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Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

Nehemiah 2:2

Then I was very sore afraid. — Waiting on Providence, Nehemiah had discharged his duties for three months without being sad in the king’s presence; but on this day his sorrow could not be repressed. His fear sprang from the king’s abrupt inquiry. A sad countenance was never tolerated in the royal presence; and, though Artaxerxes was of a milder character than any other Persian monarch, the tone of his question showed that in this respect he was not an exception.

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See also Nehemiah 2:2 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Nehemiah 2:2. _THEN I WAS VERY SORE AFRAID._] Probably the king spoke as if he had some suspicion that Nehemiah harboured some bad design, and that his face indicated some conceived treachery or...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    I WAS VERY SORE AFRAID - A Persian subject was expected to be perfectly content so long as he had the happiness of being with his king. A request to quit the court was thus a serious matter....

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    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 ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    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...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    SORROW OF HEART. See Proverbs 15:13....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _Wherefore_ R.V. AND. _sad_ The Hebrew adjective which means literally -bad" is used constantly in this sense, just as we speak of -bad news" when we mean -sad news." For this usage cf. Genesis 40:7...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    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...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _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,_ The king said unto me, Why is thy count...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    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...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    SORE AFRAID] i.e. for the success of his intended request....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    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...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    When Nehemiah heard the bad news from *Judah, he prayed. He asked God to help him so that he could say the right thing to the king. 4 months later he had his opportunity. He did not waste the 4 months...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יֹּאמֶר֩ לִ֨י הַ מֶּ֜לֶךְ מַדּ֣וּעַ ׀ פָּנ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    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...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    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...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    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...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Is not. Hebrew, "nothing but sorrow of heart;" (Syriac; Calmet; Protestants) or rather, thou art meditating only treason. Septuagint, "This is nothing but wickedness of heart," (Haydock) which often...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (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...

  • John Brown Commentaries Selected Books of the Bible

    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...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    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...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    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, Ver. 2. _Wherefore the king said...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _The king said, Why is thy countenance sad?_ His fasting, joined with inward grief, had made a sensible change in his countenance. _Then I was sore afraid_ It was an unusual and ungracious thing to co...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    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...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Wherefore the king, noting at once that something unusual had happened to sadden his trusted servant, SAID UNTO ME, WHY IS THY COUNTENANCE SAD, SEEING THOU ART NOT SICK THIS IS NOTHING ELSE BUT SORROW...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Nehemiah's Request Granted by the King...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    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...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    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...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    WHY IS THY COUNTENANCE SAD? his fasting joined with inward grief had made a sensible change in his very countenance. I WAS VERY SORE AFRAID; partly, being daunted by the majesty of the king, and the s...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Nehemiah 2:2 king H4428 said H559 (H8799) face H6440 sad H7451 sick H2470 (H8802) sorrow H7455 heart...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    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...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    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...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    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...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _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...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    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...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    NEHEMIAH—NOTE ON NEHEMIAH 2:2 Nehemiah did not show his grief during the four months since Nehemiah 1:1, perhaps because it was part of his duty to be positive and encouraging. Nehemiah was...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    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....

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    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...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    "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...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Genesis 40:7; Proverbs 15:13...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    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...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Sad — His fasting joined with inward grief had made a sensible change in his countenance. Afraid — It was an unusual and ungrateful thing to come into the king of Persia's presence with any token of s...

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