Nehemiah 2:18
in Nehemiah 2I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me, and what the king had said to me. “Let us start rebuilding,” they replied, and they set their hands to this good work.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me, as also of the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for the good work.
KJV
Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.
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This verse in Nehemiah 2
Commentary
2 notes on this verseRise up - Let us do it with vigour, and diligence, and resolution, as those that are determined to go through with it. Their hands - Their own and one anothers.
This site's exposition
let us build up the wall
on Nehemiah 2:17-18
Nehemiah finally speaks what three days of silence and one night's ride had prepared: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach, naming the shared distress before naming the plan. He gives the reason last rather than first, the hand of my God which was good upon me and the king's own words granting leave, evidence stacked before the ask is made. The people answer in kind, let us rise up and build, and the text records the plainest possible outcome, they strengthened their hands for this good work. Matthew Henry notes that a good plan often needs only someone willing to move it first, since the city had lain in the same waste through every year that no one had spoken.
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וָאַגִּ֨יד | vaagid | and I told | H5046 → | 370 times |
| לָהֶ֜ם | lahem | to them | ||
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.>[about] | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יַ֣ד | yad | [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| אֱלֹהַ֗י | ʾelohai | God my | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הִיא֙ | hi' | it | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| טוֹבָ֣ה | tovah | [was] good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| עָלַ֔י | ʾalai | on me | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וְאַף־ | veaf- | and also | H637 → | 134 times |
| דִּבְרֵ֥י | divrei | [the] words of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אָֽמַר־ | ʾamar- | he had spoken | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לִ֑י | li | to me | ||
| וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| נָק֣וּם | nakum | let us arise | H6965 → | 628 times |
| וּבָנִ֔ינוּ | uvaninu | and we will rebuild | H1129 → | 376 times |
| וַיְחַזְּק֥וּ | vaychazeku | and they strengthened | H2388 → | 291 times |
| יְדֵיהֶ֖ם | yedeihem | hands their | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| לַטּוֹבָֽה׃ פ | latovah | for <the> good | H2896 → | 538 times |
וָאַגִּ֨ידand I told
vaagidH5046 →370 times
לָהֶ֜םto them
lahem
אֶת־<obj.>[about]
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יַ֣ד[the] hand of
yadH3027 →1618 times
אֱלֹהַ֗יGod my
ʾelohaiH430 →2601 times
אֲשֶׁר־that
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
הִיא֙it
hi'H1931 →1879 times
טוֹבָ֣ה[was] good
tovahH2896 →538 times
עָלַ֔יon me
ʾalaiH5921 →5755 times
וְאַף־and also
veaf-H637 →134 times
דִּבְרֵ֥י[the] words of
divreiH1697 →1440 times
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אָֽמַר־he had spoken
ʾamar-H559 →5305 times
לִ֑יto me
li
וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙and they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
נָק֣וּםlet us arise
nakumH6965 →628 times
וּבָנִ֔ינוּand we will rebuild
uvaninuH1129 →376 times
וַיְחַזְּק֥וּand they strengthened
vaychazekuH2388 →291 times
יְדֵיהֶ֖םhands their
yedeihemH3027 →1618 times
לַטּוֹבָֽה׃ פfor <the> good
latovahH2896 →538 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ephesians 6:10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
it leads to
- Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
- Isaiah 40:31
But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.
- Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
- 1 Corinthians 16:13
Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Be men of courage. Be strong.
- 1 Peter 5:10
And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish…
- Philippians 4:13
Through
Philippians 2:13For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
it leads to
- Hebrews 13:21
equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
- 2 Corinthians 3:5
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
- 2 Timothy 1:9
He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began.
- Hebrews 13:21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
On this verse
On this chapter
About Nehemiah
This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.