In Shushan the castle, in the month of Kislev, word reaches Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: the remnant in Judah is in great affliction and reproach, the wall of Jerusalem broken down, its gates burned with fire. He sits down and weeps, mourns certain days, fasts and prays — confessing the sins of Israel, his father's house and his own, and holding God to the word given Moses: though your dispersed be in the uttermost heavens, 'I will gather them from there.' The chapter closes on the detail the whole book turns on: 'Now I was cupbearer to the king.'
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it came to pass in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the castle,
verse value 3667
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 55 letters. The shortest word is "year·of" (שְׁנַ֣ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·month·of·Chislev" (בְחֹֽדֶשׁ־כִּסְלֵו֙, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "in·month·of·Chislev" (בְחֹֽדֶשׁ־כִּסְלֵו֙), "in·Shushan" (בְּשׁוּשַׁ֥ן). The root היה appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "son·of·Hacaliah" (root בן, 200x in Nehemiah); "and·it·came·to·pass" (root היה, 48x in Nehemiah); "words·of" (root דבר, 33x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root דבר ("words·of") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root נחמיה ("Nehemiah") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'son·of·Hacaliah', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 8 words. Full calculation: דִּבְרֵ֥י [words·of] (216) + נְחֶמְיָ֖ה [Nehemiah] (113) + בֶּן־חֲכַלְיָ֑ה [son·of·Hacaliah] (125) + וַיְהִ֤י [and·it·came·to·pass] (31) + בְחֹֽדֶשׁ־כִּסְלֵו֙ [in·month·of·Chislev] (430) + שְׁנַ֣ת [year·of] (750) + עֶשְׂרִ֔ים [twenty] (620) + וַאֲנִ֥י [and·I] (67) + הָיִ֖יתִי [I·was] (435) + בְּשׁוּשַׁ֥ן [in·Shushan] (658) + הַבִּירָֽה [the·castle] (222) = 3667.
Rashi
The words of Nehemiah, etc. Nehemiah wrote this book from here on. the twentieth year This refers to the twentieth year of King Darius, who is identical with Artaxerxes. In Tractate Rosh Hashanah (3a, b), we find that the phrase “the twentieth year” is mentioned twice using similar wording [to teach us that it is speaking of the identical year]. It states below (2:1), “And it came to pass in the month of Nissan of the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, etc.” The years were calculated from the month of Tishrei. It says here, “And it was in the month of Kislev of the twentieth year, etc.” This refers to the Kislev coming after Tishrei. Further down it says (2:1), “And it was in the month of Nissan of the twentieth year, etc.” This refers to the Nissan of the same year. And I cannot explain that they calculated their years from the month of Nissan and that the incident mentioned below: “And it was in the month of Nissan, etc.” occurred before this incident: “And it was in the month of Kislev, etc.” It is true that events [in the Torah] are not necessarily recorded in chronological order. Nevertheless, the chapters indicate that the second chapter took place only because of the events of the first chapter.
Ibn Ezra
The words of Nehemiah – the twentieth year mentioned here is the twentieth year of the reign of Artaxerxes, who is Darius.
Ralbag
'The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah,' etc. — this extends until 'Now it came to pass, when the wall was built' (7:1).
Metzudat David
'The words of Nehemiah' — meaning, Nehemiah [himself] wrote this book. 'In the twentieth year' — of the reign of Darius the Persian.
Metzudat Zion
The castle — meaning, the place of the king's palace.
Malbim
'In the twentieth year' — of Artaxerxes, who had already been spoken of in the Book of Ezra. From this it is evident that this book continues the Book of Ezra that precedes it, as our Sages said (Sanhedrin 93b): 'Since all the words of the Book of Ezra were actually spoken by Nehemiah.' So too, in the count of the twenty-four books [of Scripture], these two books are reckoned as a single book — for otherwise he would have needed to specify whose twentieth year this was: that of Artaxerxes.
that Hanani, one of my brethren, came out of Judah, he and certain men; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, that were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
verse value 3552
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 74 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֧ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "one" (אֶחָ֧ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "concerning·the·Jews" (עַל־הַיְּהוּדִ֧ים, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 407: and·men, from·the·captivity. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "from·my·brothers" (מֵאַחַ֛י), "from·Judah" (מִֽיהוּדָ֑ה), "and·I·asked·them" (וָאֶשְׁאָלֵ֞ם). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·he·came" (root בוא, 47x in Nehemiah); "and·men" (root איש, 44x in Nehemiah); "and·concerning·Jerusalem" (root ירושלם, 38x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root בוא ("and·he·came") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root חנן ("Hanani") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Judah', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיָּבֹ֨א [and·he·came] (19) + חֲנָ֜נִי [Hanani] (118) + אֶחָ֧ד [one] (13) + מֵאַחַ֛י [from·my·brothers] (59) + ה֥וּא [he] (12) + וַאֲנָשִׁ֖ים [and·men] (407) + מִֽיהוּדָ֑ה [from·Judah] (70) + וָאֶשְׁאָלֵ֞ם [and·I·asked·them] (378) + עַל־הַיְּהוּדִ֧ים [concerning·the·Jews] (180) + הַפְּלֵיטָ֛ה [the·survivors] (139) + אֲשֶֽׁר־נִשְׁאֲר֥וּ [that·remained] (1058) + מִן־הַשֶּׁ֖בִי [from·the·captivity] (407) + וְעַל־יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם [and·concerning·Jerusalem] (692) = 3552.
Rashi
one of my brethren one of my companions. and I asked them about the Jews I asked them about the Jews who had escaped the Babylonian captivity and remained in Jerusalem. who had escaped because they were saved from the Babylonian exile. and about Jerusalem And I asked them about the city.
Metzudat David
'One of my brethren' — meaning, one of my companions. 'That were left' — because most of the exile community remained behind in Babylon in captivity, and only a few went up [to the Land], he therefore uses of them the term 'remnant.' 'And concerning Jerusalem' — concerning the building of its walls.
Metzudat Zion
That had escaped — an expression of remnant, as in 'a remnant and one who escaped' (Joshua 8).
Malbim
Questions: (2) In that it says 'the escaped remnant that were left,' this implies that he did not ask about those who had returned from the captivity in the days of Cyrus? 'And I asked them' — about two things: (a) about the Jews, (b) about Jerusalem — and they answered the first point first and the last point last, as Rashi explains. But from his precise wording, 'the escaped remnant that were left,' it appears that the Jews who had returned under Cyrus's authority, and afterward under Artaxerxes' authority, had their own governor [Ezra 5:14]. It was only about the Jews who had already been there beforehand, who were under the authority of the governors beyond the River [as appears below, 3:7], that he asked; and they were in a bad and shameful state, for the governors oppressed them — that is why it says 'that were left.' But the Jews who had come there from the captivity had their own governor as a shield and refuge.
And they said to me: ‘The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach; the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.’
verse value 6741
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 80 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִי֒, 2 letters) and the longest is "that·remained" (אֲשֶֽׁר־נִשְׁאֲר֤וּ, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "the·remnant" (הַֽנִּשְׁאָרִ֞ים), "in·the·province" (בַּמְּדִינָ֔ה), "and·in·reproach" (וּבְחֶרְפָּ֑ה). The root שאר appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·said" (root אמר, 66x in Nehemiah); "and·its·gates" (root שער, 41x in Nehemiah); "Jerusalem" (root ירושלם, 38x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root אמר ("and·they·said") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root לי ("to·me") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·in·reproach', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 6 words.
Rashi
And they said to me They answered my first question first and my latter question last; first, concerning the Jews and afterwards, concerning the wall and the gates. who remained Those Jews who remained in the province of Jerusalem are in great trouble and reproach because the gentiles plunder and pillage them. and the wall of Jerusalem is breached And the wall of the city is breached, and the gates are burned with fire as they were before, for Israel had not built the wall of the city or its gates, only the Temple. were burned Heb. נִצְתוּ, like נֻצְתוּ.
Ralbag
'And the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and its gates are burned with fire' — I think this happened at the time of the destruction of the First Temple, for those who returned from the exile had not yet built a wall for the city of Jerusalem, since they had been given permission to build only the Temple.
Metzudat David
'And reproach' — the idolaters heap reproach upon them. 'Are burned' — burnt with fire, as they have remained ever since [the destruction].
Metzudat Zion
Broken down — an expression of breach and ruin. Burned — an expression of kindling and burning, as in 'and it kindled a fire' (Lamentations 4).
And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,
verse value 3824
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 67 letters. The shortest word is "fasting" (צָם֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·words" (אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים, 8 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "when·I·heard" (כְּשׇׁמְעִ֣י), "the·words" (אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים), "I·sat" (יָשַׁ֙בְתִּי֙). The root היה appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·God·of" (root אלהים, 62x in Nehemiah); "days" (root יום, 61x in Nehemiah); "and·it·came·to·pass" (root היה, 48x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root שמע ("when·I·heard") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root אלה ("these") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'days', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיְהִ֞י [and·it·came·to·pass] (31) + כְּשׇׁמְעִ֣י [when·I·heard] (440) + אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים [the·words] (662) + הָאֵ֗לֶּה [these] (41) + יָשַׁ֙בְתִּי֙ [I·sat] (722) + וָֽאֶבְכֶּ֔ה [and·I·wept] (34) + וָאֶתְאַבְּלָ֖ה [and·I·mourned] (445) + יָמִ֑ים [days] (100) + וָֽאֱהִ֥י [and·I·was] (22) + צָם֙ [fasting] (130) + וּמִתְפַּלֵּ֔ל [and·praying] (586) + לִפְנֵ֖י [before] (170) + אֱלֹהֵ֥י [the·God·of] (46) + הַשָּׁמָֽיִם [the·heaven] (395) = 3824.
Rashi
for days Heb. יָמִים, many days.
Ibn Ezra
that I sat down and wept – I sat down on the ground, or I sat in a state of desolation.
Metzudat David
'I sat down' — meaning, I sat there stunned and desolate. 'Certain days' — meaning, a number of days.
and said: ‘I beseech You, O Hashem, the God of heaven, the great and awful God, that keeps covenant and mercy with those who love Him and keep His commandments;
verse value 3545
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 64 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "we·beseech·You" (אָֽנָּ֤א, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·the·awful" (וְהַנּוֹרָ֑א, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "to·his·lovers" (לְאֹהֲבָ֖יו), "and·to·keepers·of" (וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י), "his·commandments" (מִצְוֺתָֽיו). The root שמר appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·said" (root אמר, 66x in Nehemiah); "the·God·of" (root אלהים, 62x in Nehemiah); "the·great" (root גדול, 27x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root יהוה ("Hashem") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root אל ("the·God") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·the·awful', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 6 words. Full calculation: וָאֹמַ֗ר [and·I·said] (247) + אָֽנָּ֤א [we·beseech·You] (52) + יְהֹוָה֙ [Hashem] (26) + אֱלֹהֵ֣י [the·God·of] (46) + הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם [the·heaven] (395) + הָאֵ֥ל [the·God] (36) + הַגָּד֖וֹל [the·great] (48) + וְהַנּוֹרָ֑א [and·the·awful] (268) + שֹׁמֵ֤ר [keeping] (540) + הַבְּרִית֙ [the·covenant] (617) + וָחֶ֔סֶד [and·mercy] (78) + לְאֹהֲבָ֖יו [to·his·lovers] (54) + וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י [and·to·keepers·of] (586) + מִצְוֺתָֽיו [his·commandments] (552) = 3545.
Rashi
I beseech You Heb. אָנָא, an expression of request and supplication.
Metzudat David
'That keeps covenant' — the reward that He promised in the covenant.
Metzudat Zion
I beseech You — this is an expression of entreaty.
Malbim
'The great and awful God' — Daniel too opens his prayer this way (Daniel 9:4); see there.
let Your ear now be attentive, and Your eyes open, that You may hearken to the prayer of Your servant, which I pray before You at this time, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, while I confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against You; indeed, I and my father’s house have sinned.
verse value 9073
Insights
Verse structure: 27 words, 131 letters. The shortest word is "now" (נָ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "your·ear·attentive" (אׇזְנְךָֽ־קַשֶּׁ֣בֶת, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: that, that. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "and·your·eyes" (וְֽעֵינֶ֪יךָ), "open" (פְתוּח֟וֹת), "I" (אָנֹכִי֩). The root עבד appears 2 times in this verse. 22 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for·children·of" (root בן, 200x in Nehemiah); "that" (root אשר, 66x in Nehemiah); "the·day" (root יום, 61x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root נא ("now") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root אזן ("your·ear·attentive") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·servants', dividing the verse into phrases of 18 and 9 words.
Rashi
attentive Heb. קַשֶּׁבֶת, like קוֹשֶּׁבֶת, listening, for just as one says from אוֹהֵב, אָהַב, so does one say from קָשַּׁב, קוֹשֵּׁב and קוֹשֶּׁבֶת.
Ibn Ezra
attentive (kashevet) – a descriptive adjective, on the same pattern as ivveret ('blind'). day and night – this connects with 'I pray'; the sense is: I am praying today, and I will pray day and night, many times, that You hear my prayer for the children of Israel; or, it means a full day. And the meaning of 'day and night' – for the day, together with the night, is called 'a day.'
Metzudat David
'And Your eyes open' — to see the tears of my eyes. 'At this time' — meaning, during that period. 'Indeed, I' — meaning, and I confess that I and my father's house have sinned.
Metzudat Zion
Let... now be — [the word] 'na' means 'now,' or it too is an expression of entreaty. Attentive — an expression of hearkening.
Malbim
'Attentive' — an adjective on the pattern of 'orerei' [Ibn Ezra and Radak]. 'And Your eyes open' — that You take heed at once, to fulfill the request through Your providence; so too in Daniel's prayer (Daniel 9:18). 'At this time, day and night' — the prayer that I am praying today, I pray continually, day and night, as he said, 'and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed.' 'Indeed, I' — meaning, and I too am confessing that I and my father's house have sinned.
We have dealt very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You did command Your servant Moses.
verse value 5071
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 59 letters. The shortest word is "against·you" (לָ֑ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·the·ordinances" (וְאֶת־הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים, 10 letters). Words sharing gematria 96: we·dealt·corruptly, your·servant. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "surely" (חֲבֹ֖ל), "we·dealt·corruptly" (חָבַ֣לְנוּ), "and·not·we·kept" (וְלֹא־שָׁמַ֣רְנוּ). The root חבל appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 66x in Nehemiah); "your·servant" (root עבד, 24x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root חק ("and·the·statutes") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root משפט ("and·the·ordinances") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'against·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 8 words. Full calculation: חֲבֹ֖ל [surely] (40) + חָבַ֣לְנוּ [we·dealt·corruptly] (96) + לָ֑ךְ [against·you] (50) + וְלֹא־שָׁמַ֣רְנוּ [and·not·we·kept] (633) + אֶת־הַמִּצְוֺ֗ת [the·commandments] (942) + וְאֶת־הַֽחֻקִּים֙ [and·the·statutes] (570) + וְאֶת־הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים [and·the·ordinances] (891) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [that] (501) + צִוִּ֖יתָ [you·commanded] (506) + אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֥ה [Moses] (746) + עַבְדֶּֽךָ [your·servant] (96) = 5071.
Rashi
We have dealt corruptly Heb. חֲבֹל, a noun, an expression of corruption, since the “heth” is vowelized with a “hataf pattah,” and I cannot interpret it as a verb form, because in that case, it would have to be vowelized with a large “kamatz.” we have dealt corruptly Heb. חָבַלְנוּ, an expression of corruption, as in Daniel (6:23): “I have done no harm.”
Ibn Ezra
We have dealt very corruptly (chavol chavalnu) – from the same root as 'that destroy the vineyards'; its meaning is: we have violated Your commandments.
Ralbag
'We have dealt very corruptly against You' — you should know that a person does not actually harm Hashem, exalted be He, by his sin or by corrupting his way; rather, his wickedness falls on himself alone. The sense of 'we have dealt very corruptly against You' is like the sense of 'but if a man sin against Hashem' (1 Samuel 2:25): a person is said to sin 'against Hashem' when his sin concerns matters of divinity and faith. So too, corruption is called corruption 'against Hashem' when one sins in a matter that pertains to Him — such as the corruption involved in idolatry, as it says, 'lest you deal corruptly, and make for yourselves a graven image' (Deuteronomy 4:16).
Metzudat David
'We have dealt very corruptly, etc.' — meaning, we ruined Your words and did not keep them, etc.
Metzudat Zion
Dealt corruptly — an expression of corruption and ruin, as in 'for all flesh had corrupted' (Genesis 6:12); the Targum renders it 'chabeilu.'
Malbim
Questions: (7) The commentators are hard pressed by the phrase 'we have dealt very corruptly' (chavol chavalnu)? 'We have dealt very corruptly against You' (chavol chavalnu lach) — this relates to the sense of a pledge (mashkon); 'chevel' here is a noun, not an infinitive [as the commentators note]. He is depicting that Israel obligated themselves to keep Hashem's Torah, and that when they fail to pay this debt, Hashem takes all their treasures [namely, the Temple and the Holy Land] as a pledge for their sins, until they pay their debt — and then He returns the Temple to them. (As it says, 'why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands'; and so too our Sages said: why is it called Mishkan [Tabernacle]? Because it was given as a pledge — nitmashken — for the sins of Israel.) That is to say: we have given You pledges, yet we did not keep the commandments and did not pay the debt. (The image is that it is they who gave the pledge, and that is why the verse uses the connecting lamed — 'chavalnu lach,' 'we have offered a pledge to You' — because they brought this upon themselves through their own sins.)
Remember, I beseech You, the word that You did command Your servant Moses, saying: If you deal treacherously, I will scatter you abroad among the peoples;
verse value 4862
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 55 letters. Verse gematria: 4862 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֥ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·word" (אֶת־הַדָּבָ֔ר, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "remember·now" (זְכׇר־נָא֙), "you·deal·treacherously" (תִּמְעָ֔לוּ), "I·will·scatter" (אָפִ֥יץ). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 66x in Nehemiah); "saying" (root אמר, 66x in Nehemiah); "among·the·peoples" (root עם, 47x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root זכר ("remember·now") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root אתם ("you") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'saying', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 6 words. Full calculation: זְכׇר־נָא֙ [remember·now] (278) + אֶת־הַדָּבָ֔ר [the·word] (612) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [that] (501) + צִוִּ֛יתָ [you·commanded] (506) + אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֥ה [Moses] (746) + עַבְדְּךָ֖ [your·servant] (96) + לֵאמֹ֑ר [saying] (271) + אַתֶּ֣ם [you] (441) + תִּמְעָ֔לוּ [you·deal·treacherously] (546) + אֲנִ֕י [I] (61) + אָפִ֥יץ [I·will·scatter] (181) + אֶתְכֶ֖ם [you] (461) + בָּעַמִּֽים [among·the·peoples] (162) = 4862.
Metzudat David
'If you deal treacherously' — meaning, if you act treacherously, then I will scatter you, etc.
Metzudat Zion
Deal treacherously — an expression of sin and transgression. Scatter — I will disperse.
Malbim
'Remember' — that is: did You not command Moses, saying, 'if you act treacherously' — the term ma'al (treachery) applies to one who deceives and denies his fellow regarding a deposit held in trust, a loan, or a misappropriation of consecrated property — meaning, that you would act treacherously against His commandments, which you had obligated yourselves to keep; 'then I will scatter you among the peoples,' and I will take your land as a pledge. 'And you shall return' — but if you repent and pay the debt, I will give the pledge back to you, 'and I will bring them to the place.' (He uses the wording 'that You commanded Your servant Moses,' because repentance itself is a positive commandment.)
but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though your dispersed were in the uttermost part of the heaven, yet I will gather them from there, and will bring them to the place that I have chosen to cause My name to dwell there.
verse value 8770
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 99 letters. The shortest word is "there" (שָֽׁם, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·bring·them" (וַהֲבִֽיאוֹתִים֙, 9 letters). 14 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "and·you·return" (וְשַׁבְתֶּ֣ם), "and·you·keep" (וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙), "my·commandments" (מִצְוֺתַ֔י). The root שם appears 3 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 66x in Nehemiah); "and·you·do" (root עשה, 55x in Nehemiah); "if·it·will·be" (root היה, 48x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root שוב ("and·you·return") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root עשה ("and·you·do") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'them', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 14 words.
Rashi
if your exile is like the matter that is stated (Deut. 30:4): “If your exile is at the end of the heavens, etc.”
Metzudat David
'But if you return' — when you return to Me, then even if your dispersed are at the ends of the heavens, etc. 'My name' — My Shechinah [Divine Presence].
Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand.
verse value 1553
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 38 letters. The shortest word is "and·they" (וְהֵ֥ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "your·servants" (עֲבָדֶ֖יךָ, 5 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "and·your·people" (וְעַמֶּ֑ךָ), "you·redeemed" (פָּדִ֙יתָ֙), "in·your·strength" (בְּכֹחֲךָ֣). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they" (root הם, 67x in Nehemiah); "that" (root אשר, 66x in Nehemiah); "and·your·people" (root עם, 47x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root הם ("and·they") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root יד ("and·in·your·hand") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·your·people', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְהֵ֥ם [and·they] (51) + עֲבָדֶ֖יךָ [your·servants] (106) + וְעַמֶּ֑ךָ [and·your·people] (136) + אֲשֶׁ֤ר [that] (501) + פָּדִ֙יתָ֙ [you·redeemed] (494) + בְּכֹחֲךָ֣ [in·your·strength] (50) + הַגָּד֔וֹל [the·great] (48) + וּבְיָדְךָ֖ [and·in·your·hand] (42) + הַחֲזָקָֽה [the·strong] (125) = 1553.
Malbim
'Now these are Your servants' — even though they returned to the Land of Israel by permission of the kings of Persia, is it not so that You brought them out of Egypt with great power and with signs and wonders? It is fitting, then, that now too, as in the days when we went out of the land of Egypt, You show us wonders.
O Lord, I beseech You, let now Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants, who delight to fear Your name; and prosper, I pray You, Your servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.’ Now I was cupbearer to the king.
verse value 7550
Insights
Verse structure: 24 words, 115 letters. Verse gematria: 7550 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "now" (נָ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·prosper·now" (וְהַצְלִֽיחָה־נָּ֤א, 9 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "Lord" (אֲדֹנָ֗י), "and·to·prayer·of" (וְאֶל־תְּפִלַּ֣ת), "who·delight" (הַֽחֲפֵצִים֙). The root עבד appears 3 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·day" (root יום, 61x in Nehemiah); "let·it·be" (root היה, 48x in Nehemiah); "and·give·him" (root נתן, 45x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root אדון ("Lord") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root נתן ("and·give·him") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'this', dividing the verse into phrases of 20 and 4 words.
Rashi
I beseech You, O Lord, may Your ear now be attentive At the beginning of his prayer he used this expression, and so after his prayer. Your servant This is what he prayed for himself. before this man before the king. butler Heb. מַשְּׁקֶה, like (Gen. 40:1): “...the butler of (מַשְּׁקֶה) the king of Egypt.” This is what I explained above (Ezra 2:63) according to the words of our Sages, that Hattirshatha is Nehemiah.
Ibn Ezra
I beseech You (anna) – a term of entreaty.
Metzudat David
'Your servant' — refers to himself [Nehemiah]. 'And to the prayer of Your servants' — refers to all who pray, who delight to fear [Your name], etc. 'And prosper' — and he goes on to explain what this success entails: that He grant him mercy in the eyes of the king, so that the king fulfills his request. 'Now I' — this is not part of the prayer; rather, he states of himself that he was cupbearer to the king, in order to explain what is said afterward, that he brought wine before the king.
Malbim
'Behold, Hashem' — and lest one say that back then it was warranted only on account of the righteous of that generation, [he continues:] even now, 'let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants,' for they too desire to fear Your name, and it is fitting that You act for the sake of their prayer and their deeds. 'And prosper' — that is, by their merit, make me succeed, so that the king grants my request. 'Now I' — since he had said 'in the sight of this man' without specifying who, he now clarifies that he was cupbearer to the king, and it was concerning him that he had made his request, that he might find favor in his eyes.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Ralbag
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim