Nehemiah 2:2

2 The king asked, "Why do you look so sad? You're not sick, so this must be some deep inner grief."At this, I became very fearful,

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 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of Artach'shashta the king, it happened that I took the wine and brought it to the king. Prior to then I had never appeared sad in his presence.

2 The king asked, "Why do you look so sad? You're not sick, so this must be some deep inner grief."At this, I became very fearful,

3 as I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why shouldn't I look sad, when the city, the place where my ancestors' tombs are, lies in ruins; and its gates are completely burned up?"

4 The king asked me, "What is it that you want?" I prayed to the God of heaven,

5 then said to the king, "If it pleases the king, if your servant has won your favor, send me to Y'hudah, to the city of my ancestors' tombs, so that I can rebuild it."