In Nisan, wine before him, the king sees what no courtier may show — a sad face — and asks the question Nehemiah has prayed toward for months. A quick prayer to the God of heaven, and the requests pour out: leave to go build, letters to the governors, timber from the king's park. By night he rides out and inspects the broken walls alone, telling no one what his God has put in his heart; then to the rulers: 'Come, let us build up the wall of Jerusalem.' Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem laugh them to scorn — and receive the book's answer: the God of heaven will prosper us; you have no portion in Jerusalem.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, when wine was before him, that I took up the wine, and gave it to the king. Now I had not previously been sad in his presence.
verse value 5910
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 75 letters. The shortest word is "sad" (רַ֖ע, 2 letters) and the longest is "of·Artaxerxes" (לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֥סְתְּא, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 176: before·him, before·him. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "Nisan" (נִיסָ֗ן), "wine" (יַ֣יִן), "and·I·lifted" (וָאֶשָּׂ֤א). The root היה appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·came·to·pass" (root היה, 48x in Nehemiah); "and·I·gave" (root נתן, 45x in Nehemiah); "the·king" (root מלך, 43x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root ארתחשסתא ("of·Artaxerxes") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root יין ("wine") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'before·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 7 words.
Rashi
of...Artaxerxes That was Darius, and because of his kingship he was called this. wine before him They brought wine before the king in the court. and I carried the wine And I carried the cup of wine and gave it to the king, and so is the custom, that the one who brings wine into the king’s court does not carry it and give it to the king, but the chief butler receives it from the hand of the one who brings it, and carries it and gives it to the king. And I had never been sad in his presence And I was not accustomed to being sad in his presence, to have a sad face, but to be happy and cheerful, but now I was sad with a sad face.
Ibn Ezra
that I took up the wine – properly, this means the cup of wine. Now I had not previously been sad in his presence – because he was pleased with my service.
Ralbag
'When wine was before him' — meaning, the wine was already set before him.
Metzudat David
'When wine was before him' — meaning, they brought wine to set before him; the verse speaks elliptically [omitting a word]. 'Now I had not previously been sad in his presence' — it had never been my custom, until then, to appear before him with a sad and sorrowful face.
Metzudat Zion
Artaxerxes — this is Darius the Persian, who was called by this [title] after the name of the kingship, like 'Pharaoh' for Egypt and similar [royal titles].
Malbim
Questions: (1) Is the verb missing from the phrase 'wine was before him'? And as for the statement, 'I had not previously been sad in his presence' — this is left unexplained: was his face not, in fact, sad? 'And it came to pass ... wine was before him' — the phrase [stated just before], 'I was cupbearer to the king,' extends to serve two functions: first, '[I would set] wine before him' [describing his office], and second — in 'I took up the wine and gave it to the king' — meaning that he then actually poured it. 'I had not been' — that is, the king insisted that his attendants not appear before him with a sad face, for then they would be suspect in his eyes of harboring ill intent. Nehemiah knew the king's disposition and was careful that whenever he came before the king he would maintain a cheerful expression; and so it says that in truth, he had not been sad in his presence.
And the king said to me: ‘Why is your countenance sad, seeing you are not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart.’ Then I was very much afraid.
verse value 2455
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 60 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִ֨י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·he·said" (וַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩, 5 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "your·face" (פָּנֶ֣יךָ), "sad" (רָעִ֗ים), "not·you" (אֵֽינְךָ֣). The root רע appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·he·said" (root אמר, 66x in Nehemiah); "the·king" (root מלך, 43x in Nehemiah); "your·face" (root פנים, 31x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root מדוע ("why?") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root אתה ("and·you") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'heart', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 3 words.
Rashi
You are not ill Is it not so that you are not ill? This is nothing This incident is only wickedness of heart, that you have in your heart to put me to death by poisoning this cup. And I became very frightened And I became very frightened about this, lest the king accuse me falsely.
Ibn Ezra
Why is your countenance sad (panecha ra'im) – related to the Aramaic expression 'that crushes all these'; the meaning is: broken, like the appearance of a sick person.
Ralbag
'This is nothing else but sorrow of heart' — it appears that the king said this to him out of affection, as if to say: this sorrow visible in your face stirs a disturbance within my own spirit; without doubt you must be troubled about something, and that is why your face looks sad. But because this statement could also be understood as spoken out of hatred and anger, Nehemiah grew afraid, for a king's wrath is like messengers of death.
Metzudat David
'Why is your countenance sad, seeing you are not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart' — because sorrow had changed the light of his face to a look of gloom, the king therefore asked him why his face was sad: was he not well — such that one might say his appearance changed on account of illness? If not, this could only be 'sorrow of heart' — meaning, your heart plots evil against me, to kill me by means of this cup you have given me to drink, into which you have put some poisonous thing; that is why your face is so dark and scowling, like a murderer's just before he strikes. 'Then I was very much afraid' — on account of the king's words of accusation.
Malbim
'And the king said' — nevertheless the king sensed that his features were sad, and was angered by it; and this was either because the marks of his affliction and fasting those days showed on his face, or it happened providentially, so that the king would ask him and he would find an opening to speak with him. Nehemiah grew very afraid — for a king's wrath is as messengers of death — since he knew that this was reckoned a fault in the king's eyes.
And I said to the king: ‘Let the king live for ever: why should my countenance not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lies waste, and its gates are consumed with fire?’
verse value 4733
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 70 letters. The shortest word is "my·face" (פָנַ֗י, 3 letters) and the longest is "house·of·graves·of" (בֵּית־קִבְר֤וֹת, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 120: to·the·king, why?. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "forever" (לְעוֹלָ֣ם), "may·he·live" (יִחְיֶ֑ה), "not·be·sad" (לֹא־יֵרְע֣וּ). The root מלך appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·said" (root אמר, 66x in Nehemiah); "that" (root אשר, 66x in Nehemiah); "house·of·graves·of" (root בית, 60x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root עולם ("forever") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root חיה ("may·he·live") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'may·he·live', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 11 words.
Rashi
Why should my countenance not be sad [as translated,] why should my countenance not be sad. when the city Jerusalem, which is the place of the graves of my forefathers, is laid waste.
Metzudat David
'Let the king live for ever' — such is proper etiquette, to bless the king at the start of one's words. 'When the city, etc.' — and on account of this I am sad; that is why my face is sad. 'Are consumed with fire' — burnt with fire.
Metzudat Zion
Sad — an expression of ill/sorrow. Lies waste — an expression of ruin and destruction. Consumed — burned.
Malbim
'And I said to the king' — therefore he did not deny that his face was sad; rather, he said the cause was that the city, the place of his fathers' graves, lay in ruins — for a place of ancestral graves was precious and holy in the eyes of the Persians.
Then the king said to me: ‘For what do you make request?’ So I prayed to the God of heaven.
verse value 2416
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 41 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִי֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "for·what·this" (עַל־מַה־זֶּ֖ה, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "for·what·this" (עַל־מַה־זֶּ֖ה), "seeking" (מְבַקֵּ֑שׁ), "and·I·prayed" (וָֽאֶתְפַּלֵּ֔ל). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·he·said" (root אמר, 66x in Nehemiah); "to·the·God·of" (root אלהים, 62x in Nehemiah); "the·king" (root מלך, 43x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root מה ("for·what·this") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root בקש ("seeking") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'seeking', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֤אמֶר [and·he·said] (257) + לִי֙ [to·me] (40) + הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ [the·king] (95) + עַל־מַה־זֶּ֖ה [for·what·this] (157) + אַתָּ֣ה [you] (406) + מְבַקֵּ֑שׁ [seeking] (442) + וָֽאֶתְפַּלֵּ֔ל [and·I·prayed] (547) + אֶל־אֱלֹהֵ֖י [to·the·God·of] (77) + הַשָּׁמָֽיִם [the·heaven] (395) = 2416.
Rashi
For what do you make request What do you request of me and I shall do it for you. And I prayed And I said before the king in my prayer, “May it be Your will, O God of the heavens, that You fulfill my petition and my request.”
Ibn Ezra
So I prayed to the God of heaven – meaning, I had already prayed.
Metzudat David
'For what do you make request?' — as if to say: and if you wish it rebuilt, what exactly would you be requesting concerning it, and what is it that you want? 'So I prayed to the God of heaven' — before he answered him, he offered Hashem a brief prayer while standing before the king; and the prayer was that He draw favor toward him in the king's eyes.
Malbim
Questions: (4) In stating 'so I prayed' — how did he pray while standing before the king, and why did he not record the wording of the prayer? 'For what' — meaning, what exactly do you request: to rebuild only the graves, or the whole city? And whether I should merely command it built, or you yourself would be the builder. 'So I prayed' — meaning, within the very answer he gave the king, his heart was speaking to Hashem in the manner of prayer; for when he said [below], 'if it please the king,' in his heart he meant the King above all kings, praying that the matter find favor in His eyes and that the work of his hands be accepted — only in speech did he address it to the king.
And I said to the king: ‘If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you would send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.’
verse value 3890
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 71 letters. The shortest word is "good" (ט֔וֹב, 3 letters) and the longest is "if·upon·the·king" (אִם־עַל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "and·if·it·is·good" (וְאִם־יִיטַ֥ב), "you·send·me" (תִּשְׁלָחֵ֣נִי), "to·city·of" (אֶל־עִ֛יר). The root מלך appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·said" (root אמר, 66x in Nehemiah); "that" (root אשר, 66x in Nehemiah); "to·the·king" (root מלך, 43x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root טוב ("good") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root שלח ("you·send·me") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'before·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 7 words. Full calculation: וָאֹמַ֣ר [and·I·said] (247) + לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ [to·the·king] (120) + אִם־עַל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ [if·upon·the·king] (236) + ט֔וֹב [good] (17) + וְאִם־יִיטַ֥ב [and·if·it·is·good] (78) + עַבְדְּךָ֖ [your·servant] (96) + לְפָנֶ֑יךָ [before·you] (190) + אֲשֶׁ֧ר [that] (501) + תִּשְׁלָחֵ֣נִי [you·send·me] (798) + אֶל־יְהוּדָ֗ה [to·Judah] (61) + אֶל־עִ֛יר [to·city·of] (311) + קִבְר֥וֹת [graves·of] (708) + אֲבֹתַ֖י [my·fathers] (413) + וְאֶבְנֶֽנָּה [and·I·will·build·it] (114) = 3890.
Rashi
that you send me that you grant me permission to ascend to Jerusalem and build it.
Metzudat David
'If it please the king' — meaning, if the king desires this. 'And if your servant has found favor in your sight' — if I am good, accepted, and beloved in your eyes. 'That you would send me' — meaning, my request and petition is that you grant me permission to go to the province of Judah, etc. 'That I may build it' — I will rebuild it.
Malbim
'If' — meaning: if the matter itself is good in his eyes, to rebuild the ruined city; and if Your servant will find favor, to be the emissary for it. And so it says, 'if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you would send me,' and 'if it please the king ... that I may build it.'
And the king said to me, the queen also sitting by him: ‘For how long shall your journey be? and when will you return?’ So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.
verse value 4725
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 77 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (ל֖וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִ֨י, 2 letters) and the longest is "before·the·king" (לִפְנֵֽי־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙, 8 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "and·the·queen" (וְהַשֵּׁגַ֣ל), "sitting" (יוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת), "until·when" (עַד־מָתַ֛י). The root מתי appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·he·said" (root אמר, 66x in Nehemiah); "will·be" (root היה, 48x in Nehemiah); "and·I·gave" (root נתן, 45x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root אצל ("beside·him") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root לו ("to·him") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·will·return', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 6 words.
Rashi
And the king said to me At the time the king spoke to me, his wife, the queen, was sitting beside him. and the queen Heb. וְהַשֵּׁגָל, his wife the queen, as it is stated (Dan. 5:2): “...his queen (שֵּׁגְלָתֵהּ) and his concubine,” for it is customary for Scripture to write “the queen,” next to “the concubine”; his wives and his concubines, like (Song 6:9): “מְלָכוֹת וּפִּילַגְשִּׁים, queens and concubines. “ How long will your trip take When is it your intention to return? and when will you return? When is it your intention to return? and he sent me He gave me permission to go. and I gave him a time I gave him a time of return.
Ibn Ezra
the queen (hashegal) – from the same root as 'tishgalenah'; she is called this because she is the one made ready to attend to the king's bidding.
Ralbag
'The queen also sitting by him' — she was his wife, especially designated for him for marital relations.
Metzudat David
'The queen also sitting by him' — the queen was sitting beside him at the time. 'For how long shall your journey be? and when will you return?' — how much time will the journey take — that is, to go, remain there, and come back here; and for further clarity he added, 'and when will you return?' 'So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time' — my request found favor with him, and he granted me permission to go; and I fixed for him a time when I would return.
Metzudat Zion
The queen — the queen set apart for him for the marriage bed.
Malbim
Questions: (6) Should it not have said, 'and I set him a time, and he sent me'? 'And the king said' — its sense is that the king and the queen sitting beside him both said [this] to him, similar to 'And Abimelech and Phicol, the captain of his host, spoke.' And according to our Sages, this king was Darius, son of Esther; so it may be said that this queen was Esther his mother, who was quick with this question — thereby already signaling her agreement to the matter — out of her love for her people and her birthplace. 'For how long' — meaning, when will you go, and when will you return. 'So it pleased' — but even before Nehemiah had settled on fixing the time, the matter had already found favor before the king, to send me — meaning, he granted me permission to go. And afterward, 'and I set him a time' — which is the answer to the king's question about the length of his journey and his return.
Moreover I said to the king: ‘If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the River, that they may let me pass through till I come to Judah;
verse value 4379
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 72 letters. The shortest word is "until" (עַ֥ד, 2 letters) and the longest is "if·upon·the·king" (אִם־עַל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "let·them·give·to·me" (יִתְּנוּ־לִ֔י), "to·governors·of" (עַֽל־פַּחֲו֖וֹת), "they·may·let·me·pass" (יַעֲבִיר֔וּנִי). The root מלך appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·said" (root אמר, 66x in Nehemiah); "that" (root אשר, 66x in Nehemiah); "that·I·come" (root בוא, 47x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root אגרת ("letters") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root פחה ("to·governors·of") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·River', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 5 words. Full calculation: וָאוֹמַר֮ [and·I·said] (253) + לַמֶּ֒לֶךְ֒ [to·the·king] (120) + אִם־עַל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ [if·upon·the·king] (236) + ט֔וֹב [good] (17) + אִגְּרוֹת֙ [letters] (610) + יִתְּנוּ־לִ֔י [let·them·give·to·me] (506) + עַֽל־פַּחֲו֖וֹת [to·governors·of] (600) + עֵ֣בֶר [beyond] (272) + הַנָּהָ֑ר [the·River] (260) + אֲשֶׁר֙ [that] (501) + יַעֲבִיר֔וּנִי [they·may·let·me·pass] (358) + עַ֥ד [until] (74) + אֲשֶׁר־אָב֖וֹא [that·I·come] (511) + אֶל־יְהוּדָֽה [to·Judah] (61) = 4379.
Rashi
may letters be given to me [Let] your scribes [give me letters] by your sanction and your knowledge, sealed with your signet to the governors of the land beyond the river, on the side of the land of Israel. that they escort me through and escort me in peace. until I come to Jerusalem, which is in the province of Judea.
Ibn Ezra
the governors (pachavot) – this is the full form; elsewhere, 'pachot' lacks its final root letter.
Ralbag
'That they may let me pass through till I come to Judah' — he asked for this because there were adversaries of Judah and Benjamin in that region; he therefore asked that the governors be commanded by the king to let him pass through their territory as he traveled, so as to protect him from every enemy and ambush.
Metzudat David
'Let letters be given me to the governors beyond the River' — the king's scribes would give me letters, by your authority, addressed to the governors beyond the River. 'That they may let me pass through' — that they would let me pass, with an escort of men to guard me along the way.
Malbim
Questions: (7) What is meant by 'that they may let me pass through'? And who would let him pass through until he arrived at the governors? 'Let letters be given me' — the king's scribes would issue these letters to me in the king's name, letters that would let me pass through with an escort of troops and horsemen for protection; for the king assigned him captains of the army as far as beyond the River (verse 9).
and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s park, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the castle which appertains to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into.’ And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
verse value 8984
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 111 letters. The shortest word is "keeper·of" (שֹׁמֵ֨ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "that·to·the·house" (אֲשֶׁר־לַבַּ֙יִת֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: that, that. 11 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "to·Asaph" (אֶל־אָסָף֩), "the·park" (הַפַּרְדֵּ֜ס), "he·may·give·to·me" (יִתֶּן־לִ֣י). The root אשר appears 2 times in this verse. 19 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 66x in Nehemiah); "that·to·the·house" (root בית, 60x in Nehemiah); "that·I·come" (root בוא, 47x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root אסף ("to·Asaph") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root עץ ("timber") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·it', dividing the verse into phrases of 18 and 5 words.
Rashi
And a letter to Asaph and that you send a letter to Asaph. the guardian of the king’s orchard He was appointed over the king’s forests. to make beams This is the intensive conjugation: to make ceilings and beams for the gates of the castles of the Temple Mount, for they had built the Temple as it should be built, but the gates of the walls of the Temple Mount and the wall for the court surrounding the Temple had not yet been built. and for the wall of the city and to make beams for the wall of the city. and for the house to which I shall go and to make a house in which I shall dwell for my needs. and the king gave me all I asked him for. according to the good hand according to the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, which was good upon me, to cause me to succeed.
Ibn Ezra
to make beams (likrot) – from the same root as 'the beams of our houses.' and for the house that I shall enter into – this is the king's house; he specifies 'the house that I shall enter' because the house adjoining the city wall is the Temple.
Ralbag
'To make beams for the gates of the castle which appertains to the house' — meaning, to the Temple; and it appears that what is called 'the gates of the castle' is the hall situated in front of the gate. 'And for the wall of the city' — meaning, whatever timber would be needed for the wall of the city, to roof over its gates.
Metzudat David
'And a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king's park' — they would also give me a letter to Asaph, keeper of the park, etc.; he was the official in charge of the forest's timber. 'To make beams' — to construct roof-beams for the gates of the Temple Mount that encircles the Temple. 'And for the wall of the city' — timber needed for building the wall. 'And for the house that I shall enter into' — meaning, the house built for my use, for me to come to and dwell in. 'And the king granted me' — he ordered that the letters be given to me. 'According to the good hand of my God upon me' — just as the hand of my God was good upon me, granting me favor in the eyes of the king.
Metzudat Zion
Park — this is a garden of fruit trees, as in 'gardens and parks' (Ecclesiastes 2). Beams — from the word 'roof-beam' [tikrah]. Castle — the Temple is called thus, as it says, 'the castle is not for man' (1 Chronicles 29).
Malbim
'Keeper of the king's park' — he was appointed over the king's forests of Lebanon. 'To make beams' — an infinitive of the intensive conjugation — that is, to make beams for the gates of the castle, which are the gates of the Temple Mount, since only the Temple building itself had been built so far. 'And for the house that I shall enter into' — for the king would build a residence in every province where its governor resided, and that residence belonged to the king; that is why he did not say 'for my house.'
Then I came to the governors beyond the River, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent with me captains of the army and horsemen.
verse value 4485
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 62 letters. Verse gematria: 4485 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "beyond" (עֵ֣בֶר, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·governors·of" (אֶֽל־פַּֽחֲווֹת֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 95: the·king, the·king. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "to·governors·of" (אֶֽל־פַּֽחֲווֹת֙), "and·horsemen" (וּפָרָשִֽׁים). The root מלך appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·them" (root הם, 67x in Nehemiah); "and·I·came" (root בוא, 47x in Nehemiah); "with·me" (root עם, 47x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root שר ("captains·of") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root חיל ("army") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·king', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 6 words.
Rashi
and I gave them the king’s letters in order that they escort me in peace. officers of the army and horsemen the king sent with me [officers] in my honor, in order that I go in peace.
Metzudat David
'Now the king had sent with me' — he had already dispatched them with me from the moment I set out; or perhaps the [various] governors sent [escorts] with him at the king's word, which is accounted as though the king himself had sent them. 'Captains of the army and horsemen' — for his honor, and to guard him along the way.
Malbim
'Now the king had sent...' — this explains who protected him until he reached the governors: that up to that point he had captains of the army whom the king had sent with him. For from his request that letters be given him for the governors, so that they would let him pass onward from that point, it is understood that he had asked that up to that point he be guarded by the king's army.
And when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly, because there had come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
verse value 3458
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 69 letters. Verse gematria: 3458 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·them" (לָהֶ֖ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·Tobiah" (וְטֽוֹבִיָּה֙, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "that·came" (אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֣א), "to·seek" (לְבַקֵּ֥שׁ). 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·sons" (root בן, 200x in Nehemiah); "to·them" (root הם, 67x in Nehemiah); "that·came" (root בוא, 47x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root סנבלט ("Sanballat") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root חרני ("the·Horonite") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'great', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 6 words.
Rashi
Now Sanballat etc., heard When they heard that I had come to request good for Israel and to build the walls of Jerusalem it displeased them greatly, for they were the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin.
Metzudat David
'And when Sanballat...heard of it' — [namely] what I had requested from the king regarding the rebuilding of the city. 'It grieved them exceedingly' — it was displeasing in their eyes. 'Because there had come a man, etc.' — for they were adversaries of Judah and Benjamin.
Verse structure: 5 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "days" (יָמִ֥ים, 4 letters) and the longest is "to·Jerusalem" (אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "to·Jerusalem" (אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם), "and·I·was·there" (וָאֱהִי־שָׁ֖ם), "three" (שְׁלֹשָֽׁה). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "days" (root יום, 61x in Nehemiah); "and·I·was·there" (root היה, 48x in Nehemiah); "and·I·came" (root בוא, 47x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root שלוש ("three") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·Jerusalem', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: וָאָב֖וֹא [and·I·came] (16) + אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם [to·Jerusalem] (617) + וָאֱהִי־שָׁ֖ם [and·I·was·there] (362) + יָמִ֥ים [days] (100) + שְׁלֹשָֽׁה [three] (635) = 1730.
Rashi
and I was there for three days I was in Jerusalem for three days, and at the end of three days, I and a few men with me arose at night, and I did not tell any person what the Holy One, blessed be He, had put into my heart.
And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither did I tell any man what my God put into my heart to do for Jerusalem; neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.
verse value 4713
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 93 letters. The shortest word is "what" (מָ֗ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·not·I·told" (וְלֹא־הִגַּ֣דְתִּי, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 120: with·me, with·me. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "and·not·I·told" (וְלֹא־הִגַּ֣דְתִּי), "to·man" (לְאָדָ֔ם), "and·beast" (וּבְהֵמָה֙). The root אני appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 66x in Nehemiah); "my·God" (root אלהים, 62x in Nehemiah); "to·do" (root עשה, 55x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root קום ("and·I·arose") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root מעט ("few") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·Jerusalem', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 9 words.
Rashi
and there were no animals with me The few men who were with me went by foot and I alone rode on an animal. They did not ride their horses because they wanted to leave the city in secret, without anyone knowing. They went to break and cast down the walls of the city at night and to increase their breaches in order that on the morrow, the people of the city would be eager and agree unanimously with Nehemiah to build the walls of the city. So it appears from the text.
Ibn Ezra
the beast that I rode upon (rochev bah) – upon that very beast, and no other.
Metzudat David
'What my God put into my heart to do for Jerusalem' — what Hashem was stirring in my heart to do for Jerusalem's benefit. 'Neither was there any beast with me' — meaning, apart from the [few] men who walked with me [there was no accompanying animal].
Metzudat Zion
That I rode upon [lit. 'rode in it'] — [means] that I rode upon it; similarly, 'it shall be given upon him [lit. in him]' (Exodus 21), meaning upon him.
Malbim
Questions: (12-18) Why did he not tell anyone what he intended to do? And why did he examine the wall at night? And why did he go out by the valley gate and return there? And why did he not tell the rulers where he had gone? For all of these are sealed riddles — did he not, immediately afterward, tell them what he intended to do, as stated in verse 18? 'And I arose in the night' — he did not yet want to reveal that he intended to build the wall, so that the enemies would not immediately move to oppose it, as they indeed later attempted. Therefore he went at night, and with only a few men, and they went on foot so there would be no noise as they went.
And I went out by night by the valley gate, even toward the dragon’s well, and to the dung gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and its gates were consumed with fire.
verse value 6944
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 92 letters. The shortest word is "spring" (עֵ֣ין, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·gate·the·valley" (בְשַֽׁעַר־הַגַּ֜יְא, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 591: in·gate·the·valley, and·her·gates. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "and·I·went·out" (וָאֵצְאָ֨ה), "in·gate·the·valley" (בְשַֽׁעַר־הַגַּ֜יְא), "and·to·face" (וְאֶל־פְּנֵי֙). The root שער appears 3 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that·they" (root הם, 67x in Nehemiah); "and·I·was" (root היה, 48x in Nehemiah); "in·gate·the·valley" (root שער, 41x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root יצא ("and·I·went·out") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root אשפת ("the·dung·heaps") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·dung·heaps', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 10 words.
Rashi
And I went out through the Gate of the Valley I went out through that gate at night with the men who were with me toward En Hattannin and the Dung Gate in the wall of the city; and I broke the wall, and the wall was easily cast down and broken because it had been burned with fire. which were breached which are those places that were breached, and they breached them more.
Ibn Ezra
and viewed (va'ehi shover) – from the same root as the Aramaic 'and he shall think to change,' and from the language of our Sages of blessed memory, 'sevara' (reasoned analysis). The meaning: I was considering and examining the walls. which were broken down (hamforatzim) – in the manner of 'what is this in your hand … their king … you crush My people,' but the transmitters of the [Masoretic] tradition separated the words to abbreviate them, and explained the open mem as alluding to the walls being open and breached – this is a homiletical approach (derash); the first explanation is, in my view, correct.
Ralbag
'And I went out by night by the valley gate,' etc. — it appears that there was a gate in the wall through which one would go out to the Valley of Ben-Hinnom, and that gate was called 'the valley gate.' 'The dung gate' was the gate through which the refuse was taken out of the city; there were dumping grounds outside the city where they would put the refuse. Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah passed by there at night in order to gauge — if the work of building the wall and setting up its gates would be great — how it would be possible for him to build it; he therefore went around the entire wall of Jerusalem until he returned to the valley gate from which he had set out. 'And I viewed the walls of Jerusalem,' etc. — meaning, I was pondering the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and its gates, which had been consumed by fire, considering how heavy the work would be to build the wall and set up its gates.
Metzudat David
'Even toward the dragon's well' — I went toward the dragon's well, which is the name of a place. 'And viewed the walls of Jerusalem' [lit. 'and I was breaking'] — his intention was that the people of Jerusalem should think it was the enemy breaking down the wall, so that their hearts would be stirred to rebuild and strengthen it. 'Which were broken down' — meaning, since there were already many breaches in it, and the gates had been burned with fire, it was easy and simple to add further breaches.
Metzudat Zion
Consumed — burned.
Malbim
'And I went out by the valley gate' — that is where Nehemiah's residence was. This is made clear from what is stated below (12): that of the two thanksgiving choirs, one went to the right, to the dung gate (there, verse 31), and the other to the left, to the tower of the furnaces (there, verse 38); it is evident that both went out from the valley gate, which is between the tower of the furnaces and the dung gate (below 3:11, 14), and that they went out from there because the governor's residence was there. The valley gate was in the west; he went out from his house heading south, and passed a place called the dragon's well, on to the dung gate, which is a thousand cubits away (3:13). 'And viewed [the walls]' — it appears he wanted to test whether the old wall that remained standing was sound, so that they would not need to tear it down but only fill in the breached places, as it says (4:1), 'for the breaches had begun to be closed up,' which implies that wherever there was no breach, they left the old wall standing. So he tested whether he could break through the spot at hand, or whether it was solid. Ibn Ezra's version spells the word with a sin rather than a shin, and explains it in the sense of 'sevarah' [reasoning, careful inspection] — that he examined the wall; this fits well with my own interpretation.
Then I went on to the fountain gate and to the king’s pool; but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.
verse value 3224
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 46 letters. Verse gematria: 3224 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "the·fountain" (הָעַ֔יִן, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·no·place" (וְאֵין־מָק֥וֹם, 8 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "and·I·passed" (וָאֶֽעֱבֹר֙), "to·gate" (אֶל־שַׁ֣עַר), "and·to·pool" (וְאֶל־בְּרֵכַ֖ת). The root עבר appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 43x in Nehemiah); "to·gate" (root שער, 41x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root ברכה ("and·to·pool") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·king', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: וָאֶֽעֱבֹר֙ [and·I·passed] (279) + אֶל־שַׁ֣עַר [to·gate] (601) + הָעַ֔יִן [the·fountain] (135) + וְאֶל־בְּרֵכַ֖ת [and·to·pool] (659) + הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ [the·king] (95) + וְאֵין־מָק֥וֹם [and·no·place] (253) + לַבְּהֵמָ֖ה [to·the·beast] (82) + לַעֲבֹ֥ר [to·pass] (302) + תַּחְתָּֽי [under·me] (818) = 3224.
Rashi
And I passed to the Fountain Gate And I wished to pass to those places in the wall of the city and in those breaches, and there was no place in those breaches for riders on animals to pass through because they were so small.
Ibn Ezra
for the beast that was under me to pass (la'avor tachtai) – the word order is inverted; the meaning is: there was no room for the beast under me to pass through.
Ralbag
'Then I went on to the fountain gate and to the king's pool' — meaning, he passed on to the gate through which one would go out to the spring to draw water, and to the gate of the king's pool, where there was a pool from which they watered the king's horses, and from which water was also drawn for the king; or perhaps that pool was used to water the garden of Solomon the king. 'But there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass' — meaning, the ground had become so ruined that the animal could not pass through unless he got down [and walked].
Metzudat David
'But there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass' — there was no clear space to pass through there, because it was full of heaps of stones from the wall. The verse's word order is inverted, as if it read: 'there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.'
Metzudat Zion
Pool — an expression for a gathering of water, as in 'the conduit of the pool' (Isaiah 7).
Malbim
'Then I went on to the fountain gate and to the king's pool' — this was along the route heading south (below 3:15). 'But there was no place' — he could not ride there because the breaches were narrow, so he got down off the animal and went on foot.
Then I went up in the night in the valley, and viewed the wall; and I turned back, and entered by the valley gate, and so returned.
verse value 2114
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 50 letters. The shortest word is "going·up" (עֹלֶ֤ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·the·wall" (בַּחוֹמָ֑ה, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 315: and·I·returned, and·I·returned. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "going·up" (עֹלֶ֤ה), "in·the·torrent" (בַנַּ֙חַל֙). The root היה appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·was" (root היה, 48x in Nehemiah); "and·I·entered" (root בוא, 47x in Nehemiah); "in·gate" (root שער, 41x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root עלה ("going·up") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root גיא ("the·valley") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·wall', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: וָאֱהִ֨י [and·I·was] (22) + עֹלֶ֤ה [going·up] (105) + בַנַּ֙חַל֙ [in·the·torrent] (90) + לַ֔יְלָה [night] (75) + וָאֱהִ֥י [and·I·was] (22) + שֹׂבֵ֖ר [viewing] (502) + בַּחוֹמָ֑ה [in·the·wall] (61) + וָאָשׁ֗וּב [and·I·returned] (315) + וָאָב֛וֹא [and·I·entered] (16) + בְּשַׁ֥עַר [in·gate] (572) + הַגַּ֖יְא [the·valley] (19) + וָאָשֽׁוּב [and·I·returned] (315) = 2114.
Rashi
And I ascended And I was ascending from one side at night, and I was breaking the wall with the men who were with me. and I returned and came And when I returned, I came by way of the Gate of the Valley.
Ralbag
'Then I went up in the night in the valley' — meaning, along the level ground next to the wall; and there I pondered and examined the wall, [to see] whether it had great breaches in it, so that I could determine how heavy the work on the wall would be.
Metzudat David
'Then I went up in the night in the valley, and viewed the wall' [lit. 'and I was breaking'] — for this reason I went on from there to go up through the valley, and there I broke through the wall [further]. 'And I turned back, and entered by the valley gate, and so returned' — I returned home by way of the valley gate.
Metzudat Zion
In the valley — in the ravine; and it says 'went up' because there was a hill before the valley.
Malbim
'Then I went up in the night in the valley' — all this was heading south; and it says 'I went up,' as stated there [3:15], '[the stairs] that go down from the City of David.' 'And I turned back' — from there he began to head back, by the way he had come, from south to north, until he reached the valley gate, from which he had originally set out. 'And so returned' — and from there, [after entering by the valley gate,] he returned to his house.
And the rulers did not know where I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.
verse value 3787
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 83 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֤א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·to·the·Jews" (וְלַיְּהוּדִ֨ים, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 375: doing, doing. 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "where?" (אָ֣נָה), "I·went" (הָלַ֔כְתִּי), "and·what" (וּמָ֖ה). The root סגן appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "doing" (root עשה, 55x in Nehemiah); "and·to·the·priests" (root כהן, 44x in Nehemiah); "not" (root לא, 38x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root סגן ("and·the·rulers") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root לא ("not") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'doing', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 10 words.
Rashi
And the prefects who were in the city did not know where I had gone to and what I had done. yet Heb. עַד כֵּן, until now.
Ibn Ezra
as yet (ad ken) – meaning: until I had done this, I had not told them.
Metzudat David
'And the rulers' — these are the officials of Jerusalem [itself]. 'Nor to the rulers' — those from the [other] cities of Judah. 'Nor to the rest that did the work' — these are the leaders of the people, who oversaw the people's work in every matter. 'Neither had I as yet told it' — meaning, I did not tell them until matters had unfolded as I had planned; for once his plan was fulfilled and they built the wall — seeing how numerous the breaches were — he no longer concealed, from that point on, that he himself had been the one making the breaches.
Metzudat Zion
The rulers — this is a type of office/authority. The nobles — thus are the great officials called; it is an expression of 'white' [chivvur], the opposite of the lowly, who are called 'the dark ones,' as it says, 'let him not stand before the obscure' (Proverbs 20:2).
Malbim
'And the rulers' — who sensed that he was not in his house, but did not know where he had gone or what he was doing, because he had not told them at all for what purpose he had come to Jerusalem. And so it says, 'to the Jews...' etc., 'as yet' — meaning, until that day I had not told anyone about the rebuilding of Jerusalem; only now did he begin to tell them.
Then I said to them: ‘You see the evil case that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire; come and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.’
verse value 6756
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 90 letters. The shortest word is "in·her" (בָ֔הּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·not·we·will·be" (וְלֹא־נִהְיֶ֥ה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 586: Jerusalem, Jerusalem. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "to·them" (אֲלֵהֶ֗ם), "seeing" (רֹאִים֙), "the·evil" (הָרָעָה֙). The root אשר appears 2 times in this verse. 19 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·said" (root אמר, 66x in Nehemiah); "that" (root אשר, 66x in Nehemiah); "and·not·we·will·be" (root היה, 48x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root ראה ("seeing") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root אנחנו ("we") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·fire', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 7 words.
Rashi
And I said to them On the morrow I said to them. and we shall no longer be a reproach that our adversaries should not plunder and pillage us.
Metzudat David
'And its gates are burned with fire' — and it was a simple matter to add more breaches; anyone who wanted to could break through the wall. 'That we be no more a reproach' — it is a disgrace that anyone passing by can break through and breach the wall.
Metzudat Zion
Burned — an expression of kindling and burning.
Malbim
'Then I said to them: You see the evil case that we are in' — meaning, our being in a bad state because of the enemies of Judah is because Jerusalem lies in ruins, with no fortress to take refuge in against the enemy. Therefore, 'come and let us build,' and we will no longer be a reproach, for we will have a fortress.
And I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. And they said: ‘Let us rise up and build.’ So they strengthened their hands for the good work.
verse value 3230
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 80 letters. The shortest word is "to·them" (לָהֶ֜ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·also·words" (וְאַף־דִּבְרֵ֥י, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "and·I·told" (וָאַגִּ֨יד), "hand" (אֶת־יַ֣ד), "that·it" (אֲשֶׁר־הִיא֙). The root יד appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·them" (root הם, 67x in Nehemiah); "that" (root אשר, 66x in Nehemiah); "he·said·to·me" (root אמר, 66x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root היא ("that·it") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he·said·to·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 6 words.
Rashi
the hand of my God who gave me favor and success before the king. for good They intended everything for good—to build the wall of the city and its towers.
Ibn Ezra
So they strengthened their hands for the good work – because of the well-known favor the king was showing me, they strengthened their hands and their hearts.
Metzudat David
'Which was good upon me' — which had won me favor in the eyes of the king. 'As also of the king's words that he had spoken to me' — for he had spoken good and comforting words to him, even though they are not recorded explicitly. 'And build [uvninu]' — equivalent to 'venivneh,' we shall build. 'So they strengthened their hands' — they strengthened their own resolve to do what was good and right, namely, the building of the wall.
But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said: ‘What is this thing that you do? will you rebel against the king?’
verse value 5021
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 98 letters. Notable word values: "to·us" (לָ֔נוּ) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "to·us" (לָ֔נוּ, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·Ammonite" (הָֽעַמּוֹנִ֗י, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 441: you, you. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "and·Tobiah" (וְטֹבִיָּ֣ה), "the·Ammonite" (הָֽעַמּוֹנִ֗י), "and·they·mocked" (וַיַּלְעִ֣גוּ). The root על appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·said" (root אמר, 66x in Nehemiah); "that" (root אשר, 66x in Nehemiah); "doing" (root עשה, 55x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root גשם ("and·Geshem") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root לנו ("to·us") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·us', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 10 words.
Rashi
and they mocked When our adversaries heard the news of the building of the walls of the city, they mocked us. are...against the king Are you rebelling against the king by building the wall of the city in order to rebel against him?
Ralbag
'Will you rebel against the king?' — meaning, do you imagine that you are rebelling against the king, and is that why you are fortifying the city, so that he will not be able to rule over you? Now from Nehemiah's answer to them it becomes clear that they had actually been asking to help in this building, as they had indicated earlier — just as Zerubbabel had answered them at that time (Ezra 4:3), 'You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God.' So too Nehemiah answered them, 'But you have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem' — meaning, they would not be allowed to help in that building in any way that would give them a share in Jerusalem; nor would they be permitted to give of their wealth to help with it in a way that would be counted to them as righteousness; nor would they be allowed to consecrate any dedication there that would leave them a memorial in Jerusalem. It is possible that these were, in fact, the only words they had said to Nehemiah. And in answer to their mockery of him, he told them, explaining that Hashem, exalted be He, would make their ways succeed, for they were His servants, and that is why they were rising up to build, relying on the God of heaven, who is Master of all, to remove every obstacle from before them. It is as though by this statement he was explaining that Sanballat, Tobiah, and their companions were not servants of Hashem, exalted be He, as they imagined themselves to be — for they worship idols alongside their service of Hashem, exalted be He. That is why he told them that they were displaying the wickedness of their hearts against Hashem, exalted be He, for they were constantly disrupting the work — as though they had removed themselves from having any portion, right, or memorial in Jerusalem.
Metzudat David
'They laughed us to scorn' — they mocked us. 'And despised us' — they spoke about us with words of contempt and scorn. 'Will you rebel against the king, etc.' — do you intend to rebel against the king by building this wall, to fortify yourselves within the city's stronghold?
Malbim
'Will you rebel against the king?' — for there had already been a decree from Cyrus to halt this building project [Ezra 4:21], and a document written in the king's name cannot be revoked; only there it was written [in the Aramaic], 'that it not be rebuilt until a decree is issued by me' — meaning the king could reverse it by granting permission, and they now had that permission. This is what he answered them.
Then I answered them, and said to them: ‘The God of heaven, He will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build; but you have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.’
verse value 3897
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 89 letters. Notable word values: "to·us" (לָ֔נוּ) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "word" (דָּבָ֗ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·Jerusalem" (בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "He·will·prosper" (יַצְלִ֣יחַֽ), "His·servants" (עֲבָדָ֖יו), "there·is·no·portion" (אֵֽין־חֵ֧לֶק). 19 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·them" (root הם, 67x in Nehemiah); "and·I·said" (root אמר, 66x in Nehemiah); "the·God·of" (root אלהים, 62x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root לכם ("but·to·you") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root חלק ("there·is·no·portion") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·we·will·build', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 5 words.
Rashi
but you have no share What do you have in the building of the wall of this city, for you have no share in it.
Ibn Ezra
you have no portion, nor right (ein chelek u-tzedakah) – you are not worthy to perform a righteous deed in building His house, so as to be remembered before Him.
Metzudat David
'He will prosper us' — as if to say: even if you slander us to the king, telling him things like this, your words will not succeed in stopping the work, for Hashem will prosper us. 'Therefore we His servants [will arise and build]' — because we are servants of Hashem, keepers of His commandments, therefore we will arise and build, and He will help us so that your words will not enter the king's ears. 'But you [have no portion]' — as if to say: even if this matter displeases you, what have you to do with Jerusalem? Indeed you have no portion in it. 'Nor right' [tzedakah] — meaning, the righteous kindness done for Jerusalem in that Israel returned to it was done at the king's command, and is reckoned to him as an act of righteousness and a good remembrance in Jerusalem; but as for you, what connection do you have with us? You have no portion, no right, and no good remembrance in Jerusalem.
Malbim
'Then I answered them, and said to them' — meaning: he first answered them that it was by the king's permission, and only afterward did he say to them what follows. 'The God of heaven' — that is, we have a portion in Jerusalem, which is the inheritance of our fathers. And a memorial — for the God of heaven will make us prosper, and the work of our hands will remain as a memorial and as a merit, since we are His servants and we build for Hashem's name; therefore, 'we will arise and build.' But you have no portion, for you are foreigners; and no merit, for you do not serve Hashem; and no memorial from your deeds, for Hashem will not make you prosper.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Ralbag
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim