Nehemiah 2:2

2 dixitque mihi rex quare vultus tuus tristis cum te aegrotum non videam non est hoc frustra sed malum nescio quid in corde tuo est et timui valde ac nimis

Nehemiah 2:2 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 2:2

Wherefore the king said unto me, why is thy countenance sad,
seeing thou art not sick?
&c.] He had no disorder upon him to change his countenance and make him sorrowful, and therefore asks what should be the reason of it:

this is nothing else but sorrow of heart;
this is not owing to any bodily disease or pain, but some inward trouble of mind; or "wickedness of heart" ^F16, some ill design in his mind, which being conscious of, and thoughtful about, was discovered in his countenance; he suspected, as Jarchi intimates, a design to kill him, by putting poison into his cup:

then I was very sore afraid;
lest the king should have suspicion of an ill design on him; or lest, since he must be obliged to give the true reason, he should not succeed in his request, it being so large, and perhaps many about the king were no friends to the Jews.

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 (bl er) (ponhria kardiav) , Sept. "malum nescio quod in corde tuo est", V. L.

Nehemiah 2:2 In-Context

1 factum est autem in mense nisan anno vicesimo Artarxersis regis et vinum erat ante eum et levavi vinum et dedi regi et non eram quasi languidus ante faciem eius

2 dixitque mihi rex quare vultus tuus tristis cum te aegrotum non videam non est hoc frustra sed malum nescio quid in corde tuo est et timui valde ac nimis

3 et dixi regi rex in aeternum vive quare non maereat vultus meus quia civitas domus sepulchrorum patris mei deserta est et portae eius conbustae sunt igni

4 et ait mihi rex pro qua re postulas et oravi Deum caeli

5 et dixi ad regem si videtur regi bonum et si placet servus tuus ante faciem tuam ut mittas me in Iudaeam ad civitatem sepulchri patris mei et aedificabo eam