¹sn In ancient Judaism Ezra and Nehemiah were regarded as a single book with dual authorship. According to the Talmud, “Ezra wrote his book” (b. Bava Batra 15a). The Gemara then asks and answers, “And who finished it? Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.” Accordingly, the two are joined in the Leningrad Codex (ca. A.D. 1008), the manuscript upon which modern printed editions of the Hebrew Bible (e.g., BHK and BHS) are based
²sn The name Nehemiah in Hebrew (hymjn) means “the LORD comforts.”
³tn Heb “Shushan.”
⁴tn Heb “brothers.”
⁵tn The Hebrew text does not include the words “to me”; these words were supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
⁶map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
⁷tn Heb “great.”
⁸tn Heb “have been burned with fire” (so also in Neh 2:17). The words “with fire” have not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
⁹tn Heb “sat down.”
¹⁰tn Heb “the covenant and loyal love.” The phrase is a hendiadys: the first noun retains its full nominal sense, while the second noun functions adjectivally (“loyal love” = loving). Alternately, the first might function adjectivally and the second noun function as the noun: “covenant and loyal love” = covenant fidelity (see Neh 9:32).
¹¹tn Heb “keep.” The Hebrew verb rmv (“to observe; to keep”) is often used as an idiom that means “to obey” the commandments of God (e.g., Exod 20:6; Deut 5:16; 23:24; 29:8; Judg 2:22; 1 Kgs 2:43; 11:11; Ps 119:8, 17, 34; Jer 35:18; Ezek 17:14; Amos 2:4). See BDB 1036 s.v. 3.c.
¹²tn Heb “have sinned.” For stylistic reasons—to avoid redundancy in English—this was translated as “committed.”
¹³tn Heb “the house of my father.”
¹⁴tn Heb “peoples.”
¹⁵tn Heb “turn to me.”
¹⁶tn Heb “keep.” See the note on the word “obey” in Neh 1:5.
¹⁷tn Heb “at the end of the heavens.”
¹⁸tn The interjection aNa (`anna`) is an emphatic term of entreaty: “please!” (BDB 58; HALOT 1:70). This term is normally reserved for pleas for mercy from God in life-and-death situations (2 Kgs 20:3 = Isa 38:3; Pss 116:4; 118:25; Jonah 1:14; 4:2) and for forgiveness of heinous sins that would result or have resulted in severe judgment from God (Exod 32:31; Dan 9:4; Neh 1:5, 11).
¹⁹tn Heb “let your ear be attentive.”
²⁰tn Heb “fear.”
²¹tn Heb “grant compassion.” The words “to me” are supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness and style in English.
²²tn The vav on ynaw (“Now, I”) introduces a disjunctive parenthetical clause that provides background information to the reader.