Nehemia 1:11

1:11 Please, ¹  O Lord, listen attentively ²  to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who take pleasure in showing respect ³  to your name. Grant your servant success today and show compassion to me ⁴  in the presence of this man.”

Now ⁵  I was cupbearer for the king.

Nehemia 4:14

4:14 When I had made an inspection, ⁶  I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the great and awesome Lord, ⁷  and fight on behalf of your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your families!” ⁸ 

Nehemia 8:10

8:10 He said to them, “Go and eat delicacies and drink sweet drinks and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared. For this day is holy to our Lord. ⁹  Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Nehemia 10:29

10:29 hereby participate with their colleagues the town leaders ¹⁰  and enter into a curse and an oath ¹¹  to adhere to ¹²  the law of God which was given through Moses the servant of God, and to obey ¹³  carefully all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, ¹⁴  along with his ordinances and his statutes.

[1:11]  ¹ tn 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).

[1:11]  ² tn Heb “let your ear be attentive.”

[1:11]  ³ tn Heb “fear.”

[1:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “grant compassion.” The words “to me” are supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness and style in English.

[1:11]  ⁵ tn The vav (ו) on וַאֲנִי (va’ani, “Now, I”) introduces a disjunctive parenthetical clause that provides background information to the reader.

[4:14]  ⁶ tn Heb “And I saw.”

[4:14]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[4:14]  ⁸ tn Heb “houses.”

[8:10]  ⁹ tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[10:29]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the nobles.”

[10:29]  ¹¹ tn The expression “a curse and an oath” may be a hendiadys, meaning “an oath with penalties.”

[10:29]  ¹² tn Heb “to walk in.”

[10:29]  ¹³ tn Heb “keep.” See the note on the word “obey” in Neh 1:5.

[10:29]  ¹⁴ tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).