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Nehemiah 2

Neh. 2:20 KJV (With Strong’s)

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Then answered
dabar (Hebrew #1697)
a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
KJV usage: act, advice, affair, answer, X any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, + chronicles, commandment, X commune(-ication), + concern(-ing), + confer, counsel, + dearth, decree, deed, X disease, due, duty, effect, + eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-)ness, + glory, + harm, hurt, + iniquity, + judgment, language, + lying, manner, matter, message, (no) thing, oracle, X ought, X parts, + pertaining, + please, portion, + power, promise, provision, purpose, question, rate, reason, report, request, X (as hast) said, sake, saying, sentence, + sign, + so, some (uncleanness), somewhat to say, + song, speech, X spoken, talk, task, + that, X there done, thing (concerning), thought, + thus, tidings, what(-soever), + wherewith, which, word, work.
Pronounce: daw-baw'
Origin: from 1696
shuwb (Hebrew #7725)
to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again
KJV usage: ((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) X again, (cause to) answer (+ again), X in any case (wise), X at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back), cease, X certainly, come again (back), X consider, + continually, convert, deliver (again), + deny, draw back, fetch home again, X fro, get (oneself) (back) again, X give (again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, X needs, be past, X pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, + say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, X surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw.
Pronounce: shoob
Origin: a primitive root
I them, and said
'amar (Hebrew #559)
to say (used with great latitude)
KJV usage: answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech), utter, X verily, X yet.
Pronounce: aw-mar'
Origin: a primitive root
unto them, The God
'elohiym (Hebrew #430)
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
KJV usage: angels, X exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty.
Pronounce: el-o-heem'
Origin: plural of 433
of heaven
shamayim (Hebrew #8064)
from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve)
KJV usage: air, X astrologer, heaven(-s).
Pronounce: shaw-mah'-yim
Origin: dual of an unused singular shameh {shaw-meh'}
, hel will prosper
tsalach (Hebrew #6743)
a primitive root; to push forward, in various senses (literal or figurative, transitive or intransitive)
KJV usage: break out, come (mightily), go over, be good, be meet, be profitable, (cause to, effect, make to, send) prosper(-ity, -ous, - ously).
Pronounce: tsaw-lakh'
Origin: or tsaleach {tsaw-lay'-akh}
us; therefore we his servants
`ebed (Hebrew #5650)
a servant
KJV usage: X bondage, bondman, (bond-)servant, (man-)servant.
Pronounce: eh'-bed
Origin: from 5647
will arise
quwm (Hebrew #6965)
to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative)
KJV usage: abide, accomplish, X be clearer, confirm, continue, decree, X be dim, endure, X enemy, enjoin, get up, make good, help, hold, (help to) lift up (again), make, X but newly, ordain, perform, pitch, raise (up), rear (up), remain, (a-)rise (up) (again, against), rouse up, set (up), (e-)stablish, (make to) stand (up), stir up, strengthen, succeed, (as-, make) sure(-ly), (be) up(-hold, - rising).
Pronounce: koom
Origin: a primitive root
and build
banah (Hebrew #1129)
to build (literally and figuratively)
KJV usage: (begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make, repair, set (up), X surely.
Pronounce: baw-naw'
Origin: a primitive root
: but yem have no portion
cheleq (Hebrew #2506)
properly, smoothness (of the tongue); also an allotment
KJV usage: flattery, inheritance, part, X partake, portion.
Pronounce: khay'lek
Origin: from 2505
, nor right
tsdaqah (Hebrew #6666)
rightness (abstractly), subjectively (rectitude), objectively (justice), morally (virtue) or figuratively (prosperity)
KJV usage: justice, moderately, right(-eous) (act, -ly, -ness).
Pronounce: tsed-aw-kaw'
Origin: from 6663
, nor memorial
zikrown (Hebrew #2146)
a memento (or memorable thing, day or writing)
KJV usage: memorial, record.
Pronounce: zik-rone'
Origin: from 2142
, in Jerusalem
Yruwshalaim (Hebrew #3389)
a dual (in allusion to its two main hills (the true pointing, at least of the former reading, seems to be that of 3390)); probably from (the passive participle of) 3384 and 7999; founded peaceful; Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine
KJV usage: Jerusalem.
Pronounce: yer-oo-shaw-lah'-im
Origin: rarely Yruwshalayim {yer-oo- shaw-lah'-yim}
n.
l
Psa. 102:13‑14• 13Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favor her, yea, the set time, is come.
 14For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favor the dust thereof. (Psa. 102:13‑14)
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Eccl. 7:18• 18It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all. (Eccl. 7:18)
m
Ezra 4:3• 3But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us. (Ezra 4:3)
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Isa. 56:5• 5Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. (Isa. 56:5)

More on:

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God,
Heaven,
Jerusalem,
Servant

Cross References

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Ministry on This Verse

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The God.
Neh. 2:4• 4Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. (Neh. 2:4)
;
2 Chron. 26:5• 5And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper. (2 Chron. 26:5)
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Psa. 20:5• 5We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the Lord fulfil all thy petitions. (Psa. 20:5)
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Psa. 35:27• 27Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. (Psa. 35:27)
;
Psa. 102:13‑14• 13Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favor her, yea, the set time, is come.
 14For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favor the dust thereof. (Psa. 102:13‑14)
;
Psa. 122:6• 6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. (Psa. 122:6)
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Eccl. 7:18• 18It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all. (Eccl. 7:18)
ye have no.
Ezra 4:3• 3But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us. (Ezra 4:3)
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Acts 8:21• 21Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. (Acts 8:21)
memorial.
Ex. 28:29• 29And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually. (Ex. 28:29)
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Lev. 2:2• 2And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the Lord: (Lev. 2:2)
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Lev. 24:7• 7And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the Lord. (Lev. 24:7)
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Num. 10:10• 10Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the Lord your God. (Num. 10:10)
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Isa. 56:5• 5Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. (Isa. 56:5)
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Zech. 6:14• 14And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of the Lord. (Zech. 6:14)
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Acts 10:4,31• 4And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.
 31And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. (Acts 10:4,31)
When Nehemiah had prayed for the relief of his countrymen, and perhaps in David's words, Ps 51:18, he did not sit still and say, "Let God now do his own work, for I have no more to do;" but set himself to do what he could towards it; and here we find that the people were of one heart with Nehemiah.
Our prayers must be seconded with our serious endeavours, or else we mock God.
Nearly four months had passed, namely, from Chisleu to Nisan (November to March), before Nehemiah made his application to the king for leave to go to Jerusalem; either because the winter was not a proper time for such a journey, and he would not make a motion till he could pursue it, or because it was so long before his month of waiting upon the king came, and there was no coming into his presence until called for, Es 4:11.
We are not thus limited to certain moments in our addresses to the King of kings, but have liberty of access to him at all times; to the throne of grace we never come unseasonably.
• Nehemiah again proclaims his faith in the God of heaven, the One who moved the king to grant him this commission. (“Mocked - Neh. 2:19-20” by N. Simon)
• One thing that especially characterizes the book of Nehemiah is the separation of all things Jewish from that which is not. It is ever the effort of the enemy to weaken Christianity by diluting it with the things and principles of this world. (“Mocked - Neh. 2:19-20” by N. Simon)
• Nehemiah, strong in the sense of the protection of God, and knowing that he was in the path of obedience, was proof against all his artifices. (“Exposition on Nehemiah: Nehemiah 2” by E. Dennett)

J. N. Darby Translation

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And I answered them, and said to them, The God of the heavens, he will prosper us, and we his servants will arise and build; but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem.