The rulers didn’t know where I went, or what I did. I had not as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest who did the work.
Parallel Translations
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The rulers didn’t know where I went, or what I did. I had not as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest who did the work.
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And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.
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And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.
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Explain this verse (13 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Neh 2:16 And the rulers knew not whither I…
Neh 2:16 And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told [it] to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.
Ver. 16. And the rulers knew not whither I went] Taciturnity, in some cases, is a virtue; and everything is beautiful in its season. There is a time to keep silence, and a time to speak, Ecc 3:7. And he is a truly wise man that can discern his season for both. Discamus prius non loqui, saith Jerome, Let us first learn not to speak, that we may afterwards open our mouths and minds with discretion. Silence is by Solomon first set before speaking; and first takes its time and turn, as it did here in Nehemiah, the prudent. {See Trapp on "Neh 2:12"} The word here rendered rulers is rather Chaldee than Hebrew.
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Nor to the nobles] Heb. White ones. Among the Jews great men affected to go in white; as among the Romans in purple or scarlet. Hence Pilate’s soldiers clad Christ in purple; Herod’s, in white, Luk 23:11 Mat 27:28.
Nor to the rest, &c.] So, as to ask their advice.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Or, were to do, or should do, i.e. whom…
Or, were to do, or should do, i.e. whom he intended to employ in the work here following, of building the walls.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Then said I unto them,.... The priests and princes…
Then said I unto them,.... The priests and princes of the Jews:
you see the distress that we are in; lie open to our enemies, and exposed to their insults:
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how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire, Neh 1:3,
come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem that we be no more a reproach; to their neighbours about them, who scoffed at them as a defenceless people and frequently came in upon them, and spoiled and plundered them of their goods and substance.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain That did - Or, were to do, whom he…
That did - Or, were to do, whom he intended to employ in it.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 16. The rulers knew not whither I went]…
Verse 16. The rulers knew not whither I went] He made no person privy to his design, that he might hide every thing as much as possible from their enemies till he had all things in readiness; lest they should take measures to defeat the work.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain The rulers - The principal authorities of the city,…
The rulers - The principal authorities of the city, in the absence of the special governor.
The rest that did the work - i. e. “the laboring class that (afterward) actually built the wall.”
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Magistrates. Septuagint, "guards." Seganim denotes various officers. (Calmet) ---…
Magistrates. Septuagint, "guards." Seganim denotes various officers. (Calmet) --- Work, or to any workmen. (Haydock) --- None were now employed. (Tirinus)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain the rulers knew not--The following day, having assembled the…
the rulers knew not--The following day, having assembled the elders, Nehemiah produced his commission and exhorted them to assist in the work. The sight of his credentials, and the animating strain of his address and example, so revived their drooping spirits that they resolved immediately to commence the building, which they did, despite the bitter taunts and scoffing ridicule of some influential men.
Next: Nehemiah Chapter 3
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 16. Jews… priests… nobles… rulers — The various ranks…
16. Jews… priests… nobles… rulers — The various ranks and classes among the Jewish community. Nehemiah did not at that time make known his night journey around the walls to any one of these various classes. The Jews here means the common body of the people, the laity, as distinguished from the priests. The nobles were those who were known and honoured as descendants of the royal family of David. The rulers were the chief officers of the Jewish community living in and about Jerusalem.
Nor to the rest that did the work — The workmen among the people, as distinguished from the other classes previously mentioned. In every great public work such as Nehemiah was now contemplating, the builders, (Ezr_3:10,) and all classes of workmen, would have an important interest; yet Nehemiah means to say that while he held important papers from the king, and had come to build the walls and gates of Jerusalem, and made his night survey with this end in view, he had not as yet communicated his design to any of the people, nor to their officers and leading men, nor to the workmen upon whom would fall the chief burden of rebuilding the fallen gates and walls.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 16–18. The Nation’s Resolve
16–18. The Nation’s Resolve
16. the rulers] R.V. marg. Or deputies. ‘S’ganim’ is the title used in Ezr_9:2, and in this book (Neh_4:8; Neh_4:13, Neh_5:7, Neh_7:5, Neh_12:40) for the chief magistrates and officials of the city.
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whither I went, or what I did] More literally ‘whither I had gone and what I was doing.’
neither had I as yet told it] i.e. the prospect of rebuilding the walls.
the Jews … the work] A remarkable division of the inhabitants of Jerusalem: ‘the Jews’ here are the great mass of the lay population, as distinguished from (a) the priests, (b) ‘the nobles’ ‘Khôrim’, the aristocracy, heads of houses, &c. (cf. Neh_4:13-14, Neh_5:7, Neh_6:17, Neh_7:5, Neh_13:17), (c) ‘the rulers,’ the official element (segânim), (d) ‘the rest that did the work,’ referring by anticipation to the large body who were shortly afterwards employed on ‘the work’ of building the walls.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (16) The rest that did the work, that is,…
(16) The rest that did the work, that is, afterwards. The caution of this procedure is justified by subsequent events: the city teemed with elements of danger. The nobles and rulers were possessed of no substantial repressive authority.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain The rulers. On Nehemiah"s arrival at Jerusalem he found…
The rulers. On Nehemiah"s arrival at Jerusalem he found no single individual exercising authority, but a number of persons, a sort of town-council, whom he calls khorim and saganim. It is not clear that he made his commission known to them at first, or indeed that he divulged it before the interview mentioned in vers. 17 and 18. The rest that did the work. This seems to be said by anticipation, and to mean those who subsequently built the wall.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 2:16-17 Nehemiah kept his inspection and rebuilding plans secret…
2:16-17 Nehemiah kept his inspection and rebuilding plans secret from both the Persian and Jewish leaders to prevent opposition from being organized. But now Nehemiah was effectively positioned to lead the rebuilding effort. • what trouble we are in: The broken walls brought disgrace on the city and reflected negatively on God; Jerusalem certainly did not look like the “city of the great King” (Ps 48:2).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.