NehemjaKapitel 2

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In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and handed it to the king. I had never been downcast in his presence before,

so the king said to me, "Why does your face look so sad, when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart." Then I was very much afraid,

and I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been consumed by fire?"

The king said to me, "What is it you want?" So I prayed to the God of heaven,

and then answered the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah, to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I may rebuild it."

Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, "How long will your journey take, and when will you return?" It pleased the king to send me, and I set him a time.

I also said to the king, "If it pleases the king, let letters be given me for the governors of the province Beyond the River, so that they will grant me passage until I reach Judah;

and a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I will occupy." And the king granted my requests, for the gracious hand of my God was upon me.

So I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River and gave them the king's letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.

When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of this, they were deeply disturbed that someone had come to seek the welfare of the Israelites.

I came to Jerusalem, and after I had been there three days,

I set out at night with a few men. I had told no one what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me except the one I was riding.

By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Dragon Spring and the Dung Gate, inspecting the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been consumed by fire.

Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was no room for my mount to get through.

So I went up the valley by night, inspecting the wall. Then I turned back and came in again through the Valley Gate, and so returned.

The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for as yet I had said nothing to the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or any of the others who would be doing the work.

Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be a disgrace."

I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been upon me, and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they set their hands to the good work.

But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. "What is this you are doing?" they said. "Are you rebelling against the king?"

I answered them, "The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share, no claim, and no historic right in Jerusalem."

Uppslag

Sammanfattning2

Kapitel 2

Main Theme: Nehemiah receives permission from King Artaxerxes to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and mobilizes the people for the work.

Content: Nehemiah, who serves as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, shares his grief over the destruction of Jerusalem. After praying to God, he obtains the king’s permission, letters, and resources for the journey. In Jerusalem, he inspects the walls at night, then gathers the people and tells them about God’s gracious hand and the king’s support. The people respond with a willingness to build but face opposition and mockery from Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem.

Key Words/Images:

God’s gracious hand: Nehemiah attributes the king’s goodwill to God’s guidance and care (vv. 8, 18).
Nighttime inspection: Nehemiah secretly examines the condition of the walls before taking action.
"Let us build": The people’s unified response to Nehemiah’s challenge demonstrates the power of community.
Opposition: Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem represent external hostility toward God’s people and their work.

Historisk kontext

Historical and Cultural Context for Nehemiah 2

People

Artaxerxes I (Persian Artaxšaça) was the Persian Great King who reigned from 465–424 B.C. His twentieth regnal year (v. 1) corresponds to 445/444 B.C. Artaxerxes is known from Persian inscriptions and Greek historians as a powerful yet relatively tolerant ruler toward his subjects. The fact that Nehemiah could obtain royal favor for such a project aligns with what we know of Persian religious policy, which permitted local cults and traditions.

Sanballat the Horonite is mentioned in verses 10 and 19. His existence is confirmed by the Elephantine papyri from Egypt (ca. 407 B.C.), where he is called "Sinuballit, governor of Samaria." The title "Horonite" may refer to Beth-Horon in Ephraim or to the god Horon. Tobiah is called "the Ammonite servant," indicating that he was a Persian official of Ammonite background. Geshem the Arab (v. 19) was likely the leader of an Arabian tribal confederation; inscriptions from Dedan in Arabia mention a "Geshem/Gasmu" from this period.

Places

Nehemiah’s nighttime inspection (vv. 13–15) provides valuable topographical information about Jerusalem. The Valley Gate (שַׁעַר הַגַּיא) was probably located on the west side of the city and led out toward the Hinnom Valley. The Dragon Spring (עֵין הַתַּנִּין, possibly "Jackal Spring") and the Dung Gate (שַׁעַר הָאַשְׁפֹּת) mark the southern part of the city. The Fountain Gate (שַׁעַר הָעַיִן) and the King’s Pool (בְּרֵכַת הַמֶּלֶךְ) were situated near the Pool of Siloam in the southeast. Archaeological excavations have uncovered remains of city walls from this period, as well as water systems that correspond with these descriptions.

The Royal Park (פַּרְדֵּס, pardes) in verse 8 refers to a royal forest. The word is a loanword from Persian (pairidaeza) and is the origin of our word "paradise." Asaph was the keeper of this royal park, which was probably located in the Lebanon region or near Jerusalem.

Events and Customs

The Cupbearer’s Office was one of the most trusted positions at the Persian court. The cupbearer served the king’s wine and thus had daily, intimate access to the ruler. The fact that Nehemiah "had not looked sad" in the king’s presence before (v. 1) reflects strict court etiquette: showing sorrow or negative emotions in the king’s presence could be perceived as an insult or a threat. Nehemiah’s fear (v. 2) was well-founded—looking sad could be interpreted as dissatisfaction with the king.

The Queen/Concubine (שֵׁגַל, shegal, v. 6) is mentioned as present at this private audience. This Hebrew word is rarely used and may indicate either the chief wife or a favored concubine. Her presence suggests an informal setting and possibly that she supported Nehemiah’s cause.

Key Terms

The expression "God of heaven" (אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם, vv. 4, 20) was a common Jewish designation for Yahweh during the Persian period, especially in communication with non-Jews. This title also appears in Persian administrative documents from the period, including Cyrus’s edict.

"The graves of my fathers" (קִבְרוֹת אֲבֹתַי, vv. 3, 5) was a culturally charged argument. In Persian and general Near Eastern culture, honoring the burial places of one’s ancestors was a sacred duty. By emphasizing this aspect rather than the temple or God’s law, Nehemiah appealed to values that Persians shared and respected.

Personer5

Geshem (the Arab)1 Sanballat (the Horonite)2 Artaxerxes (Persian king)1 Asaph1 Tobiah2

Alla personer →

Nyckelord8

Nehemiah — A Jewish leader who helped rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and organize the people after the exile in Babylon.
Artaxerxes — The Persian king who allowed Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and its defenses.
Jerusalem — The capital of Israel, a holy place for the Jews, where the temple was built and where Nehemiah worked on the rebuilding.
Walls — Structures built around Jerusalem to protect the city and its inhabitants from hostile attacks.
Sanballat — A Samaritan leader who opposed the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls and tried to hinder Nehemiah's work.
Tobiah — An Ammonite official who also opposed the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls and cooperated with Sanballat.
The hand of God — An expression referring to God's guidance, protection, and strength in the work of rebuilding Jerusalem and its defenses.
Prayer — Communication with God where people ask for help or guidance, or give thanks for blessings they have received.