Nehemiah 2:8

God's faithfulness Protection and safety God's presence Guidance and decisions

⁶ Then the king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I set a time.

⁷ 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.

And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I will occupy.” And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.

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.

¹⁰ But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were deeply disturbed that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites.

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I will occupy.” And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.
KJV: And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
WEB: and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple, for the wall of the city, and for the house that I will occupy.” The king granted my requests, because of the good hand of my God on me.
ASV: and a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king`s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the castle which appertaineth to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
DARBY: and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which [appertains] to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
BLB: and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the forest that [is] unto the king, that he give to me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel that [is] for the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I will enter into.” And the king granted to me the good according to hand of my God upon me.

ÅB: likeså et brev til Asaf, han som har oppsyn over kongens skoger, at han skal gi meg tømmer til å tømre opp portene til den borg som hører til templet, og portene til bymuren og tømmer til det hus som jeg skal bo i. Og kongen gav meg det, fordi min Gud holdt sin gode hånd over meg.
OTB: Og kan jeg få et brev til Asaf, vokteren av kongens skog, slik at han vil gi meg tømmer til å lage bjelker til portene i borgen ved tempelet, til bymuren, og til huset jeg skal bo i?” Og fordi min Guds nådige hånd var over meg, innvilget kongen mine forespørsler.
B1930: likeså et brev til Asaf, han som har opsyn over kongens skoger, at han skal gi mig tømmer til å tømre op portene til den borg som hører til templet, og portene til bymuren og tømmer til det hus som jeg skal bo i. Og kongen gav mig det, fordi min Gud holdt sin gode hånd over mig.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Ezra 7:6
this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.
Read in context
Isaiah 66:14
When you see, you will rejoice, and you will flourish like grass; then the hand of the LORD will be revealed to His servants, but His wrath will be shown to His enemies.
Read in context
Nehemiah 7:2
Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah the commander of the fortress, because he was a faithful man who feared God more than most.
Read in context
Daniel 1:9
Now God had granted Daniel favor and compassion from the chief official,
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Nehemiah 2:17–18
Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned down. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.”
Read in context
Ezra 5:5
But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, so that they were not stopped until a report was sent to Darius and written instructions about this matter were returned.
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Genesis 32:28
Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men, and you have prevailed.”
Read in context
Acts 26:22
But I have had God’s help to this day, and I stand here to testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen:
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