The Meaning of Nehemiah 2:4 Explained

Nehemiah 2:4

KJV: Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.

YLT: And the king saith to me, 'For what art thou seeking?' and I pray unto the God of the heavens,

Darby: And the king said to me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of the heavens.

ASV: Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.

Discover Nehemiah 2:4

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Nehemiah 2:4?

MEANING: What does Nehemiah 2:4 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Nehemiah 2:4 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Nehemiah 2:4?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then the king  said  unto me, For what dost thou make request?  So I prayed  to the God  of heaven. 

What does Nehemiah 2:4 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 2:4 mean?

and said to me the king upon what [is] this [that] you request so I prayed to the God of heaven
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לִי֙ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ עַל־ מַה־ זֶּ֖ה אַתָּ֣ה ؟ מְבַקֵּ֑שׁ וָֽאֶתְפַּלֵּ֔ל אֶל־ אֱלֹהֵ֖י הַשָּׁמָֽיִם

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לִי֙  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
עַל־  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
זֶּ֖ה  [is]  this  [that] 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
؟ מְבַקֵּ֑שׁ  request 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: בָּקַשׁ  
Sense: to seek, require, desire, exact, request.
וָֽאֶתְפַּלֵּ֔ל  so  I  prayed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: פָּלַל 
Sense: to intervene, interpose, pray.
אֱלֹהֵ֖י  the  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הַשָּׁמָֽיִם  of  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.

What are the major concepts related to Nehemiah 2:4?

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Similar Scriptures for Nehemiah 2:4

Nehemiah 1:4 [6]
Proverbs 3:6 [6]
Mark 10:51 [5]
Nehemiah 1:11 [5]
1 Kings 3:5 [5]
Philippians 4:6 [5]
Esther 5:6 [4]
Esther 7:2 [4]
Esther 5:3 [3]
2 Samuel 15:31 [2]
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