Nehemiah 2:5

Nehemiah 2:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And 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."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)I replied, “If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.”

Context of Nehemiah 2:5

3but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” 4The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.” 6Then 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. 7I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah?

Nehemiah 2:5 word by word

וָאֹמַ֣ר לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אִם־עַל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ ט֔וֹב וְאִם־יִיטַ֥ב עַבְדְּךָ֖ לְפָנֶ֑יךָ אֲשֶׁ֧ר תִּשְׁלָחֵ֣נִי אֶל־יְהוּדָ֗ה אֶל־עִ֛יר קִבְר֥וֹת אֲבֹתַ֖י וְאֶבְנֶֽנָּה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And I saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• If it pleaseטוֹבţôb · be pleasingH2895
• and if thy servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• have found favourיָטַבyâţab · be goodH3190
• in thy sightפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• that thou wouldest sendשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• me unto Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
• unto the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• of my fathers’אָב'âb · fatherH1
• sepulchresקֶ֫בֶרqeber qibrâh · graveH6913
• that I may buildבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129

Cross-references for Nehemiah 2:5

• Ezra 5:17Now if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.
• Esther 1:19“Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she.
• Esther 5:8If the king regards me with favor and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.”
• Esther 7:3Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request.
• Esther 8:5“If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces.
• Ruth 2:13“May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord,” she said. “You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servants.”
• 2 Samuel 14:22Joab fell with his face to the ground to pay him honor, and he blessed the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that he has found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, because the king has granted his servant’s request.”
• Proverbs 3:4Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 2:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5The city of my fathers' sepulchres - The tombs of the dead were sacred among the ancients, and nothing could appear to them more detestable than disturbing the ashes or remains of the dead. Nehemiah knew that in mentioning this circumstance he should strongly interest the feelings of the Persian king.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5send me to Judah...so that I may rebuild it: Artaxerxes’ willingness to consider this proposal is surprising given Jerusalem’s history of rebellions against Persia (Ezra 4:17–23). The king might have seen Nehemiah’s plan as a way to strengthen his control over a problematic area of his empire.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 2:5

• Country
• Nehemiah

In the dictionaries

• Judah
• Laugh
• Prayer
• Reproach
• Scorn
• Ezra-Nehemiah
• Good
• Self-Surrender
• 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