King, 19- Nehemiahs anſwer, 20. : Nd it came to p2fs in the month * Niſan s, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes b the King, that wine was before him : and I took upthe wine, and gave it unto the king: Now I had not been before time
{ad in his preſence.
a Which was four Months aftcr he had heard thoſe ſad tidings. The reaſon of this long ſilence and delay might be manifold, cither becauſe he thought fir that fome time ſhouid be ſpent by himſelf and poſſibly others of his Brethren in tceking God hy folemn Prayer and Faſting, for Gods blefling, and the good fuccels of this great affair: or-becauſe he could not take ſo long and dangerous a journcy in the depth of Winter: or becauſe his turn of attending upon the King did not come to himtil] that time : or becauſe till rhen he wanted a fit opportunity to move it to the King, by reaſon oz the Kings indiſpoſition, or occaſions, or multitude of attendants, among whom there probably were divers encmics to the Jews, who, h. feared, might hinder his deſign and defire, b Artaxerxes Longimanus the Son of the great Xerxes, whoreigned both with his Father, anc after his death alone : whence tae years of his reign are compured two ways, one from the death of Xerxes; and the other from hi: firſt entrance upon the adminiſtration of the Kingdom, which was committed tohim in the fifth year of Xerxes ; when he began th: Grecian War, and Jeft his Son King or Viceroy in his ſtead, as the manner of the Perſians was. Ir may ſeem doubtful, and 1s no: much material which way of computation is here uſed. Othei: underſtand this of 4rtaxerxes Mnemon.
2 Wherefore the King faid untome, Why 7s thy - countenance ſad c, ſeing thou art nor fick? this is nothin
elſe but ſorrow of heart. Then I was very fore affraid c His faſting joyned with inward grief had made a ſenſible change in his very Countenance. 4 Partly being daunred by the Majeſty of the King, and the ſuddenneſs and ſharpneſs of his queſtion : partly fearing leſt there was ariſing ſome jealouiie or ill opinion in the Ring concerning him ; partly becauie it was an unuſual and ungratefu! thing to come into the King of Perſia's preſence with any badges or tokens of ſorrow, Efth. 4. 2» and principally from his doubts or fears of diſappointment, becauſe his requeſt was great and invidi- ous, and odious to the moſt of the Per/ian Courtiers, and might be repreſented as dangerous, and might ſcem improper for a tune of teaſting and jollity. wart 3 And faid unto the King, * Letthe King live for e- pn nz vere. Why ſhould. ot my countenance be fad, when Dan. 2. 4 fhe city, the f place of my fathers ſepulchres f, /ieth &6 21. waſte, and the gates thereof are conſumed with fre? +" x 4 Then the King ſaid unto me, for what doſt' thou uſe. make requeſt ? ſo I prayed to the God of Heaven g?
e My ſadneſs comes not from any diſcontent with my own con- dition, or any diſaffeQHion ro the King, for whom my hearty Pray- ers are that hemay live for ever; but from another cauſe. f Which by all Nations are eſteemed ſacred and inviolable and honourable, He ſaith not a word of the Temple or of Religion, for he wilely conſidered that he ſpake before a heathen King and Courr who ca- red for none of thoic things. g Tod ret my rhoughts and words, to incline the Kings heart ro grant my requeſt.
5 And I faid unto the King, If it pleaſe the King 5, and if thy ſervant have found favour'in thy fight z, that thou would(t ſend me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers iepulchres, that T may build it.
þ My requeſt, watſoever it 1s, I humbly and who!ly ſubmir ir to the King's good pleaſure, being reſolved toacquieſce in it. i Ipre- tend no merit, but am an humble Suppliant for thy Grace and Fa-
\ your, whereof having received ſome tokens, I am thereby embol- dened to make this farther requeſt. 6 And the king fſaid unto me, ( the + queen alſo
Eſth-3 7o
tHeb.wjf
with them, as Hiſtorians note: and peradventure, becauſe the Queen expreſſed ſome Kindneſs to him, and promoted his requeſt with the King 1 This queſtion ſhewed the King's reſpe& and affeftion to him, and that he was not willing to want his attendance longer than was neceflary. m2 Either that 12. years mentioned, ch. 5. 14. & 13.6. or rather a far ſhorter time : for which cauſe, among others, ke built the walls with ſuch diſpatch, even in 52 days, <. 6+ 15. and probably nor very long after that returned to the King, by whom he was ſent a ſecond time with more ample Commiſſion, and for the King's ſervice, and the Government of that part of his Domintons.
7 Moreover, Ifaid unto the King, If it pleaſe the king, let letters be given me to.the governours beyond the river, that they may convey me over z till I come
' into Judah.
» That they may ſafely condu& me through their ſeveral Ter-
YICOrICS»
?, ard for the wall of che city, and for the houſe that 1 ſhall enter intog. And the King granted me, * accor- ding to the good hand of my God upon me.
o Of the forreſt of L:banus, famous for pleaſure and for plenty of choice Trees. p To wit, of the King's Palace, which was ad- joyning to the houſe of God. Or, of the r9wey or Fence belonging to the Houſe of God, to wit, for the Gates of the Courts of the Tem- ple : for though the Temple was built, the Courts and other buil- dings belonging to the Temple might yet be unfiniſhed» q Where- with I may build an Houle in which I may dwell whilſt I am there, and which I may diſpoſe of as I ſee fit.
9 Then I came tothe Governours beyond the river, and gave them the kings letters. ( now the king had ſent captains of the army. and horſemen with me. ) 10 When Sanballat the Horonite Fr, and Tobiah the ſervant s the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them ex- ceedingly: that there was come a man to ſeek the wel- fare of the children of Iſrael, * |
r So called, either from his Family, or from the place of his birth or rule, which is ſuppoſed to be Horonarm, an Eminent City of Moab, Ija. 15. 5. Jer. 48. 3. 5 So called probably from his ſervile original, or condition from which he was advanced to his pres ſent power and dignity : which alſo may be mentioned as one rea- ſon why he now carried himſelf ſo infolently and perverſely to- wards the Jews ; it being uſual for Perſons ſuddenly raifed from a mean to an high eſtate, 10 to demean themſelves.
11 So [came to Jeruſalem,and was therethree days ?.
t Reſting my ſelf after my long Journey, and enquiring into che ſlate of the City. :