Neemias 2:6

6 Então o rei, estando presente a rainha, sentada ao seu lado, perguntou-me: “Quanto tempo levará a viagem? Quando você voltará?” Marquei um prazo com o rei, e ele concordou que eu fosse.

Neemias 2:6 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 2:6

And the king said unto me, the queen also sitting by him
Which it seems was not very common for the queens of Persia to dine with the kings their husbands; though this may be observed, not so much for the singularity of it, as for the providence of God in it, that so it should be, she having a good respect for Nehemiah, and the Jewish nation, and forwarded the king in his grant to him: if this king was Darius Hystaspis, this his queen was Atossa, daughter of Cyrus ^F17, who might be the more friendly to the Jews, on account of her father's great regard unto them:

for how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return?
what time would he ask to do this business in? this shows the king had a great respect for him, and was loath to part with him, at least for any great length of time:

so it pleased the king to send me,
when he promised to return unto him, not in twelve years, which was the time of his government in Judea, but in a lesser space, perhaps a year at most, since in less than two months the wall of Jerusalem was finished; and it may be that he then returned to the king of Persia, who sent him again under the character of a governor, finding it was for his interest to have such a man in those parts.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 Herodot. Polymnia, sive l. 7. c. 1.

Neemias 2:6 In-Context

4 O rei me disse: “O que você gostaria de pedir?”Então orei ao Deus dos céus

5 e respondi ao rei: Se for do agrado do rei e se o seu servo puder contar com a sua benevolência, que ele me deixe ir à cidade onde meus pais estão enterrados, em Judá, para que eu possa reconstruí-la.

6 Então o rei, estando presente a rainha, sentada ao seu lado, perguntou-me: “Quanto tempo levará a viagem? Quando você voltará?” Marquei um prazo com o rei, e ele concordou que eu fosse.

7 A seguir, acrescentei: Se for do agrado do rei, eu poderia levar cartas do rei aos governadores do Trans-Eufrates para que me deixem passar até chegar a Judá.

8 E também uma carta para Asafe, guarda da floresta do rei, para que ele me forneça madeira para as portas da cidadela que fica junto ao templo, para os muros da cidade e para a residência que irei ocupar. Visto que a bondosa mão de Deus estava sobre mim, o rei atendeu os meus pedidos.