The Pulpit Commentary — Nehemiah — Section 13

EXPOSITION. waited in the confident hope that God's pro- CHAPTER II. vidence would so order events, that some Ver. 1.-In the month NiBBn. The fourth occasion would arise whereof he might take month after Chisleu, corresponding nearly advantaue. In the twentieth year of Arta- to our Apl'il. How it came about that xerxee. Like Daniel, Zecha.riah, Haggai, and Nehemiah did not put the king's favour to Ezra, Nehemiah dates events by the regna.1 the proof until more than three months had year of the existing Persian king. His gone by we can only conjecture. Perhaps Artaxerxes is, by common consent, the same the court had been absent from Susa, passing as Ezra's, and can scarcely be supposed to be the winter at Babylon, as it sometimes did, any monarch but Longimanus, who reigned and he had not accompanied it. Perhaps, from B.O. 465 to D.O. 426. Now I ha.d though present at the court, he had not not been beforetime sad in his presence. been called on to discharge his office, his Other renderings have been :proposed, but tum not having arrived. Possibly, though this is probably the true meanmg. Hitherto performing his duties from time to time, he I had always worn a cheerful countenanc~ had found no opportunity of unbosoming before him - now it was otherwise - my himself, the king not having noticed his sorrow showed itself in spite of me. grief. He may even have done his best to Ver. 2.-The king said unto me, Why is conceal it, for Persian subjects were expected thy oountenance ead, This "kindly ques- t~ be perfectly happy in the presence of their tion" put by the great king to his humblo king. He ha.d probably formed no plan, but retainer is his best claim to the favou1,1bl~  THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH. [err. u. 1-8.