1sn In ancient Judaism Ezra and Nehemiah were regarded as a single book with dual authorship. According to the Talmud, “Ezra wrote his book” (b. Bava Batra 15a). The Gemara then asks and answers, “And who finished it? Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.” Accordingly, the two are joined in the Leningrad Codex (ca. A.D. 1008), the manuscript upon which modern printed editions of the Hebrew Bible (e.g., BHK and BHS) are based.
2sn The name Nehemiah in Hebrew (נְחֶמְיָה, n˙khemyah) means “the LORD comforts.”
3tn That is, the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign (cf. 2:1).
4tnHeb “Shushan.”
5tnHeb “brothers.”
6tn The Hebrew text does not include the words “to me”; these words were supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
7map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
8tnHeb “great.”
9tnHeb “have been burned with fire” (so also in Neh 2:17). The expression “burned with fire” is redundant in contemporary English; the translation uses “burned down” for stylistic reasons.
10tnHeb “sat down.” Context suggests that this was a rather sudden action, resulting from the emotional shock of the unpleasant news, so “abruptly” has been supplied in the present translation.
11tnHeb “the covenant and loyal love.” The phrase is a hendiadys: the first noun retains its full nominal sense, while the second noun functions adjectivally (“loyal love” = loving). Alternately, the first might function adjectivally and the second noun function as the noun: “covenant and loyal love” = covenant fidelity (see Neh 9:32).
12tnHeb “keep.” The Hebrew verb שָׁמַר (shamar, “to observe; to keep”) is often used as an idiom that means “to obey” the commandments of God (e.g., Exod 20:6; Deut 5:16; 23:24; 29:8; Judg 2:22; 1 Kgs 2:43; 11:11; Ps 119:8, 17, 34; Jer 35:18; Ezek 17:14; Amos 2:4). See BDB 1036 s.v. 3.c.
13tnHeb “have sinned.” For stylistic reasons – to avoid redundancy in English – this was translated as “committed.”
14tnHeb “the house of my father.”
15tnHeb “peoples.”
16tnHeb “turn to me.”
17tnHeb “keep.” See the note on the word “obey” in Neh 1:5.
18tnHeb “at the end of the heavens.”
19tn The interjection אָנָּא (’anna’) is an emphatic term of entreaty: “please!” (BDB 58 s.v.; HALOT 69-70 s.v.). This term is normally reserved for pleas for mercy from God in life-and-death situations (2 Kgs 20:3 = Isa 38:3; Pss 116:4; 118:25; Jonah 1:14; 4:2) and for forgiveness of heinous sins that would result or have resulted in severe judgment from God (Exod 32:31; Dan 9:4; Neh 1:5, 11).
20tnHeb “let your ear be attentive.”
21tnHeb “fear.”
22tn Heb “grant compassion.” The words “to me” are supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness and style in English.
23tn The vav (ו) on וַאֲנִי (va’ani, “Now, I”) introduces a disjunctive parenthetical clause that provides background information to the reader.