Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary
Nehemiah 2:4
I prayed to the God of heaven, to direct my thoughts and words, and to incline the king's heart to grant my request.
I prayed to the God of heaven, to direct my thoughts and words, and to incline the king's heart to grant my request.
Verse Nehemiah 2:4. _SO I PRAYED TO THE GOD OF HEAVEN._] Before he dared to prefer his request to the king, he made his prayer to God, that his suit might be acceptable: and this he does by mental pra...
I PRAYED TO THE GOD OF HEAVEN - Mentally and momentarily, before answering the king....
CHAPTER 2 _ 1. The King's question (Nehemiah 2:1)_ 2. The King's permission (Nehemiah 2:3) 3. The arrival in Jerusalem and the night-ride (Nehemiah 2:9) 4. The resolution to build the wall ...
NEHEMIAH 1:11 B - NEHEMIAH 2:8. NEHEMIAH RECEIVES PERMISSION FROM ARTAXERXES TO GO TO JERUSALEM AND REBUILD THE CITY WALLS. Nehemiah 1:1. the twentieth year of Artaxerxes: 444 B.C. I HAD NOT BEEN AFOR...
_For what dost thou make request_ See Esther 4:8; Esther 7:1; Esther 7:7. The king is favourable, and asks how he can render assistance. _So I prayed_ Literally, -And I prayed". Nehemiah instantaneous...
TEXT AND VERSE-BY-VERSE COMMENTS B. Nehemiah comes to Jerusalem 1. Nehemiah is given permission by Artaxerxes to make the trip. TEXT, NEHEMIAH 2:1-10 1 And it came about in the month Nisan, in the...
_AND SAID UNTO THE KING, LET THE KING LIVE FOR EVER: WHY SHOULD NOT MY COUNTENANCE BE SAD, WHEN THE CITY, THE PLACE OF MY FATHERS' SEPULCHRES, LIETH WASTE, AND THE GATES THEREOF ARE CONSUMED WITH FIRE...
NEHEMIAH'S RESOLVE TO REBUILD JERUSALEM This chapter gives an account of Nehemiah's request for leave to rebuild Jerusalem, his arrival there, and his survey of the ruined walls, which it was decided...
THE *JEWS BUILD JERUSALEM’S CITY WALL AGAIN NEHEMIAH _ROBERT BRYCE AND ROBERT BETTS_ CHAPTER 2 V1 It was the month called Nisan in the 20th year of King Artaxerxes’ rule. I was serving the king w...
The king asked Nehemiah what he wanted. This was Nehemiah’s opportunity, so he prayed. But he only had a moment to pray this prayer. Then Nehemiah told the king what he (Nehemiah) wanted to do. He ask...
SO I PRAYED TO THE GOD OF HEAVEN. — The first note of that habit of ejaculatory prayer which is a characteristic of this book....
II. (1-8) Nehemiah’s appeal to the king....
וַ יֹּ֤אמֶר לִי֙ הַ מֶּ֔לֶךְ עַל ־מַה
THE PRAYER ANSWERED Nehemiah 2:1 NEHEMIAH'S prayer had commenced on celestial heights of meditation among thoughts of Divine grace and glory, and when it had stooped to earth it had swept over the wi...
A PATRIOT'S SELF-SACRIFICE Nehemiah 2:1 The seventh month answers to our March or April, so that four months had passed since Nehemiah had set himself to special prayer. Between the king's second que...
Nehemiah's sadness could not wholly be hidden. He had not been habitually a sad man, as he himself declares; but the sorrow of his nation manifested itself as he stood before the king. It has been sug...
Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed (e) to the God of heaven. (e) I desired God in my heart to prosper my enterprise....
_Heaven, a fervent ejaculation, in secret, (Tirinus) to touch the king's heart, (Calmet) and to enable me to speak in a proper manner. (Menochius)_...
(2) Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid, (3) And said unto the king, Let the ki...
_EJACULATORY PRAYER_ ‘So I prayed to the God of heaven.’ Nehemiah 2:4 Our thoughts are now upon that moment of ejaculatory prayer, and its lesson for our own faith and our own prayers. What has Ne...
Preparation and Equipment Luke 14:27-31 (NKJV) "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. "For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and...
THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 2, 3, 4, 5, AND 6. The time in which Nehemiah laboured for the good of his people was not one of those brilliant phases which, if faith be there, awaken even...
Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. Ver. 4. _Then the king said unto me_] Some think that Nehemiah looked thus sad before the king on purpos...
_Then the king said, For what dost thou make request?_ Something thou wouldest have, what is it? The king had an affection for him, and was not pleased to see him dejected, and thus gave him encourage...
1 Artaxerxes vnderstanding the cause of Nehemiahs sadnesse, sendeth him with letters and commission to Ierusalem. 9 Nehemiah, to the griefe of the enemies, commeth to Ierusalem. 12 Hee vieweth secre...
Then the king said unto me, rightly guessing that Nehemiah had a request to make in connection with this sad state of affairs, FOR WHAT DOST THOU MAKE REQUEST? SO I PRAYED TO THE GOD OF HEAVEN, sendin...
Nehemiah's Request Granted by the King...
This exercise of Nehemiah continued for four months following the information he received, and finally came to a head in the month Nisan (corresponding to March or April), when Nehemiah was serving wi...
1-8 Our prayers must be seconded with serious endeavours, else we mock God. We are not limited to certain moments in our addresses to the King of kings, but have liberty to go to him at all times; ap...
Nehemiah 2:4 king H4428 said H559 (H8799) request H1245 (H8764) prayed H6419 (H8691) God H430 heaven...
NEHEMIAH'S SUCCESSFUL APPROACH TO THE KING AND HIS SUBSEQUENT COMMISSION (NEHEMIAH 2:1). Having reached his decision before God Nehemiah now carried it out into practise. He came into the king's pres...
Nehemiah 2:4 God gives us every day, and all day long, something to choose about, and the reason is because He wants to try us, to see whether we do right, to exercise our minds and see whether we ac...
CONTENTS: Nehemiah's visit to Jerusalem by permission of Artaxerxes. CHARACTERS: God, Artaxerxes, Nehemiah, Sanballat, Tobiah, Asaph, Geshem. CONCLUSION: The Christian should be concerned in the sor...
Nehemiah 2:1. _Nisan._ See the chronology, Exodus 12. Artaxerxes was well disposed towards the Jews. He had sent Ezra to Jerusalem in the seventh year of his reign; he now sends Nehemiah in the twenti...
_And it came to pass in the month Nizan._ DIVINE INTERPOSITION I. Was opportune. 1. That God’s plans are worked out with the utmost precision. 2. That God often interferes on His people’s behalf w...
NEHEMIAH 2:1 Nehemiah Gains Permission to Return and Inspects Jerusalem’s Walls. Nehemiah is allowed to go to Jerusalem (vv. Nehemiah 2:1). He surveys the walls, finding them in very poor condition (v...
NEHEMIAH—NOTE ON NEHEMIAH 2:4 The king then invites a request. SO I PRAYED. Nehemiah had already prayed a great deal, of course (see Nehemiah 1:4), but here he prays a
EXPLANATORY NOTES.] NEHEMIAH 2:1. NISAN] Called Abib in Exodus 13:4, first month in Hebrew national year. Corresponds to parts of our March and April. NEHEMIAH 2:3. LET THE KING LIVE FOR EVER] (Heb....
EXPOSITION NEHEMIAH 2:1 IN THE MONTH NISAN. The fourth month after Chisleu, corresponding nearly to our April. How it came about that Nehemiah did not put the king's favour to the proof until more th...
"You've never been sad in my presence before, what's wrong with you?" And so Nehemiah opened up his heart. Actually, the king had asked him a question and the king discerned. He said, "It's obviously...
1 Kings 3:5; 2 Samuel 15:31; Esther 5:3; Esther 5:6; Esther 7:2;...
REBUILDING THE WALL Nehemiah 2:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS As we study the Book of Nehemiah we learn the truth of that old saying, "God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform." This was true in...
Let, &c. — My sadness comes not from any disaffection to the king, for whom my hearty prayers are that he may live for ever; but from another cause. Sepulchres — Which by all nations are esteemed sacr...