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Nehemiah 2:7

in Nehemiah 2

I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may letters be given to me for the governors west of the Euphrates, so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the River, that they may let me pass through till I come unto Judah;

KJV

Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;

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This verse in Nehemiah 2

Commentary

5 notes on this verse
Moreover, I said unto the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river,.... The river of Euphrates, on that side of it towards the land of Judea: that they may convey me over till I come into Judah; furnish him with provisions, and a guard to protect him.

This site's exposition

may letters be given to me

on Nehemiah 2:7-9

Nehemiah asks for two kinds of paper. Letters "for the governors west of the Euphrates" grant safe passage, and a letter to Asaph, "keeper of the king’s forest," secures timber. The king grants it all, and Nehemiah names the reason: "the gracious hand of my God was upon me" (2:8).

The record, by era

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

I set him a time--Considering the great despatch made in raising the walls, it is probable that this leave of absence was limited at first to a year or six months, after which he returned to his duties in Shushan.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

letters be given me to the governors beyond the river--The Persian empire at this time was of vast extent, reaching from the Indus to the Mediterranean. The Euphrates was considered as naturally dividing it into two parts, eastern and western (see on Ezr 5:3).

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

Modern Voices1 voice

Nehemiah received more than permission—he received provision. God had softened the king's heart before Nehemiah even asked.

The words behind it

20 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וָאוֹמַר֮and I said

    vaomarH559 →5305 times

  • לַמֶּלֶךְ֒to the king

    lamelekhH4428 →2525 times

  • אִם־if

    ʾim-H518 →1069 times

  • עַל־[is] on

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • הַמֶּ֣לֶךְthe king

    hamelekhH4428 →2525 times

  • ט֔וֹבgood

    tovH2896 →538 times

  • אִגְּרוֹת֙letters

    ʾigerotH107 →10 times

  • יִתְּנוּ־let people give

    yitenu-H5414 →2011 times

  • לִ֔יto me

    li

  • עַֽל־to

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • פַּחֲו֖וֹת[the] governors of

    pachavotH6346 →28 times

  • עֵ֣בֶרbeyond

    ʾeverH5676 →90 times

  • הַנָּהָ֑רthe River

    hanaharH5104 →119 times

  • אֲשֶׁר֙that

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • יַעֲבִיר֔וּנִיthey will allow to pass through me

    yaaviruniH5674 →556 times

  • עַ֥דuntil

    ʾadH5704 →1261 times

  • אֲשֶׁר־that

    ʾasher-H834 →5497 times

  • אָב֖וֹאI will come

    ʾavo'H935 →2568 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • יְהוּדָֽה׃Judah

    yehudahH3063 →819 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

5 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Ezra 7:21I, King Artaxerxes, decree to all the treasurers west of the Euphrates: Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it must be provided promptly,6 worksEzra 8:36They also delivered the king’s edicts to the royal satraps and governors of the region west of the Euphrates, who proceeded to assist the people and the house of God.5 worksNehemiah 2:9Then I went to the governors west of the Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.5 worksEzra 6:6Therefore Darius decreed: To Tattenai governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and your associates and officials in the region: You must stay away from that place!4 worksEzra 8:22For I was ashamed to ask the king for an escort of soldiers and horsemen to protect us from our enemies on the road, since we had told him, “The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek Him, but His great anger is against all who forsake Him.”3 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Ezra 8:22

    For I was ashamed to ask the king for an escort of soldiers and horsemen to protect us from our enemies on the road, since we had told him, “The hand of our God…

    it leads to

    • 1 Peter 3:12

      For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

    • Psalms 33:18–19

      Surely the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His loving devotion

    • 2 Chronicles 16:9

      For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him. You have acted foolishly in…

    • Psalms 34:15–16

      The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.

    • Lamentations 3:25

      The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.

  • Through

    Ezra 6:6

    Therefore Darius decreed: To Tattenai governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and your associates and officials in the region: You must stay away from that place!

    it leads to

    • Ezra 5:3

      At that time Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates went to the Jews and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?”

    • Proverbs 21:30

      There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.

  • Through

    Nehemiah 2:9

    Then I went to the governors west of the Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.

    it leads to

    • Ezra 8:22

      For I was ashamed to ask the king for an escort of soldiers and horsemen to protect us from our enemies on the road, since we had told him, “The hand of our God…

Where this verse is studied

About Nehemiah

Nehemiah Views the Ruins of Jerusalem's Walls — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
Nehemiah Views the Ruins of Jerusalem's Walls — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
Nehemiah: the study guide →Read Nehemiah 2 →

This page draws on Darren Stott, Delayed, Not Denied: The Purpose Behind God's Timing (blog); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Nehemiah 2 →