The Meaning of Nehemiah 2:2 Explained

Nehemiah 2:2

KJV: Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,

YLT: and the king saith to me, 'Wherefore is thy face sad, and thou not sick? this is nothing except sadness of heart;' and I fear very much,

Darby: And the king said to me, Why is thy face sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sadness of heart. And I was very sore afraid.

ASV: And the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Wherefore the king  said  unto me, Why [is] thy countenance  sad,  seeing thou [art] not sick?  this [is] nothing [else] but sorrow  of heart.  Then I was very  sore  afraid, 

What does Nehemiah 2:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 2:1-11 - A Patriot's Self-Sacrifice
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

1  Artaxerxes, understanding the cause of Nehemiah's sadness,
6  sends him with letters and commission to Jerusalem
9  Nehemiah, to the grief of the enemies, comes to Jerusalem
12  He views secretly the ruins of the walls
17  He incites the Jews to build

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 2:2 mean?

Therefore said to me the king why [is] your face sad since you [are] not sick nothing this [is] for but sorrow of heart So I became afraid dreadfully then I was very
וַיֹּאמֶר֩ לִ֨י הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ מַדּ֣וּעַ ׀ פָּנֶ֣יךָ רָעִ֗ים וְאַתָּה֙ אֵֽינְךָ֣ ؟ חוֹלֶ֔ה אֵ֣ין זֶ֔ה כִּי־ אִ֖ם רֹ֣עַֽ לֵ֑ב וָאִירָ֖א הַרְבֵּ֥ה מְאֹֽד

וַיֹּאמֶר֩  Therefore  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לִ֨י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
מַדּ֣וּעַ ׀  why  [is] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מַדּוּעַ  
Sense: why?, on what account?, wherefore?.
פָּנֶ֣יךָ  your  face 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
רָעִ֗ים  sad 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
וְאַתָּה֙  since  you  [are] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
؟ חוֹלֶ֔ה  sick 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: חָלָה 
Sense: to be or become weak, be or become sick, be or become diseased, be or become grieved, be or become sorry.
אֵ֣ין  nothing 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
זֶ֔ה  this  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
רֹ֣עַֽ  sorrow 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֹעַ  
Sense: badness, evil.
לֵ֑ב  of  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
וָאִירָ֖א  So  I  became  afraid 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
הַרְבֵּ֥ה  dreadfully 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: הַרְבָּה 
Sense: be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous.
מְאֹֽד  then  I  was  very 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.

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