ApostleCourageous initiative

Nehemiah 2 — Royal permission and the secret inspection — Hebrew and Greek compared

Saints Translation: Nehemiah 1–13 [V2]

Same 5 Similar 4 Different 7 Divergent 0 Disparate 4

Disparate in this chapter: H 2:1, H 2:13, H 2:15, H 2:20

Each card keeps the independently rendered source readings above their shared comparison and reception notes. The badge records the source’s governing classification; disparate readings are marked in red. Each reading retains its original reference.

Nehemiah 2 — Royal permission and the secret inspection

H 2:1–3 — The king notices Nehemiah's grief

Verse H 2:1 Disparate

Hebrew–English (H)

H 2:1

In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, wine was before him. I lifted the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad before him.

Greek–English (G)

G 12:1

In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Arthasastha, the wine was before me. I took the wine and gave it to the king, and there was no other person before him.

Comparison and reception

Disparate. Text: H places the wine before him and says the speaker had not been sad before the king. G places it before me and says there was no other person before him. G's final clause concerns another person's presence, not the cupbearer's prior mood.

Verse H 2:2 Similar

Hebrew–English (H)

H 2:2

The king said to me, “Why is your face sad when you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.” I became very greatly afraid.

Greek–English (G)

G 12:2

The king said to me, “Why is your face distressed when you are not unwell? This is nothing but distress of heart.” I became very greatly afraid.

Comparison and reception

Similar. Text: H explicitly has sick. G's metriazon means unwell here; LSJ I.3 expressly cites Nehemiah 2:2 for this medical sense [LSJ-METR]. No contrast with moderation or self-control is manufactured. Both retain distress of face and heart and the narrator's intense fear.

Verse H 2:3 Same

Hebrew–English (H)

H 2:3

I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' graves, lies ruined and its gates have been consumed by fire?”

Greek–English (G)

G 12:3

I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not be distressed, since the city, the home of my fathers' tombs, has been laid waste and its gates have been consumed by fire?”

Comparison and reception

Same. Text: Both retain the royal acclamation, rhetorical question, ancestral graves and destroyed gates. Neither speaker yet names Jerusalem in his address to the king.

H 2:4–8 — Permission, letters and timber

Verse H 2:4 Same

Hebrew–English (H)

H 2:4

The king said to me, “What is it that you are requesting?” I prayed to the God of heaven,

Greek–English (G)

G 12:4

The king said to me, “Concerning what is this request of yours?” I prayed to the God of heaven,

Comparison and reception

Same. Text: Both place prayer between the royal question and the reply. The verse does not quote an additional prayer formula.

Verse H 2:5 Different

Hebrew–English (H)

H 2:5

and said to the king, “If it is good to the king, and if your servant is pleasing before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, so that I may rebuild it.”

Greek–English (G)

G 12:5

and said to the king, “If it is good to the king, and if your servant finds favor before you, send him to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, and I will rebuild it.”

Comparison and reception

Different. Text: H asks send me; G asks for him to be sent, referring to your servant, before returning to first-person I will rebuild. The third-person shift is preserved.

Verse H 2:6 Different

Hebrew–English (H)

H 2:6

The king said to me, with the queen seated beside him, “How long will your journey last, and when will you return?” It pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a time.

Greek–English (G)

G 12:6

The king and the concubine sitting beside him said to me, “How long will your journey last, and when will you return?” It pleased the king, and he sent me, and I gave him a limit.

Comparison and reception

Different. Text: H names the royal woman as shegal, rendered queen; G explicitly calls her a concubine. G's coordinated nominatives are provisionally taken as the speakers, although the woman's presence may be parenthetical as in H. Both preserve the stated limit without supplying its duration.

Verse H 2:7 Similar

Hebrew–English (H)

H 2:7

I said to the king, “If it is good to the king, let letters be given me for the governors of Beyond the River, so that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah,

Greek–English (G)

G 12:7

I said to the king, “If it is good to the king, let him give me letters to the governors beyond the river, so that they may conduct me through until I reach Judah,

Comparison and reception

Similar. Text: H uses an indefinite plural giving formula; G has let him give. Both request official passage through the governors' territory.

Verse H 2:8 Different

Hebrew–English (H)

H 2:8

and a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king's park, so that he may give me timber to provide beams for the gates of the citadel belonging to the house, for the city wall, and for the house I will enter.” The king granted it to me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

Greek–English (G)

G 12:8

and a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king's park, so that he may give me timber to roof the gates, for the city wall, and for the house I will enter.” The king granted it to me, according to the good hand of God.

Comparison and reception

Different. Text: H identifies the gates as those of the citadel belonging to the house, in context the sanctuary; G omits this identifying phrase. H also expressly has my God upon me, absent from G's shorter final wording. Both retain the royal park and the three building purposes.

H 2:9–11 — The journey and the opponents

Verse H 2:9 Same

Hebrew–English (H)

H 2:9

I came to the governors of Beyond the River and gave them the king's letters. The king had sent army officers and horsemen with me.

Greek–English (G)

G 12:9

I came to the governors beyond the river and gave them the king's letters. The king had sent army commanders and horsemen with me.

Comparison and reception

Same. Text: Both report delivery of the letters and the military escort. This verse expressly supplies the escort that the request itself did not enumerate.

Verse H 2:10 Similar

Hebrew–English (H)

H 2:10

When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard, it displeased them greatly that a man had come to seek good for the sons of Israel.

Greek–English (G)

G 12:10

Sanaballat the Aroni and Tobia the Ammoni servant heard, and it displeased them that a man had arrived to seek good for the sons of Israel.

Comparison and reception

Similar. Text: H intensifies their displeasure; G states it without great. The source forms of the names and group designations remain visible; servant is not silently converted to a more specific administrative title.

Verse H 2:11 Same

Hebrew–English (H)

H 2:11

I came to Jerusalem and was there for three days.

Greek–English (G)

G 12:11

I came to Jerusalem and was there for three days.

Comparison and reception

Same. Text: Place and three-day interval agree.

H 2:12–16 — The night inspection

Verse H 2:12 Different

Hebrew–English (H)

H 2:12

I arose at night, with a few men accompanying me. I had told no one what my God was putting into my heart to do for Jerusalem. No animal was with me except the animal I was riding.

Greek–English (G)

G 12:12

I arose at night, with a few men accompanying me. I told no one what God was putting into my heart to do with Israel. No animal was with me except the animal on which I was riding.

Comparison and reception

Different. Text: H names my God and the work for Jerusalem; G has God and the work with Israel. Both preserve the secrecy and the single mount; no animal species is supplied.

Verse H 2:13 Disparate

Hebrew–English (H)

H 2:13

I went out by the Valley Gate at night, toward the Dragon Spring and to the Dung Gate. I was inspecting Jerusalem's walls, which were broken through, and its gates had been consumed by fire.

Greek–English (G)

G 12:13

I went out through the gate of Golela, toward the mouth of the Spring of Figs and to the Dung Gate. I was breaking at Jerusalem's wall, which they were pulling down, and its gates had been consumed by fire.

Comparison and reception

Disparate. Text: H names the Valley Gate, night, and the Dragon Spring. G has the borrowed Golela designation and Spring of Figs, without a separate night word here. H's pointed sover is understood as inspecting; G has syntribon, provisionally retained as breaking at, followed by the active they pull down. The difficult Greek action is not silently replaced by H's inspection. LSJ's rubbing, shattering and figurative crushing senses were checked; no inspecting sense or Nehemiah citation appears in the entry [LSJ-SYNT].

Verse H 2:14 Similar

Hebrew–English (H)

H 2:14

I passed on to the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was no room for the animal beneath me to pass.

Greek–English (G)

G 12:14

I passed on to the gate of Ain and the King's Pool, but there was no room for the animal beneath me to pass.

Comparison and reception

Similar. Text: H translates the gate's spring or fountain designation; G retains Ain as a borrowed name. The blocked passage agrees.

Verse H 2:15 Disparate

Hebrew–English (H)

H 2:15

I went up along the torrent valley at night, inspecting the wall. Then I turned back, entered by the Valley Gate, and returned.

Greek–English (G)

G 12:15

I went up along the wall of the torrent at night, breaking at the wall. I was at the Valley Gate, and returned.

Comparison and reception

Disparate. Text: G adds wall to the ascent route, repeats syntribon, and says I was at the gate. H has inspection and separately describes turning back and entering the gate. G's difficult breaking wording is provisional; the source clauses are retained without reconstructing H from them. LSJ's rubbing, shattering and figurative crushing senses were checked; no inspecting sense or Nehemiah citation appears in the entry [LSJ-SYNT].

Verse H 2:16 Different

Hebrew–English (H)

H 2:16

The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing. Until then I had told nothing to the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the rest who were doing the work.

Greek–English (G)

G 12:16

The guards did not know why I had gone or what I was doing. Until then I had told nothing to the Jews, the priests, the honored men, the commanders, or the remaining people who were doing the works.

Comparison and reception

Different. Text: H first names officials and asks where; G names those keeping guard and has ti, here provisionally why. G's later commanders also differ from H's repeated officials. The shared sequence of secrecy and disclosure is preserved.

H 2:17–20 — The call to build and the challenge

Verse H 2:17 Same

Hebrew–English (H)

H 2:17

I said to them, “You see the distress we are in: Jerusalem lies ruined and its gates are burned with fire. Come, let us build Jerusalem's wall, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.”

Greek–English (G)

G 12:17

I said to them, “You see the distress we are in, how Jerusalem is desolate and its gates have been given to fire. Come, let us rebuild Jerusalem's wall, and we will no longer be a disgrace.”

Comparison and reception

Same. Text: Both join an appeal based on present ruin with the proposed rebuilding and ending of public disgrace.

Verse H 2:18 Different

Hebrew–English (H)

H 2:18

I told them about the hand of my God, which was good upon me, and also the king's words that he had spoken to me. They said, “Let us arise and build,” and strengthened their hands for the good work.

Greek–English (G)

G 12:18

I told them about the hand of God, which was good upon me, and the king's words that he had spoken to me. I said, “Let us arise and build,” and their hands were strengthened for good.

Comparison and reception

Different. Text: H assigns the response to they; G assigns the exhortation to I. Both describe strengthened hands, but H is active and G passive. H's my God is shorter God in G.

Verse H 2:19 Different

Hebrew–English (H)

H 2:19

When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite servant, and Geshem the Arab heard, they mocked us and despised us. They said, “What is this thing you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”

Greek–English (G)

G 12:19

Sanaballat the Aroni, Tobia the Ammoni servant, and Gesam the Arabi heard. They laughed at us and came against us, and said, “What is this thing you are doing? Are you revolting against the king?”

Comparison and reception

Different. Text: H adds contempt; G adds coming against us. The royal-rebellion accusation agrees, with the source forms of the three opponents retained.

Verse H 2:20 Disparate

Hebrew–English (H)

H 2:20

I answered them and said, “The God of heaven, He will grant us success. We His servants will arise and build. But you have no share, right, or memorial in Jerusalem.”

Greek–English (G)

G 12:20

I answered them and said, “The God of heaven, He will grant us success. We are His pure servants, and we will build. But you have no share, right, or memorial in Jerusalem.”

Comparison and reception

Disparate. Text: H says we His servants will arise; G explicitly predicates pure of the servants. G's katharoi is not rewritten as a rising verb. H tsedaqah and G dikaiosyne are rendered right in this civic claim, while both terms also have a broader righteousness range.