diff --git a/en_tn_16-NEH.tsv b/en_tn_16-NEH.tsv index 619e4813a..ccc37cd3f 100644 --- a/en_tn_16-NEH.tsv +++ b/en_tn_16-NEH.tsv @@ -1,8 +1,8 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNote NEH front intro k2y2 0 # Introduction to Nehemiah
## Part 1: General Introduction

### Outline of Nehemiah

1. Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem and inspects the walls (1:1-2:20)
1. The people rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (3:1-4:23)
1. Nehemiah helps the poor and provides an unselfish example (5:1–19)
1. Enemies try to slow down the work, but the people finish the walls (6:1–19)
1. Nehemiah lists the people who returned from exile (7:6–73)
1. Ezra reads the Law of Yahweh and the people respond (8:1-10:39)
1. Nehemiah lists the people who lived in and around Jerusalem (11:1–36)
1. Nehemiah lists the priests and Levites (12:1–26)
1. The people dedicate the walls of Jerusalem (12:27–47)
1. Nehemiah corrects problems (13:1–31)

### What is the Book of Nehemiah about?

A Jew named Nehemiah lived in Persia and worked for King Artaxerxes. Nehemiah received a report that the walls around Jerusalem were broken down. Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem to help rebuild the city walls. The walls around the city helped protect the city against armies and invaders.

### How should the title of this book be translated?

The Book of Nehemiah is named for a Jewish leader named Nehemiah. Translators can use the traditional title “Nehemiah.” Or they may choose a clearer title, such as “The Book about Nehemiah.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]])

## Part 2: Important Religious and Cultural Concepts

### Why were Israelites not allowed to marry people from other nations?

Foreigners worshiped many false gods. Yahweh did not allow his people to marry foreigners. He knew this would cause the people of Israel to worship false gods. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/falsegod]])

### Did all of the people of Israel return to their homeland?

Many of the Jews remained in Babylon instead of returning to the Promised Land. Many of them were successful in Babylon and desired to remain there. However, this meant that they were unable to worship Yahweh in Jerusalem as their ancestors had done. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/promisedland]])

## Part 3: Important Translation Issues

### How does the Book of Nehemiah use the term “Israel”?

The Book of Nehemiah uses the term “Israel” to refer to the kingdom of Judah. It was mostly made up of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The other ten tribes had ended their loyalty to any kings descended from David. God allowed the Assyrians to conquer the other ten tribes and take them into exile. As a result, they mixed with other people groups and did not return to the land of Israel. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/israel]])

### Are the events in the Book of Nehemiah told in the order that they actually happened?

Some of the events in the Book of Nehemiah are not told in the order they actually happened. Translators should pay attention to notes that signal when events are probably out of order. -NEH 1 intro y5jf 0 # Nehemiah 01 General Notes

## Structure and formatting

### “The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah:”

This phrase serves as an introduction to this entire book.

## Special concepts in this chapter

### Repentance

This chapter is a single long record of Nehemiah’s repentance on behalf of the people. (See: \[\[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/repent\]\])

## Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter

### I

In this book, the word “I” always refers to Nehemiah.

### Israel

It is uncertain to whom “Israel” refers. It probably does not refer to the northern kingdom of Israel. Neither does it likely refer to the twelve tribes of Israel. Instead, it is probably a reference to Israel in the sense of the surviving people group. At Nehemiah’s time, this people group exclusively comprised the tribe of Judah because the other tribes had already been scattered throughout the entire Near East, where they lost their identity, for the most part. +NEH 1 intro y5jf 0 # Nehemiah 01 General Notes

## Structure and formatting

### “The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah:”

This phrase serves as an introduction to this entire book.

## Special concepts in this chapter

### Repentance

This chapter is a single long record of Nehemiah’s repentance on behalf of the people. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/repent]])

## Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter

### I

In this book, the word “I” always refers to Nehemiah.

### Israel

It is uncertain to whom “Israel” refers. It probably does not refer to the northern kingdom of Israel. Neither does it likely refer to the twelve tribes of Israel. Instead, it is probably a reference to Israel in the sense of the surviving people group. At Nehemiah’s time, this people group exclusively comprised the tribe of Judah because the other tribes had already been scattered throughout the entire Near East, where they lost their identity, for the most part. NEH 1 1 bi9h translate-names נְחֶמְיָ֖ה בֶּן־חֲכַלְיָ֑ה 1 Nehemiah, the son of Hakaliah Nehemiah is the name of a man, and Hakaliah is the name of his father. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) -NEH 1 1 abc1 writing-newevent וַ⁠יְהִ֤י 1 Now it happened This is a common way of beginning a historical story. Alternate translation: “My story begins” (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent\]\]) +NEH 1 1 abc1 writing-newevent וַ⁠יְהִ֤י 1 Now it happened This is a common way of beginning a historical story. Alternate translation: “My story begins” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent]]) NEH 1 1 qd3e translate-hebrewmonths בְ⁠חֹֽדֶשׁ־כִּסְלֵיו֙ 1 in the month of Kislev **Kislev** is the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-hebrewmonths]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) NEH 1 1 hn28 figs-explicit שְׁנַ֣ת עֶשְׂרִ֔ים 1 in the twentieth year This is referring to the number of years that Artaxerxes had been reigning as king. Alternate translation: “in the twentieth year of the reign of Artaxerxes, King of Persia” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-ordinal]]) NEH 1 1 abc3 figs-metonymy בְּ⁠שׁוּשַׁ֥ן הַ⁠בִּירָֽה 1 in Susa the citadel The city in which this palace was located was also called Susa, because the city was associated with the palace. Since this was where the kings of Persia lived, it was the capital city of their empire. Alternate translation: “the capital city of Susa” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) @@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ NEH 1 4 ab27 figs-metonymy כְּ⁠שָׁמְעִ֣⁠י ׀ אֶת־הַ⁠דּ NEH 1 4 ab29 translate-symaction יָשַׁ֨בְתִּי֙ וָֽ⁠אֶבְכֶּ֔ה 1 I sat down, and I wept **Sitting down** likely means that Nehemiah stopped going about his usual business because he was so overcome by grief. Alternate translation: “I could do nothing else but grieve” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction]]) NEH 1 4 ab31 וָ⁠אֶתְאַבְּלָ֖⁠ה יָמִ֑ים 1 I mourned for days This means that Nehemiah kept on grieving. He did not get over being upset. The term “days” here suggests “many days” and it is a figurative expression for “a long time.” Alternate translation: “I could not stop mourning for a long time.” NEH 1 4 ab33 צָם֙ וּ⁠מִתְפַּלֵּ֔ל 1 fasting and praying **Fasting** means going without food. This was something that Jews often did in connection with prayer. It allowed them to concentrate on their prayers, and it showed how important those prayers were. Alternate translation: “I went without food, and I prayed” -NEH 1 4 ab35 figs-metonymy וּ⁠מִתְפַּלֵּ֔ל לִ⁠פְנֵ֖י 1 and praying before the face of Here **face** is a metonym for the action of seeing, which is a figurative way of referring to a person’s notice or attention to something. Nehemiah is saying that he prayed in order to bring these matters to God’s notice or attention. Alternate translation: “and I prayed to” (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy\]\] and \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq\]\]) +NEH 1 4 ab35 figs-metonymy וּ⁠מִתְפַּלֵּ֔ל לִ⁠פְנֵ֖י 1 and praying before the face of Here **face** is a metonym for the action of seeing, which is a figurative way of referring to a person’s notice or attention to something. Nehemiah is saying that he prayed in order to bring these matters to God’s notice or attention. Alternate translation: “and I prayed to” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq]]) NEH 1 4 ab37 אֱלֹהֵ֥י הַ⁠שָּׁמָֽיִם 1 the God of heaven Alternate translation: “the God who is in heaven” NEH 1 5 ab39 וָ⁠אֹמַ֗ר 1 Then I said Here Nehemiah tells what he prayed. Alternate translation: “Then I prayed” NEH 1 5 ab41 figs-exclamations אָֽנָּ֤א 1 Ah! Nehemiah uses this word to call on God with strong feeling. Alternate translation: “O” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclamations]]) @@ -70,12 +70,12 @@ NEH 1 9 ab83 figs-parallelism אֲקַבְּצֵ֔⁠ם וַהֲבִֽיאוֹת NEH 1 9 ab85 figs-personification אֶל־הַ⁠מָּק֔וֹם אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּחַ֔רְתִּי לְ⁠שַׁכֵּ֥ן אֶת־שְׁמִ֖⁠י שָֽׁם 1 to the place where I have chosen to cause my name to dwell there Here God’s name is spoken of as if it were capable of living in a place. The phrase indicates the place from which God chose to start making himself famous throughout the world. You can say something like that as an alternate translation. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-personification]]) NEH 1 9 lgh9 figs-explicit אֶל־הַ⁠מָּק֔וֹם אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּחַ֔רְתִּי לְ⁠שַׁכֵּ֥ן אֶת־שְׁמִ֖⁠י שָֽׁם 1 to the place where I have chosen to cause my name to dwell there This phrase refers initially to Jerusalem, because that was where God chose to put his temple. You could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “to Jerusalem, where I have chosen for my name to remain” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) NEH 1 9 w4qw figs-metonymy אֶל־הַ⁠מָּק֔וֹם אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּחַ֔רְתִּי לְ⁠שַׁכֵּ֥ן אֶת־שְׁמִ֖⁠י שָֽׁם 1 to the place where I have chosen to cause my name to dwell there Nehemiah is actually using this phrase to refer to all of Judah. As the book explains later, when the Jews returned there, they each settled in their own former towns, though one in ten of them were recruited to live in Jerusalem. So Judah is being described by something associated with it, the capital city. Alternate translation: “to your homeland of Judah.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) -NEH 1 9 g88j figs-metonymy שְׁמִ֖⁠י 1 my name Here **name** is a figurative way of referring to the fame or reputation of a person. Their fame is described by something associated with it, how well known their name is and how people react to hearing it. Alternate translation: “reputation” (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy\]\] and \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq\]\]) +NEH 1 9 g88j figs-metonymy שְׁמִ֖⁠י 1 my name Here **name** is a figurative way of referring to the fame or reputation of a person. Their fame is described by something associated with it, how well known their name is and how people react to hearing it. Alternate translation: “reputation” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq]]) NEH 1 10 mjx7 figs-123person וְ⁠הֵ֥ם עֲבָדֶ֖י⁠ךָ וְ⁠עַמֶּ֑⁠ךָ 1 And they are your servants and your people The word **they** refers to the Israelite people. Since Nehemiah is speaking on their behalf and including himself, you could say “we” in your translation if that would make things clearer for your readers. If your language marks the distinction, “we” should not include the addressee. Alternate translation: “we are your servants, your chosen people” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-123person]]) NEH 1 10 ab87 figs-parallelism וְ⁠הֵ֥ם עֲבָדֶ֖י⁠ךָ וְ⁠עַמֶּ֑⁠ךָ 1 And they are your servants and your people As in [1:6](../01/06.md), **servants** refers to the special role that the people of Israel had as a model community of God’s followers. So these two phrases are basically saying the same thing. You do not need to repeat both phrases in your translation if that would be confusing for your readers. Alternate translation: “we are your chosen people” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]]) NEH 1 10 ab89 figs-explicit אֲשֶׁ֤ר פָּדִ֨יתָ֙ 1 whom you redeemed This is a reference to the way God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Alternate translation: “you rescued us from slavery in Egypt” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) NEH 1 10 zu4s figs-doublet בְּ⁠כֹחֲ⁠ךָ֣ הַ⁠גָּד֔וֹל וּ⁠בְ⁠יָדְ⁠ךָ֖ הַ⁠חֲזָקָֽה 1 by your great power and by your strong hand These two phrases mean basically the same thing. Nehemiah uses the repetition to emphasize the intensity of Yahweh’s power. Alternate translation: “by your very great strength” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-doublet]]) -NEH 1 10 ax91 figs-metaphor וּ⁠בְ⁠יָדְ⁠ךָ֖ הַ⁠חֲזָקָֽה 1 your strong hand Here **hand** represents a person’s power, strength, or ability. (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor\]\] and \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq\]\]) +NEH 1 10 ax91 figs-metaphor וּ⁠בְ⁠יָדְ⁠ךָ֖ הַ⁠חֲזָקָֽה 1 your strong hand Here **hand** represents a person’s power, strength, or ability. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq]]) NEH 1 11 ab93 figs-exclamations אָנָּ֣א 1 Ah! As in [1:5](../01/05.md), Nehemiah uses this word to call on God with strong feeling. Alternate translation: “O” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclamations]]) NEH 1 11 ab95 אֲדֹנָ֗⁠י תְּהִ֣י נָ֣א אָזְנְ⁠ךָֽ־קַ֠שֶּׁבֶת אֶל־תְּפִלַּ֨ת עַבְדְּ⁠ךָ֜ 1 My Lord, please let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant Nehemiah calls himself a **servant** and he calls God his **Lord** because this is how a person in his culture would address a superior in order to show humility and respect. See how you translated this in [1:6](../01/06.md). NEH 1 11 ab97 translate-names אֲדֹנָ֗⁠י 1 Lord This term in Hebrew can be understood as either a noun with a pronoun suffix (“my Lord”) or as a simple title (“Lord”). (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) @@ -98,16 +98,16 @@ NEH 2 1 a25b figs-explicit בְּ⁠חֹ֣דֶשׁ נִיסָ֗ן שְׁנַ֥ת NEH 2 1 h3hu translate-hebrewmonths בְּ⁠חֹ֣דֶשׁ נִיסָ֗ן 1 In the month of Nisan **Nisan** is the name of the first month of the Hebrew calendar. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-hebrewmonths]]) NEH 2 1 l63f translate-ordinal שְׁנַ֥ת עֶשְׂרִ֛ים לְ⁠אַרְתַּחְשַׁ֥סְתְּא הַ⁠מֶּ֖לֶךְ 1 in year twenty of Artaxerxes the king This is referring to the number of years that Artaxerxes had been reigning as king. Alternate translation: “in year 20 of the reign of Artaxerxes as the king of Persia” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-ordinal]]) NEH 2 1 k1vf יַ֣יִן לְ⁠פָנָ֑י⁠ו 1 wine was before his face **Him** means King Artaxerxes. Alternate translation: “when it was time to serve him the wine” -NEH 2 1 a24b figs-metaphor יַ֣יִן לְ⁠פָנָ֑י⁠ו 1 wine was before his face Here **face** is a figurative way of referring to the presence of a person. This sentence means that a time had come when Nehemiah needed to serve wine to the king. (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor\]\] and \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq\]\]) +NEH 2 1 a24b figs-metaphor יַ֣יִן לְ⁠פָנָ֑י⁠ו 1 wine was before his face Here **face** is a figurative way of referring to the presence of a person. This sentence means that a time had come when Nehemiah needed to serve wine to the king. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq]]) NEH 2 1 a29b וָ⁠אֶשָּׂ֤א אֶת־הַ⁠יַּ֨יִן֙ וָ⁠אֶתְּנָ֣⁠ה לַ⁠מֶּ֔לֶךְ 1 I lifted the wine, and I gave it to the king Alternate translation: “I poured a cup of wine and gave it to the king.” NEH 2 1 a31b figs-idiom וְ⁠לֹא־הָיִ֥יתִי רַ֖ע לְ⁠פָנָֽי⁠ו 1 and I was not evil before his face In this context, **evil** refers to a person looking sad or upset. It does not mean morally bad. Alternate translation: “I did not look sad in his presence.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) NEH 2 1 a33b figs-explicit וְ⁠לֹא־הָיִ֥יתִי 1 and I was not The context suggests that **I was not** actually means “I had never been.” It seems that King Artaxerxes always wanted his officials to be cheerful in his presence. That is why Nehemaiah became afraid when the king asked him why he was sad. If it would make things clearer for your readers, you could say “I had never been.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) -NEH 2 1 a38p figs-metaphor לְ⁠פָנָֽי⁠ו 1 before his face **Face** is a figurative way of referring to the presence of a person. Alternate translation: “in his presence” (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor\]\] and \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq\]\]) +NEH 2 1 a38p figs-metaphor לְ⁠פָנָֽי⁠ו 1 before his face **Face** is a figurative way of referring to the presence of a person. Alternate translation: “in his presence” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq]]) NEH 2 2 n5wy figs-explicit וַ⁠יֹּאמֶר֩ לִ֨⁠י הַ⁠מֶּ֜לֶךְ 1 And the king said to me The king must have noticed that Nehemiah looked sad because he asked about it. If it would make things clearer in your language, you could say this explicitly. Alternate translation: “But the king noticed that on this day I did look sad. So he asked me” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) NEH 2 2 ue51 figs-synecdoche מַדּ֣וּעַ ׀ פָּנֶ֣י⁠ךָ רָעִ֗ים 1 Why is your face evil? The king refers to Nehemiah by one part of him, his **face**, because the face shows one’s emotions. Alternate translation: “Why are you sad” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche]]) NEH 2 2 a37b figs-idiom מַדּ֣וּעַ ׀ פָּנֶ֣י⁠ךָ רָעִ֗ים 1 Why is your face evil? As in verse 1, **evil** does not mean morally bad in this context. It refers to a person looking sad or upset. Alternate translation: “Why are you sad” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) NEH 2 2 a39b וְ⁠אַתָּה֙ אֵֽינְ⁠ךָ֣ חוֹלֶ֔ה 1 Now as for you, you are not sick Alternate translation: “I can tell that you are not sick.” -NEH 2 2 g1k7 figs-personification אֵ֣ין זֶ֔ה כִּי־אִ֖ם רֹ֣עַֽ לֵ֑ב 1 This is nothing except evil of heart This phrase means “sadness of heart.” The king speaks as if Nehemiah’s heart were a living thing capable of having emotions. Alternate translation: “You must be very sad inside” (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-personification\]\] and \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq\]\]) +NEH 2 2 g1k7 figs-personification אֵ֣ין זֶ֔ה כִּי־אִ֖ם רֹ֣עַֽ לֵ֑ב 1 This is nothing except evil of heart This phrase means “sadness of heart.” The king speaks as if Nehemiah’s heart were a living thing capable of having emotions. Alternate translation: “You must be very sad inside” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-personification]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq]]) NEH 2 2 a41b figs-doublenegatives אֵ֣ין זֶ֔ה כִּי־אִ֖ם רֹ֣עַֽ לֵ֑ב 1 This is nothing except evil of heart You can state this in a positive form: Alternate translation: “This can only be sadness” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-doublenegatives]]) NEH 2 2 eyt8 figs-explicit וָ⁠אִירָ֖א הַרְבֵּ֥ה מְאֹֽד 1 Then I was extremely much afraid The implication is that Nehemiah was very afraid because no one was supposed to look unhappy in the king’s presence. If it would make things clearer in your language, you could say this explicitly. Alternate translation: “This made me very afraid, because no one was supposed to look unhappy in the king’s presence.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) NEH 2 3 qz4i figs-hyperbole הַ⁠מֶּ֖לֶךְ לְ⁠עוֹלָ֣ם יִחְיֶ֑ה 1 May the king live to eternity! Nehemiah is showing honor to King Artaxerxes. Here **to eternity** is an exaggeration that refers to a long life. Alternate translation: “Long live the king” or “May you have a long life” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole]]) @@ -116,8 +116,8 @@ NEH 2 3 klj6 figs-rquestion מַדּ֜וּעַ לֹא־יֵרְע֣וּ פָנַ NEH 2 3 a45b figs-synecdoche מַדּ֜וּעַ לֹא־יֵרְע֣וּ פָנַ֗⁠י 1 Why should not my face be evil Nehemiah refers to himself by one part of him, his **face**, because the face shows one’s emotions. Alternate translation: “I have very good reasons to be sad” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche]]) NEH 2 3 a47b figs-idiom מַדּ֜וּעַ לֹא־יֵרְע֣וּ פָנַ֗⁠י 1 Why should not my face be evil **Evil** does not mean morally bad in this context. It refers to a person looking sad or upset. Alternate translation: “I have very good reasons to be sad” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) NEH 2 3 a49b figs-explicit הָ⁠עִ֜יר…חֲרֵבָ֔ה 1 the city…is desolate **The city** means Jerusalem. If it would make things clearer in your language, you could say this explicitly. Alternate translation: “the city of Jerusalem … lies in ruins” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) -NEH 2 3 ehz3 figs-metaphor בֵּית־קִבְר֤וֹת אֲבֹתַ⁠י֙ 1 the house of the graves of my fathers **House** here is a figurative way of referring to a place. Alternate translation: “the place where my ancestors are buried” (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor\]\] and \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq\]\]) -NEH 2 3 a51b figs-metonymy בֵּית־קִבְר֤וֹת אֲבֹתַ⁠י֙ 1 the house of the graves of my fathers **Fathers** here figuratively means “ancestors.” Alternate translation: “the place where my ancestors are buried” (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy\]\] and \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq\]\]) +NEH 2 3 ehz3 figs-metaphor בֵּית־קִבְר֤וֹת אֲבֹתַ⁠י֙ 1 the house of the graves of my fathers **House** here is a figurative way of referring to a place. Alternate translation: “the place where my ancestors are buried” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq]]) +NEH 2 3 a51b figs-metonymy בֵּית־קִבְר֤וֹת אֲבֹתַ⁠י֙ 1 the house of the graves of my fathers **Fathers** here figuratively means “ancestors.” Alternate translation: “the place where my ancestors are buried” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq]]) NEH 2 3 g7f4 figs-activepassive וּ⁠שְׁעָרֶ֖י⁠הָ אֻכְּל֥וּ בָ⁠אֵֽשׁ 1 its gates have been consumed by fire If it would be clearer in your language, you can say this with an active form. Alternate translation: “fire has destroyed its gates” or “our enemies have burned its gates” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) NEH 2 4 a53b עַל־מַה־זֶּ֖ה אַתָּ֣ה מְבַקֵּ֑שׁ 1 For what is this you are seeking? Alternate translation: “What do you want me to do for you?” NEH 2 4 a55b figs-explicit וָֽ⁠אֶתְפַּלֵּ֔ל 1 And I prayed The implication is that Nehemiah prayed to God before he answered the king. If it would make things clearer in your language, you could say this explicitly. Alternate translation: “Before I answered him, I prayed” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) @@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ NEH 2 8 a99b אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִתֶּן־לִ֣⁠י עֵצִ֡ים 1 that he NEH 2 8 ac11 figs-metonymy הַ⁠בִּירָ֤ה אֲשֶׁר־לַ⁠בַּ֨יִת֙ 1 the citadel, which is for the house As in [1:1](../01/01.md), **citadel** refers to a fortress or stronghold. “House” here figuratively describes the temple as the “house” where God lives. Alternate translation: “the fortress that is near the temple” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) NEH 2 8 ac13 וְ⁠לַ⁠בַּ֖יִת אֲשֶׁר־אָב֣וֹא אֵלָ֑י⁠ו 1 and for the house into which I will enter Alternate translation: “and for the house that I will live in” NEH 2 8 ac15 וַ⁠יִּתֶּן־לִ֣⁠י הַ⁠מֶּ֔לֶךְ 1 And the king gave to me Alternate translation: “The king agreed to all of my requests.” -NEH 2 8 w91s figs-metaphor כְּ⁠יַד־אֱלֹהַ֖⁠י הַ⁠טּוֹבָ֥ה עָלָֽ⁠י 1 according to the good hand of my God upon me Here **hand** figuratively represents strength, power, control, or action. In this context, the expression means that God acted toward Nehemiah in a positive and favorable manner. Alternate translation: “because God’s favor was upon me” (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor\]\] and \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq\]\]) +NEH 2 8 w91s figs-metaphor כְּ⁠יַד־אֱלֹהַ֖⁠י הַ⁠טּוֹבָ֥ה עָלָֽ⁠י 1 according to the good hand of my God upon me Here **hand** figuratively represents strength, power, control, or action. In this context, the expression means that God acted toward Nehemiah in a positive and favorable manner. Alternate translation: “because God’s favor was upon me” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq]]) NEH 2 8 ac17 grammar-connect-logic-result כְּ⁠יַד־אֱלֹהַ֖⁠י הַ⁠טּוֹבָ֥ה עָלָֽ⁠י 1 according to the good hand of my God upon me If it would be clearer in your language, you can give this explanation (the reason) before the result that it accounts for, using a connecting word like “so.” Alternate translation: “God’s favor was upon me, and so the king agreed to all of my requests” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result]]) NEH 2 9 ac19 וָֽ⁠אָב֗וֹא אֶֽל־פַּֽחֲווֹת֙ עֵ֣בֶר הַ⁠נָּהָ֔ר 1 And I came to the governors of Beyond-the-River Alternate translation: “When I reached the province Beyond the River, I went to see its governors” NEH 2 9 ac21 translate-names עֵ֣בֶר הַ⁠נָּהָ֔ר 1 Beyond-the-River This is the name of a Persian province. See how you translated it in [2:7](../02/07.md). (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) @@ -177,11 +177,11 @@ NEH 2 12 ac47 figs-explicit וָ⁠אָק֣וּם ׀ לַ֗יְלָה 1 Then I a NEH 2 12 ac49 figs-gendernotations אֲנִי֮ וַ⁠אֲנָשִׁ֣ים ׀ מְעַט֮ עִמִּ⁠י֒ 1 myself and a few men with me The word **men** here could conceivably include both men and women. However, for a nighttime mission through the ruins of the city walls, it’s likely that Nehemiah brought along only other men. So in this context you could use a word that indicates that. Alternate translation: “I brought only a few other men with me.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-gendernotations]]) NEH 2 12 ac51 figs-hyperbole וְ⁠לֹא־הִגַּ֣דְתִּי לְ⁠אָדָ֔ם מָ֗ה אֱלֹהַ⁠י֙ נֹתֵ֣ן אֶל־לִבִּ֔⁠י לַ⁠עֲשׂ֖וֹת לִ⁠ירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם 1 and I did not tell anyone what my God had been giving to my heart to do for Jerusalem Probably Nehemiah told at least some people, since he brought a few men with him when he went out to inspect the walls. So “not … anyone” might be an exaggeration that emphasizes the secrecy Nehemiah maintained. Alternate translation: “I did not say publicly what God had led me to do for Jerusalem.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole]]) NEH 2 12 ac53 grammar-connect-logic-result וְ⁠לֹא־הִגַּ֣דְתִּי לְ⁠אָדָ֔ם מָ֗ה אֱלֹהַ⁠י֙ נֹתֵ֣ן אֶל־לִבִּ֔⁠י לַ⁠עֲשׂ֖וֹת לִ⁠ירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם 1 and I did not tell anyone If it would be clearer in your language, you can give this explanation before describing Nehemiah’s night time mission, because it is the reason that explains the result of him maintaining so much secrecy. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result]]) -NEH 2 12 s72w figs-metaphor מָ֗ה אֱלֹהַ⁠י֙ נֹתֵ֣ן אֶל־לִבִּ֔⁠י לַ⁠עֲשׂ֖וֹת 1 had put into my heart Here Nehemiah’s **heart** figuratively represents his thoughts and will. Alternate translation: “what God had inspired me to do” or “what God had led me to do” (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor\]\] and \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq\]\]) +NEH 2 12 s72w figs-metaphor מָ֗ה אֱלֹהַ⁠י֙ נֹתֵ֣ן אֶל־לִבִּ֔⁠י לַ⁠עֲשׂ֖וֹת 1 had put into my heart Here Nehemiah’s **heart** figuratively represents his thoughts and will. Alternate translation: “what God had inspired me to do” or “what God had led me to do” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq]]) NEH 2 12 wd63 figs-explicit וּ⁠בְהֵמָה֙ אֵ֣ין עִמִּ֔⁠י 1 Now there was no animal with me The implication is that this was another measure to maintain secrecy. If it would make things clearer in your language, you could say this explicitly. Alternate translation: “To keep things quiet, there were no other animals with me” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) NEH 2 13 au61 figs-synecdoche וָ⁠אֵצְאָ֨⁠ה 1 I went out Even though he brought a few men with him, Nehemiah says “I” because he was the primary person conducting this inspection. In this narrative, he represents the entire group. If it would be clearer in your language, you could say “we” in your translation to express this meaning. If your language makes this distinction, “we” would not include the addressee. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche]]) NEH 2 13 ac55 translate-names בְ⁠שַֽׁעַר־הַ⁠גַּ֜יא 1 at the gate of the valley This is the name of one of the gates of Jerusalem. Alternate translation: “at the Valley Gate” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) -NEH 2 13 az64 figs-metonymy וְ⁠אֶל־פְּנֵי֙ עֵ֣ין הַתַּנִּ֔ין 1 even to the face of the spring of the dragon Here **face** figuratively means the front of an object. This means that the group passed in front of the well. Alternate translation: “we went past the Dragon Well” (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy\]\] and \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq\]\]) +NEH 2 13 az64 figs-metonymy וְ⁠אֶל־פְּנֵי֙ עֵ֣ין הַתַּנִּ֔ין 1 even to the face of the spring of the dragon Here **face** figuratively means the front of an object. This means that the group passed in front of the well. Alternate translation: “we went past the Dragon Well” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq]]) NEH 2 13 pt1h translate-names עֵ֣ין הַתַּנִּ֔ין 1 the spring of the dragon This is the name of a spring-fed well outside Jerusalem. Alternate translation: “the Dragon Well” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) NEH 2 13 mif3 translate-names וְ⁠אֶל־שַׁ֖עַר הָ⁠אַשְׁפֹּ֑ת 1 and to the gate of dung This is the name of another one of the gates of Jerusalem. It seems that rubbish was removed from the city through this gate. Alternate translation: “the Rubbish Gate” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) NEH 2 13 ac59 וָ⁠אֱהִ֨י שֹׂבֵ֜ר בְּ⁠חוֹמֹ֤ת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֨ם֙ 1 And I was looking intently at the walls of Jerusalem Alternate translation: “We made a careful inspection of the walls of Jerusalem.” @@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ NEH 2 18 a11c דִּבְרֵ֥י הַ⁠מֶּ֖לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָֽ NEH 2 18 a13c figs-explicit נָק֣וּם וּ⁠בָנִ֔ינוּ 1 We will rise up and build The implication is that the people responded this way after they heard all that God had done for Nehemiah. If it would be clearer in your language, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “When they heard this, they said, ‘Let’s get going and begin building!’” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) NEH 2 18 a15c figs-idiom נָק֣וּם וּ⁠בָנִ֔ינוּ 1 We will rise up and build In this context, **rise up** means to begin something. This was an enthusiastic response. Alternate translation: “Let’s get going and start building!” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) NEH 2 18 y6ui figs-idiom וַ⁠יְחַזְּק֥וּ יְדֵי⁠הֶ֖ם לַ⁠טּוֹבָֽה 1 And they strengthened their hands for good The phrase “strengthened their hands” means that they encouraged one another. “For good” refers to the rebuilding project, which they recognized would be a great benefit. Alternate translation: “So they prepared themselves to do this good work” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) -NEH 2 18 a14c figs-metaphor יְדֵי⁠הֶ֖ם 1 their hands **Hand** in this context represents a person’s strength or power. Alternate translation: “they prepared themselves” (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor\]\] and \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq\]\]) +NEH 2 18 a14c figs-metaphor יְדֵי⁠הֶ֖ם 1 their hands **Hand** in this context represents a person’s strength or power. Alternate translation: “they prepared themselves” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq]]) NEH 2 19 et87 translate-names סַנְבַלַּ֨ט הַ⁠חֹרֹנִ֜י 1 Sanballat the Horonite Sanballat is the name of a man, and Horonite is the name of his people group. See how you translated this in [2:10](../02/10.md). (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) NEH 2 19 a19c translate-names וְ⁠טֹבִיָּ֣ה…הָֽ⁠עַמּוֹנִ֗י 1 and Tobiah…the Ammonite Tobiah is the name of a man, and Ammonite is the name of his people group. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) NEH 2 19 a21c וְ⁠טֹבִיָּ֣ה ׀ הָ⁠עֶ֣בֶד 1 and Tobiah, the servant See how you translated this in [2:10](../02/10.md). Alternate translation: “Tobiah, his deputy” @@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ NEH 3 1 ald8 figs-explicit וַ⁠יָּ֡קָם אֶלְיָשִׁיב֩ הַ NEH 3 1 a37c figs-idiom וַ⁠יָּ֡קָם 1 And…rose up As in [2:18](../02/18.md), **rise up** here means to begin something. Alternate translation: “began to” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) NEH 3 1 g9az translate-names אֶלְיָשִׁיב֩ 1 Eliashib This is the name of a man. It occurs about a dozen times in the book of Nehemiah. It will be helpful to your readers if you translate it consistently each time. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) NEH 3 1 a39c translate-unknown הַ⁠כֹּהֵ֨ן הַ⁠גָּד֜וֹל 1 the high priest This means that Eliashib was the leader of the priests who conducted worship in the temple and performed many other religious and community functions. Alternate translation: “the priest who was in charge in the temple” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) -NEH 3 1 a40c figs-metaphor וְ⁠אֶחָ֣י⁠ו הַ⁠כֹּהֲנִ֗ים 1 with his brothers the priests Here **brother** could mean Eliashib’s biological brothers, but more likely it figuratively refers to the rest of the priests. Alternate translation: “with his fellow priests” (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor\]\] and \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq\]\]) +NEH 3 1 a40c figs-metaphor וְ⁠אֶחָ֣י⁠ו הַ⁠כֹּהֲנִ֗ים 1 with his brothers the priests Here **brother** could mean Eliashib’s biological brothers, but more likely it figuratively refers to the rest of the priests. Alternate translation: “with his fellow priests” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq]]) NEH 3 1 a43c figs-explicit וַ⁠יִּבְנוּ֙ 1 and they built It is clear from the context that they were not building something brand new. Rather, they were rebuilding the walls that had been knocked down. This expression occurs several times in this chapter. It would be helpful to your readers to translate it consistently. Alternate translation: “rebuilt.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) NEH 3 1 a45c translate-names שַׁ֣עַר הַ⁠צֹּ֔אן 1 the gate of the sheep This is the name of one of the gates of Jerusalem. Alternate translation: “the Sheep Gate” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) NEH 3 1 a47c translate-symaction הֵ֣מָּה קִדְּשׁ֔וּ⁠הוּ 1 They themselves consecrated it **Consecrate** means to set something apart for a special purpose. The Sheep Gate was the gate closest to the temple. By dedicating it to God, the priests were symbolically dedicating the entire wall to God. The rebuilt wall would define and protect the city of Jerusalem as the place from which God had chosen to start making himself famous throughout the world, as described in [1:9](../01/09.md). (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction]]) @@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ NEH 3 1 a51c וַֽ⁠יַּעֲמִ֖ידוּ דַּלְתֹתָ֑י⁠ו 1 an NEH 3 1 a7k9 figs-ellipsis וְ⁠עַד־מִגְדַּ֤ל הַ⁠מֵּאָה֙ קִדְּשׁ֔וּ⁠הוּ עַ֖ד מִגְדַּ֥ל חֲנַנְאֵֽל 1 And they consecrated it as far as the tower of the Hundred and as far as the tower of Hananel In this record of people who helped rebuild the wall, Nehemiah is writing more of a list than a narrative, so he often leaves out one or more words that a sentence normally would have in order to be complete. This sentence seems to mean, “They rebuilt the wall as far as the Tower of the Hundred, and beyond that to the Tower of Hananel. Then they dedicated that part of the wall to God as well.” You could say something like that if it would be helpful to your readers. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) NEH 3 1 e1th translate-names מִגְדַּ֤ל הַ⁠מֵּאָה֙…מִגְדַּ֥ל חֲנַנְאֵֽל 1 the tower of the Hundred…the tower of Hananel These are the names of two of the towers on the Jerusalem wall. Alternate translation: “the Tower of the Hundred…the Tower of Hananel” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) NEH 3 1 r9wn translate-unknown מִגְדַּ֤ל הַ⁠מֵּאָה֙ 1 the tower of the Hundred It is not clear why this tower had this name. The tower could have been 100 cubits high (about 150 feet or about 45 meters), or 100 soldiers may have been stationed there. Since the reason is unknown, it might be best just to call this the “Tower of the Hundred.” However, if it would be confusing to your readers not to explain the meaning of the number, you suggest one of these possibilities. Alternate translation: “The Tower of the Hundred Soldiers” or “The Hundred-Cubit Tower.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) -NEH 3 2 xtj9 figs-idiom וְ⁠עַל־יָד֥⁠וֹ בָנ֖וּ 1 And…built at his hand Here **at his hand** is a figurative way of saying “beside him” or “next to him.” This expression occurs several times in this chapter. It would be helpful to your readers to translate it consistently. Alternate translation: “next to them” (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom\]\] and \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq\]\]) +NEH 3 2 xtj9 figs-idiom וְ⁠עַל־יָד֥⁠וֹ בָנ֖וּ 1 And…built at his hand Here **at his hand** is a figurative way of saying “beside him” or “next to him.” This expression occurs several times in this chapter. It would be helpful to your readers to translate it consistently. Alternate translation: “next to them” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq]]) NEH 3 2 qf25 figs-gendernotations אַנְשֵׁ֣י יְרֵח֑וֹ 1 men of Jericho The word **men** here can include women, and it does seem to include them in this context. Elsewhere in this chapter, [3:12](../02/12.md) tells us that “Shallum and his daughters repaired part of the wall.” So we know that both men and women worked on this project. Alternate translation: “people from Jericho” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-gendernotations]]) NEH 3 2 u2s6 translate-names יְרֵח֑וֹ 1 Jericho Jericho is the name of one of the cities in Judah. We see from this chapter that several cities and towns sent work parties to help rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) NEH 3 2 q84s translate-names זַכּ֖וּר בֶּן־אִמְרִֽי 1 Zaccur, the son of Imri Zaccur is the name of a man, and Imri is the name of his father. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) @@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ NEH 3 7 mj92 translate-unknown לְ⁠כִסֵּ֕א פַּחַ֖ת עֵ֥בֶר NEH 3 8 b2yh translate-names עֻזִּיאֵ֤ל בֶּֽן־חַרְהֲיָה֙ 1 Uzziel, the son of Harbaiah Uzziel is the name of a man, and Harhaiah is the name of his father. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) NEH 3 8 f4p5 translate-unknown צֽוֹרְפִ֔ים 1 of the goldsmiths This means that Uzziel was one of the goldsmiths who worked in Jerusalem. A goldsmith is a person who makes jewelry and other objects from gold. The term “goldsmith” occurs several more times in the chapter, and if you include both the name and the definition here, that would help your readers understand it in its later occurrences. Alternate translation: “He was one of the goldsmiths, the workers who made jewelry and other objects from gold.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) NEH 3 8 mx88 translate-names חֲנַנְיָ֖ה 1 Hananiah Hananiah is the name of a man. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) -NEH 3 8 mm1q figs-metaphor בֶּן־הָ⁠רַקָּחִ֑ים 1 a son of the perfumers **Son of** here is a figurative expression that indicates that a person shares the qualities of something. In this case, the book is describing someone who shares the quality of being a maker of perfume. Alternate translation: “one of the perfumers” (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor\]\] and \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq\]\]) +NEH 3 8 mm1q figs-metaphor בֶּן־הָ⁠רַקָּחִ֑ים 1 a son of the perfumers **Son of** here is a figurative expression that indicates that a person shares the qualities of something. In this case, the book is describing someone who shares the quality of being a maker of perfume. Alternate translation: “one of the perfumers” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq]]) NEH 3 8 y25y translate-names וַ⁠יַּֽעַזְבוּ֙ יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם עַ֖ד הַ⁠חוֹמָ֥ה הָ⁠רְחָבָֽה 1 And they restored Jerusalem as far as the broad wall This is the name of one of the features of the Jerusalem wall. This may have been a place where the wall had been built thicker and stronger for strategic purposes. Alternate translation: “They rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) NEH 3 9 m5at וְ⁠עַל־יָדָ֤⁠ם הֶחֱזִיק֙ רְפָיָ֣ה בֶן־ח֔וּר שַׂ֕ר חֲצִ֖י פֶּ֥לֶךְ יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם 1 And Rephaiah, the son of Hur, the administrator for half of the district of Jerusalem, strengthened at their hand. In this chapter, when Nehemiah names a person, then names their father, and then describes a role, it is the first person, not their father, who was in that role. It will be helpful to your readers if you make this clear. Alternate translation: “Next to them, Rephaiah the son of Hur repaired part of the wall. Rephaiah ruled half of the district of Jerusalem.” NEH 3 9 avu2 translate-names רְפָיָ֣ה בֶן־ח֔וּר 1 Rephaiah, the son of Hur Rephaiah is the name of a man, and Hur is the name of his father. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) @@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ NEH 3 17 yt87 figs-explicit רְח֣וּם בֶּן־בָּנִ֑י 1 Rehum, the NEH 3 17 a88s translate-names חֲשַׁבְיָ֛ה 1 Hashabiah Hashabiah is the name of a man. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) NEH 3 17 yh3z עַל־יָד֣⁠וֹ הֶחֱזִ֗יק חֲשַׁבְיָ֛ה…לְ⁠פִלְכּֽ⁠וֹ 1 at his hand, Hashabiah…strengthened for his district This does not mean that Hashabiah repaired this part of the wall for the benefit of his district, but rather that he did it leading a work party from his district. Alternate translation: “led a work party from his district that repaired the next section of the wall” NEH 3 17 y3tu translate-names חֲצִי־פֶ֥לֶךְ קְעִילָ֖ה 1 half the district of Keilah This is the name of one of the districts into which the city and the surrounding area were divided. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) -NEH 3 18 h5qz figs-metaphor הֶחֱזִ֣יקוּ אֲחֵי⁠הֶ֔ם 1 their brothers repaired As in [3:1](../03/01.md), **brother** could mean the biological brothers of the Levites mentioned in [3:17](../03/17.md). However, more likely it figuratively means other Levites. Alternate translation: “some other Levites repaired more of the wall” (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor\]\] and \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq\]\]) +NEH 3 18 h5qz figs-metaphor הֶחֱזִ֣יקוּ אֲחֵי⁠הֶ֔ם 1 their brothers repaired As in [3:1](../03/01.md), **brother** could mean the biological brothers of the Levites mentioned in [3:17](../03/17.md). However, more likely it figuratively means other Levites. Alternate translation: “some other Levites repaired more of the wall” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq]]) NEH 3 18 b6sj figs-ellipsis בַּוַּ֖י בֶּן־חֵנָדָ֑ד שַׂ֕ר חֲצִ֖י פֶּ֥לֶךְ קְעִילָֽה 1 Binnui, the son of Henadad, the administrator for half the district of Keilah Here Nehemiah does not say “at their hand” (next to them) or “strengthened” (repaired another section of the wall). Once again he is leaving out some of what a complete sentence would be expected to contain. You can fill in this information. Alternate translation: “Next to them, Binnui the son of Henadad, who ruled the other half of the district of Keilah, repaired more of the wall.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) NEH 3 18 gc2h translate-names בַּוַּ֖י בֶּן־חֵנָדָ֑ד 1 Binnui, the son of Henadad Binnui is the name of a man, and Henadad is the name of his father. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) NEH 3 18 ca6t translate-names שַׂ֕ר חֲצִ֖י פֶּ֥לֶךְ קְעִילָֽה 1 the administrator for half the district of Keilah This is the name of one of the districts into which the city and the surrounding area were divided. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) @@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ NEH 3 30 nn44 translate-ordinal הַ⁠שִּׁשִּׁ֖י 1 sixth Alternate tr NEH 3 30 ifp5 translate-names מְשֻׁלָּם֙ בֶּן־בֶּ֣רֶכְיָ֔ה 1 Meshullam, the son of Berechiah Meshullam is the name of a man, and Berechiah is the name of his father. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) NEH 3 30 bv3t נֶ֖גֶד נִשְׁכָּתֽ⁠וֹ 1 in front of his chamber Alternate translation: “in front of the rooms where he stayed” NEH 3 31 d33p translate-names מַלְכִּיָּה֙ 1 Malkijah Malkijah is the name of a man. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) -NEH 3 31 uuc7 figs-metaphor בֶּן־הַ⁠צֹּ֣רְפִ֔י 1 a son of the goldsmiths As in [3:8](../03/08.md), this is a figurative way of saying that Malkijah was one of the goldsmiths. In this figure of speech, the “son of” something shares its qualities. Since the goldsmiths have been mentioned previously (in [3:8](../03/08.md), where their work is described), you could say as an alternate translation: “who was another one of the goldsmiths” (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor\]\] and \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq\]\]) +NEH 3 31 uuc7 figs-metaphor בֶּן־הַ⁠צֹּ֣רְפִ֔י 1 a son of the goldsmiths As in [3:8](../03/08.md), this is a figurative way of saying that Malkijah was one of the goldsmiths. In this figure of speech, the “son of” something shares its qualities. Since the goldsmiths have been mentioned previously (in [3:8](../03/08.md), where their work is described), you could say as an alternate translation: “who was another one of the goldsmiths” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq]]) NEH 3 31 lb9z עַד־בֵּ֥ית הַ⁠נְּתִינִ֖ים וְ⁠הָ⁠רֹכְלִ֑ים 1 as far as the house of the Nethinim and the merchants Alternate translation: “as far as the building used by the temple servants and the merchants” NEH 3 31 ye2u translate-names שַׁ֣עַר הַ⁠מִּפְקָ֔ד 1 the gate of mustering This is the name of one of the gates of Jerusalem. “Mustering” refers to soldiers assembling to go out to battle. Alternate translation: “the Mobilization Gate” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) NEH 3 31 r6sv וְ⁠עַ֖ד עֲלִיַּ֥ת הַ⁠פִּנָּֽה 1 even as far as the upper chamber of the corner Alternate translation: “He built as far as the upper apartments of this building, which were on the corner.” @@ -379,9 +379,9 @@ NEH 4 intro tlj9 0 # Nehemiah 04 General Notes
## Special concepts in this NEH 4 1 rnw3 writing-newevent וַ⁠יְהִ֞י 1 And it happened that Nehemiah uses this phrase to introduce the next event in his story. You do not need to represent it in your translation unless your language has a similar expression that it characteristically uses. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent]]) NEH 4 1 vfu4 translate-names סַנְבַלַּ֗ט 1 Sanballat This is a man’s name. See how you translated this in [2:10](../02/10.md). (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) NEH 4 1 a71c figs-parallelism וַ⁠יִּ֣חַר ל֔⁠וֹ וַ⁠יִּכְעַ֖ס הַרְבֵּ֑ה 1 And it burned him, and he was very angry These two phrases mean similar things. Nehemiah uses the repetition to emphasize how angry Sanballat was. If it would be clearer in your language, you could combine these phrases and say something like “he became furiously angry” or “he became very angry.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]]) -NEH 4 1 s6td figs-metaphor וַ⁠יִּ֣חַר ל֔⁠וֹ וַ⁠יִּכְעַ֖ס 1 it burned him, and he was very angry Here Nehemiah says that Sanballat’s anger was a fire that burned inside of him. Alternate translation: “he became furious” (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor\]\] and \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-phenom\]\]) -NEH 4 2 v3qv figs-metaphor וַ⁠יֹּ֣אמֶר ׀ לִ⁠פְנֵ֣י 1 And he spoke before the face of Here **face** figuratively represents the presence of a person. The expression means that Sanballat was speaking personally to the other people who are named. Alternate translation: “He said to” (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor\]\] and \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq\]\]) -NEH 4 2 a73c figs-metaphor אֶחָ֗י⁠ו 1 his brothers Here **brother** likely refers figuratively to Sanballat’s fellow officials. Alternate translation: “the other provincial officials” (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor\]\] and \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq\]\]) +NEH 4 1 s6td figs-metaphor וַ⁠יִּ֣חַר ל֔⁠וֹ וַ⁠יִּכְעַ֖ס 1 it burned him, and he was very angry Here Nehemiah says that Sanballat’s anger was a fire that burned inside of him. Alternate translation: “he became furious” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-phenom]]) +NEH 4 2 v3qv figs-metaphor וַ⁠יֹּ֣אמֶר ׀ לִ⁠פְנֵ֣י 1 And he spoke before the face of Here **face** figuratively represents the presence of a person. The expression means that Sanballat was speaking personally to the other people who are named. Alternate translation: “He said to” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq]]) +NEH 4 2 a73c figs-metaphor אֶחָ֗י⁠ו 1 his brothers Here **brother** likely refers figuratively to Sanballat’s fellow officials. Alternate translation: “the other provincial officials” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq]]) NEH 4 2 a75c figs-synecdoche וְ⁠חֵיל֙ שֹֽׁמְר֔וֹן 1 and the army of Samaria Sanballat was not speaking to the entire army. Nehemiah is figuratively using all of something to mean part of it. He is referring to the officers of the army by the name of the entire army. Alternate translation: “the army officers” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche]]) NEH 4 2 d5n2 figs-rquestion מָ֛ה הַ⁠יְּהוּדִ֥ים הָ⁠אֲמֵלָלִ֖ים עֹשִׂ֑ים הֲ⁠יַעַזְב֨וּ לָ⁠הֶ֤ם הֲ⁠יִזְבָּ֨חוּ֙ הַ⁠יְכַלּ֣וּ בַ⁠יּ֔וֹם 1 What are the feeble Jews doing? Will they restore for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Sanballat actually is making a series of statement, not asking a series of questions. He does not expect the officials and officers to tell him what the Jews are doing and whether they will succeed. Instead, he is using the question form to mock the Jews. If it would be clearer in your language, you could translate the ideas in his questions as a series of statements. Alternate translation: “These feeble Jews can accomplish nothing. They will never restore the city for themselves. They will not offer sacrifices. They will not finish the work any time soon.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]]) NEH 4 2 r9lb הֲ⁠יִזְבָּ֨חוּ֙ 1 Will they sacrifice? The meaning of this phrase is not entirely clear. It could be that Sanballat is speaking of the Jews offering sacrifices to try to entice God to make their project successful. Alternate translation: “They will not get their God to help them.” @@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ NEH 4 4 pgh8 figs-abstractnouns וּ⁠תְנֵ֥⁠ם לְ⁠בִזָּ֖ה ב NEH 4 5 mc9p figs-parallelism וְ⁠אַל־תְּכַס֙ עַל־עֲוֺנָ֔⁠ם וְ⁠חַטָּאתָ֖⁠ם מִ⁠לְּ⁠פָנֶ֣י⁠ךָ אַל־תִּמָּחֶ֑ה 1 And do not cover over their iniquity, and do not wipe out their sin from before your face These two phrases mean similar things. Nehemiah uses the repetition to emphasize how guilty Sanballat and Tobiah are for opposing the work that God has sent him to do. If it would be clearer in your language, you could combine these phrases. Alternate translation: “do not ever forgive them” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]]) NEH 4 5 zz8h figs-metaphor וְ⁠אַל־תְּכַס֙ עַל־עֲוֺנָ֔⁠ם 1 Do not cover over their iniquity Nehemiah speaks of a person’s sins as if they were an object that could be physically hidden. Alternate translation: “do not forgive their sins” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) NEH 4 5 k9rw figs-metaphor וְ⁠חַטָּאתָ֖⁠ם…אַל־תִּמָּחֶ֑ה 1 and do not wipe out their sin Nehemiah speaks of a person’s sins as if they were something written that could be erased. Alternate translation: “do not forget their sins” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) -NEH 4 5 a79c figs-metaphor מִ⁠לְּ⁠פָנֶ֣י⁠ךָ 1 from before your face Here **face** figuratively means the action of seeing or a person’s notice or attention. A person can see what is in front of their face, so in this case the expression means, “from where you can see it” (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor\]\] and \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy\]\] and \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq\]\]) +NEH 4 5 a79c figs-metaphor מִ⁠לְּ⁠פָנֶ֣י⁠ךָ 1 from before your face Here **face** figuratively means the action of seeing or a person’s notice or attention. A person can see what is in front of their face, so in this case the expression means, “from where you can see it” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq]]) NEH 4 5 mbi1 כִּ֥י הִכְעִ֖יסוּ לְ⁠נֶ֥גֶד הַ⁠בּוֹנִֽים 1 for they have provoked anger before the front of the builders This expression could mean a number of things: (1) They have caused others to be angry at the people who are rebuilding the wall. This third possibility seems the most likely, since Nehemiah is praying that what these men are trying to do to others will happen to them. His prayer is presumably not that the builders or God will make Sanballat and Tobiah angry, but that the other nations they are trying to recruit will turn against them. Alternate translation: “they have caused others to be angry at the people who are rebuilding the wall” (2) Sanballat and Tobiah have made the builders angry by mocking them. Alternate translation: “they have made the builders become angry” (3) They have made God angry by opposing the work he has commanded Nehemiah to do. Alternate translation: “they have made you become angry” NEH 4 6 r475 וַ⁠נִּבְנֶה֙ אֶת־הַ֣⁠חוֹמָ֔ה 1 So we built the wall As in chapter 3, it might be helpful to say “rebuilt.” The Jews were not building something brand new. See the note to [3:1](../03/01.md). NEH 4 6 mhm5 figs-activepassive וַ⁠תִּקָּשֵׁ֥ר כָּל־הַ⁠חוֹמָ֖ה עַד־חֶצְיָ֑⁠הּ 1 and all the wall was joined together to half its height You can say this with an active form, and you can say who did the action. Alternate translation: “we filled in the breaks as high as halfway up the wall” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) @@ -508,14 +508,14 @@ NEH 5 5 pcwk כִּ⁠בְשַׂ֤ר אַחֵ֨י⁠נוּ֙ בְּשָׂרֵ֔ NEH 5 5 w1ot figs-metaphor אַחֵ֨י⁠נוּ֙ 1 Here **brother** figuratively describes the Jews who are exploiting their poor and vulnerable fellow Jews. Alternate translation: “And we are Jews, just like the people who are doing these things to us!” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-hq]]) NEH 5 5 oguf וְ⁠הִנֵּ֣ה 1 **Behold** is a term meant to focus the attention of the listener on what the speaker is about to say. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could use some emphatic term or expression in your language that would have this same effect. NEH 5 5 rdp9 figs-explicit אֲנַ֣חְנוּ כֹ֠בְשִׁים אֶת־בָּנֵ֨י⁠נוּ וְ⁠אֶת־בְּנֹתֵ֜י⁠נוּ לַ⁠עֲבָדִ֗ים וְ⁠יֵ֨שׁ מִ⁠בְּנֹתֵ֤י⁠נוּ נִכְבָּשׁוֹת֙ 1 In this context, the construction **are putting** likely indicates that the poor are on the verge of selling their children into slavery. The next sentence shows that they have already done this just in some instances. It appears that in this culture, in dire situations, girls were sold before boys, perhaps because they could become either domestic servants or concubines. A concubine was a woman who was both a slave and a secondary wife to her master. If it would be clearer in your language, you could express this statement that way. Alternate translation: “We are on the verge of selling our children into slavery. In fact, we have already sold some of our daughters as servants and concubines.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) -NEH 5 5 z783 grammar-connect-logic-result וְ⁠אֵ֣ין לְ⁠אֵ֣ל יָדֵ֔⁠נוּ וּ⁠שְׂדֹתֵ֥י⁠נוּ וּ⁠כְרָמֵ֖י⁠נוּ לַ⁠אֲחֵרִֽים 1 If it would be clearer in your language, you could reverse the order of these phrases, because the second phrase gives the reason why the first phrase is true. Alternate translation: “because our creditors took the fields and vineyards we pledged as security for loans, there is nothing else we can do in this situation.” (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result\]\]) +NEH 5 5 z783 grammar-connect-logic-result וְ⁠אֵ֣ין לְ⁠אֵ֣ל יָדֵ֔⁠נוּ וּ⁠שְׂדֹתֵ֥י⁠נוּ וּ⁠כְרָמֵ֖י⁠נוּ לַ⁠אֲחֵרִֽים 1 If it would be clearer in your language, you could reverse the order of these phrases, because the second phrase gives the reason why the first phrase is true. Alternate translation: “because our creditors took the fields and vineyards we pledged as security for loans, there is nothing else we can do in this situation.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result]]) NEH 5 5 y2mq figs-idiom וְ⁠אֵ֣ין לְ⁠אֵ֣ל יָדֵ֔⁠נוּ 1 “My hand is to God” is an [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]] that means that the speaker has the power to do what they are describing. Here the poor are saying that this is not the case. Alternate translation: “there is nothing else we can do in this situation” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) NEH 5 5 jr7j figs-explicit וּ⁠שְׂדֹתֵ֥י⁠נוּ וּ⁠כְרָמֵ֖י⁠נוּ לַ⁠אֲחֵרִֽים 1 The implication is that when the poor could not pay back their loans, their creditors took the fields and vineyards they had pledged as collateral. If it would make things clearer in your language, you could say this explicitly. Alternate translation: “because our creditors took the fields and vineyards we pledged as security for loans.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) NEH 5 6 xcm3 figs-metaphor וַ⁠יִּ֥חַר לִ֖⁠י מְאֹ֑ד 1 Here Nehemiah says that his anger was a fire that burned inside of him. Alternate translation: “I got very angry” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/bita-phenom]]) NEH 5 6 ryx1 figs-abstractnouns כַּ⁠אֲשֶׁ֤ר שָׁמַ֨עְתִּי֙ אֶת־זַֽעֲקָתָ֔⁠ם 1 **Outcry** is an abstract noun that refers to complaints that the poorer Jews made to Nehemiah about how the wealthier and more powerful Jews were treating them. You can translate the idea behind this word with a verb such as “complain.” Alternate translation: “when I heard how they were complaining” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) NEH 5 6 some figs-doublet אֶת־זַֽעֲקָתָ֔⁠ם וְ⁠אֵ֖ת הַ⁠דְּבָרִ֥ים 1 These two short phrases mean similar things. They are used together to emphasize the urgency and severity of these complaints. You do not need to repeat both phrases in your translation if that would be confusing for your readers. Alternate translation: “everything that they were complaining about” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-doublet]]) -NEH 5 7 zk8g figs-personification וַ⁠יִּמָּלֵ֨ךְ לִבִּ֜⁠י עָלַ֗⁠י 1 Here Nehemiah is speaking about his heart as if it were a living thing that could act like a king and rule over him. However, he is not saying that his feelings commanded his actions. (He says in the previous verse that he became very angry, but in the next verse he describes acting in a careful and deliberate manner.) Instead, this means that his heart “took counsel” with him, the way a king would take counsel with advisors. In effect, Nehemiah is saying that he talked the matter over with himself. Alternate translation: “I thought hard about what to do” (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-personification\]\]) -NEH 5 7 wxyz figs-metaphor וַ⁠יִּמָּלֵ֨ךְ לִבִּ֜⁠י עָלַ֗⁠י 1 Here the **heart** figuratively represents the thoughts and the will. Alternate translation: “I thought hard about what to do” (See: \[\[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor\]\]) +NEH 5 7 zk8g figs-personification וַ⁠יִּמָּלֵ֨ךְ לִבִּ֜⁠י עָלַ֗⁠י 1 Here Nehemiah is speaking about his heart as if it were a living thing that could act like a king and rule over him. However, he is not saying that his feelings commanded his actions. (He says in the previous verse that he became very angry, but in the next verse he describes acting in a careful and deliberate manner.) Instead, this means that his heart “took counsel” with him, the way a king would take counsel with advisors. In effect, Nehemiah is saying that he talked the matter over with himself. Alternate translation: “I thought hard about what to do” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-personification]]) +NEH 5 7 wxyz figs-metaphor וַ⁠יִּמָּלֵ֨ךְ לִבִּ֜⁠י עָלַ֗⁠י 1 Here the **heart** figuratively represents the thoughts and the will. Alternate translation: “I thought hard about what to do” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) NEH 5 7 jawz וָ⁠אָרִ֨יבָ⁠ה֙ 1 **Contended** is a technical term that means “to bring charges.” It means to initiate a lawsuit that would require the defendants to answer for themselves publicly, in the presence of their fellow citizens. Alternate translation: “Then I brought charges” NEH 5 7 o23t figs-metaphor הַ⁠חֹרִ֣ים…הַ⁠סְּגָנִ֔ים 1 See how you translated these terms in [2:16](../02/16.md). Alternate translation: “the leading citizens and the city officials” NEH 5 7 dy73 figs-idiom מַשָּׁ֥א…אַתֶּ֣ם נֹשִׁ֑ים 1 This expression means to charge interest when loaning money to another person. Alternate translation: “You are charging interest”
(See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]])