The seventh month answers to our March or April, so that four months had passed since Nehemiah had set himself to special prayer. Between the king's second question and Nehemiah's answer, the simple-hearted cup-bearer found time to pray to the God of heaven. Then, with the assurance that God was with him, he did not scruple to ask great things: that he might be sent to the city of his fathers to build it, and that he might receive all the materials necessary for its construction. But he is careful to record that his requests were granted, not by the clemency of the king, but according to the good hand of God. Do we recognize that good hand enough? We get glimpses here into the inner workings of this man's heart. He felt that God had put His holy purpose there. He did not hesitate to confess this to the Jews and amid the opposition and scorn of their foes; he strengthened himself in his God, sure that He would not have brought him so far to put him to shame. Be sure you are on God's side, and nothing will be impossible to you. [source]
Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 2
1Artaxerxes, understanding the cause of Nehemiah's sadness, 6sends him with letters and commission to Jerusalem 9Nehemiah, to the grief of the enemies, comes to Jerusalem 12He views secretly the ruins of the walls 17He incites the Jews to build
What do the individual words in Nehemiah 2:11 mean?
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.