¹tc The translation reads with the LXX ynpl /yyw weyayin lepanay (“and wine before me”) rather than wynpl /yy yayin lepanayw (“wine before him”) of the MT. The initial vav on original /yyw (“and wine”) probably dropped out due to haplograpy or orthographic confusion with the two yodhs which follow. The final vav on wynpl (“before him”) in the MT was probably added due to dittography with the vav on the immediately following word.
²tc The translation reads <ynpl lepanim (“formerly”) rather than wynpl lepanayw (“to his face”) of the MT. The MT seems to suggest that Nehemiah was not sad before the king, which is contrary to what follows.
³tn Or “showed him a sullen face.” See HALOT 3:1251.
⁴tn This expression is either to be inferred from the context, or perhaps one should read wynpl lepanayw (“before him”; cf. the MT) in addition to <ynpl lepanim (“formerly”) See preceding note on the word “previously.”
⁵tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 5).
⁶tn Heb “devoured” or “eaten” (so also in Neh 2:13).
⁷tn Heb “said to me.”
⁸tn Heb “If upon the king it is good.” So also in v. 7.
⁹tn Or “queen.” So HALOT 4:1415.
¹⁰tn Heb “It was good before the king and he sent me.”
¹¹tn Heb “across the river,” here and often elsewhere in the Book of Nehemiah.
¹²tn Or “forest.” So HALOT 3:963.
¹³tc One medieval Hebrew MS, the Syriac Peshitta, Vulgate, and the Arabic read here the plural tomojlW (“walls”) against the singular tmojlW in the MT. The plural holem vav might have dropped out due to dittography or the plural form might have been written defectively.
¹⁴tn The Hebrew text does not include the expression “these provisions,” but it is implied.
¹⁵map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
¹⁶tn Heb “the animal.”
¹⁷tn Or “Well of the Serpents”; or “Well of the Jackals.”
¹⁸tc For the MT reading rbc c)b@r (“inspecting”) the LXX erroneously has rbv v)b@r (“breaking”). However, further destruction of Jerusalem’s walls was obviously not a part of Nehemiah’s purpose.
¹⁹tn Heb “the words of the king which he had spoken to me.”
²⁰tn Heb “Arise!”
²¹tn Heb “strengthened their hands.”
²²tn The Hebrew text does not include the words “all this,” but they have been added in the translation for clarity.
²³tn Heb “will arise and build.” The idiom “arise and…” means to begin the action described by the second verb.
²⁴tn Heb “portion or right or remembrance.” The expression is probably a hendiatris: the first two nouns retain their full nominal function, while the third noun functions adjectivally (“right or remembrance” = “ancient right”).