)O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man." Now I was cupbearer to the king.
- New King James Version (NKJV)O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” For I was the king’s cupbearer.
- New Living Translation (NLT)O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.” In those days I was the king’s cup-bearer.
Context of Nehemiah 1:11
9but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’ 10“They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” I was cupbearer to the king.
Read all of Nehemiah 1Nehemiah 1:11 word by word
אָנָּ֣א אֲדֹנָ֗י תְּהִ֣י נָ֣א אָזְנְךָֽ־קַ֠שֶּׁבֶת אֶל־תְּפִלַּ֨ת עַבְדְּךָ֜ וְאֶל־תְּפִלַּ֣ת עֲבָדֶ֗יךָ הַֽחֲפֵצִים֙ לְיִרְאָ֣ה אֶת־שְׁמֶ֔ךָ וְהַצְלִֽיחָה־נָּ֤א לְעַבְדְּךָ֙ הַיּ֔וֹם וּתְנֵ֣הוּ לְרַחֲמִ֔ים לִפְנֵ֖י הָאִ֣ישׁ הַזֶּ֑ה וַאֲנִ֛י הָיִ֥יתִי מַשְׁקֶ֖ה לַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- O Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
- I beseechאָֽנָּ֫א'ân'â 'ânnâh · Please!H577
- thee, let now thine earאֹ֫זֶן'ôzen · earH241
- be attentiveקַשָּׁבqashshâb qashshûb · attentiveH7183
- to the prayerתְּפִלָּהtephillâh · prayerH8605
- of thy servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- who desireחָפֵץchâphêts · delightingH2655
- to fearיָרֵאyârê' · to fear: revereH3372
- thy nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- and prosperצָלֵחַtsâlach tsâlêach · to prosperH6743
- this dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- and grantנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- him mercyרַחֲמִיםracham · compassionH7356
- in the sightפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- of this manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- For I was the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- cupbearerשָׁקָהshâqâh · to water: wateringH8248
Cross-references for Nehemiah 1:11
- Nehemiah 1:6let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you.
- Psalms 86:6Hear my prayer, Lord; listen to my cry for mercy.
- Psalms 130:2Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.
- Proverbs 1:29since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord.
- Isaiah 26:8Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.
- Hebrews 13:18Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way.
- Nehemiah 2:8And 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.
- Genesis 32:11Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children.
- Genesis 43:14And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
- Ezra 1:1In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:
- Ezra 7:6this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.
- Proverbs 21:1In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him.
- Nehemiah 2:1In 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,
- Genesis 40:2Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker,
- Genesis 41:9Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings.
Commentaries on Nehemiah 1:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Mercy in the sight of this man - Favour before the king, Ahasuerus. He seems then to have been giving him the cup. For I was the king's cup-bearer - The king's butler, (the Persians call him saky ), which gave him the opportunity of being frequently with the king; and to be in such a place of trust, he must be in the king's confidence. No Eastern potentate would have a cup-bearer with whom he could not trust his life, poison being frequently administered…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11A Persian king had numerous cup-bearers, each of whom probably discharged the office in his turn.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11grant him mercy in the sight of this man: Nehemiah knew God could make the king kind to him. As a cup-bearer, Nehemiah tasted the king’s wine to ensure it was safe. This role gave him daily access to King Artaxerxes.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. I was the king's cupbearer--This officer, in the ancient Oriental courts, was always a person of rank and importance; and, from the confidential nature of his duties and his frequent access to the royal presence, he possessed great influence.Read the comment
Topics related to Nehemiah 1:11
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Nehemiah 1
- 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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