The Meaning of Nehemiah 2:20 Explained

Nehemiah 2:20

KJV: Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.

YLT: And I return them word, and say to them, 'The God of the heavens -- He doth give prosperity to us, and we His servants rise and have built; and to you there is no portion, and right, and memorial in Jerusalem.'

Darby: 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.

ASV: Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then answered  I them, and said  unto them, The God  of heaven,  he will prosper  us; therefore we his servants  will arise  and build:  but ye have no portion,  nor right,  nor memorial,  in Jerusalem. 

What does Nehemiah 2:20 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 2:12-20 - Braving Ridicule And Treachery
Suspicion, Nehemiah 2:12-20. Sanballat was probably a Moabite, a native of Horonaim; Tobiah had been a slave. There are many descendants of these two men in all our Christian communities today, hindering God's work. This heroic soul met their scorn and the depression of the people by unwavering faith and calm confidence in the good hand of God, Nehemiah 2:18. How small do our difficulties seem when brought into the sight of the God of heaven!
Reproach, Nehemiah 4:1-6. Whenever God's work revives, there is sure to be evil-speaking and reproach. It is a mistake to reply. Let us hand over our cause to God, and go on with His work. It matters very little what men say, as long as He is pleased. Had Nehemiah had the message of Christ he would not have prayed as in Nehemiah 2:5. Our Lord taught us to intercede for our enemies, Matthew 5:44. But let us emulate Nehemiah's zeal for the name of God, and let us remember that increased light means increased responsibility, Matthew 11:11.
Active opposition, Nehemiah 2:7-12. In time of hostility, our friends and allies are apt to grow discouraged and to advise the suspension of our work. "We are not able;" but faith looks to God alone and triumphantly holds on its way. [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 2:20 mean?

So I answered them act and said to them the God of heaven He will prosper us therefore we His servants will arise and build but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem
וָאָשִׁ֨יב אוֹתָ֜ם דָּבָ֗ר וָאוֹמַ֤ר לָהֶם֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם ה֚וּא יַצְלִ֣יחַֽ לָ֔נוּ וַאֲנַ֥חְנוּ עֲבָדָ֖יו נָק֣וּם וּבָנִ֑ינוּ וְלָכֶ֗ם אֵֽין־ חֵ֧לֶק וּצְדָקָ֛ה וְזִכָּר֖וֹן בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם

וָאָשִׁ֨יב  So  I  answered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
דָּבָ֗ר  act 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
וָאוֹמַ֤ר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָהֶם֙  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
אֱלֹהֵ֣י  the  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם  of  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
יַצְלִ֣יחַֽ  will  prosper 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צָלַח 
Sense: (Qal) to rush.
לָ֔נוּ  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
וַאֲנַ֥חְנוּ  therefore  we 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common plural
Root: אֲנַחְנוּ  
Sense: we (first pers.
עֲבָדָ֖יו  His  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
נָק֣וּם  will  arise 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common plural
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
וּבָנִ֑ינוּ  and  build 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common plural
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
וְלָכֶ֗ם  but  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, second person masculine plural
אֵֽין־  have  no 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
חֵ֧לֶק  heritage 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֵלֶק 
Sense: portion, share, part, territory.
וּצְדָקָ֛ה  or  right 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: צְדָקָה  
Sense: justice, righteousness.
וְזִכָּר֖וֹן  or  memorial 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: זִכָּרֹון  
Sense: memorial, reminder, remembrance.
בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם  in  Jerusalem 
Parse: Preposition-b, 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.