# In the month of Nisan
"Nisan" is the name of the first month of the Hebrew calendar. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/translate-hebrewmonths]])
# in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king
"in the 20th year that Artaxerxes was king" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/translate-ordinal]])
# Now
This word is used here to mark a pause in the story. Here Nehemiah tells background information about the expression on his face when he went before the king. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/writing-background]])