Nehemia 1:5

1:5 Then I said, “Please, O LORD God of heaven, great and awesome God, who keeps his loving covenant ¹  with those who love him and obey ²  his commandments,

Nehemia 1:9

1:9 But if you repent ³  and obey ⁴  my commandments and do them, then even if your dispersed people are in the most remote location, ⁵  I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen for my name to reside.’

Nehemia 1:11

1:11 Please, ⁶  O Lord, listen attentively ⁷  to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who take pleasure in showing respect ⁸  to your name. Grant your servant success today and show compassion to me ⁹  in the presence of this man.”

Now ¹⁰  I was cupbearer for the king.

Nehemia 9:8

9:8 When you perceived that his heart was faithful toward you, you established a ¹¹  covenant with him to give his descendants ¹²  the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, and the Girgashites. You have fulfilled your promise, ¹³  for you are righteous.

[1:5]  ¹ tn Heb “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).

[1:5]  ² tn Heb “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.

[1:9]  ³ tn Heb “turn to me.”

[1:9]  ⁴ tn Heb “keep.” See the note on the word “obey” in Neh 1:5.

[1:9]  ⁵ tn Heb “at the end of the heavens.”

[1:11]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tn Heb “let your ear be attentive.”

[1:11]  ⁸ tn Heb “fear.”

[1:11]  ⁹ tn Heb “grant compassion.” The words “to me” are supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness and style in English.

[1:11]  ¹⁰ tn The vav (ו) on וַאֲנִי (va’ani, “Now, I”) introduces a disjunctive parenthetical clause that provides background information to the reader.

[9:8]  ¹¹ tn Heb “the” (so NAB).

[9:8]  ¹² tn Heb “seed.”

[9:8]  ¹³ tn Heb “your words.”