Nehemiah 2:4 - Forerunner Commentary

Nehemiah 2:4

2 Therefore the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but ^asorrow of heart.” So I became dreadfully afraid,

3 and said to the king, ^a“May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when ^bthe city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with ^cfire?”

4 Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I ^aprayed to the God of heaven.

5 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.”

6 Then the king said to me (the queen also sitting beside him), “How long will your journey be? And when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him ^aa time.

7 Furthermore I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the ^agovernors of the region beyond¹ the River, that they must permit me to pass through till I come to Judah,

8 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 the¹ citadel which pertains ^ato the temple, for the city wall, and for the house that I will occupy.” And the king granted them to me ^baccording to the good hand of my God upon me.

9 Then I went to the governors in the region beyond the River, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.

10 When ^aSanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of it, they were deeply disturbed that a man had come to seek the well-being of the children of Israel.

Nehemiah Views the Wall of Jerusalem

11 So I ^acame to Jerusalem and was there three days.

12 Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; nor was there any animal with me, except the one on which I rode.

13 And I went out by night ^athrough the Valley Gate to the Serpent Well and the¹ Refuse Gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem which were ^bbroken down and its gates which were burned with fire.

Verse Comparison: Nehemiah 2:4

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American Standard Version
Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.

Amplified® Bible
The king said to me, For what do you ask? So I prayed to the God of heaven.

Contemporary English Version
The king asked, "What do you want me to do?" I prayed to the God who rules from heaven.

Darby English Version
And the king said to me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of the heavens.

Good News Bible
The emperor asked, "What is it that you want?" I prayed to the God of Heaven,

King James Version
Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.

New American Standard Bible
Then the king said to me, "What would you request? So I prayed to the God of heaven."

New International Version
The king said to me, "What is it you want?"
Then I prayed to the God of heaven,

New King James Version
Then the king said to me, "What do you request?" So I prayed to the God of heaven.

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
Then the king said to me, "What would you request?" So I prayed to the God of heaven.

Revised Standard Version
Then the king said to me, "For what do you make request?" So I prayed to the God of heaven.

Young's Literal Translation
And the king saith to me, `For what art thou seeking?' and I pray unto the God of the heavens,

New English Translation
The king responded,¹ “What is it you are seeking?” Then I quickly prayed to the God of heaven

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