Nehemiah 1:11

1:11 Please, 1  O Lord, listen attentively 2  to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who take pleasure in showing respect 3  to your name. Grant your servant success today and show compassion to me 4  in the presence of this man.”

Now 5  I was cupbearer for the king.

Nehemiah 9:19

9:19 “Due to your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. The pillar of cloud did not stop guiding them in the path by day, 6  nor did the pillar of fire stop illuminating for them by night the path on which they should travel.

Nehemiah 9:27-28

9:27 Therefore you delivered them into the hand of their adversaries, who oppressed them. But in the time of their distress they called to you, and you heard from heaven. In your abundant compassion you provided them with deliverers to rescue them from 7  their adversaries.

9:28 “Then, when they were at rest again, they went back to doing evil before you. Then you abandoned them to 8  their enemies, and they gained dominion over them. When they again cried out to you, in your compassion you heard from heaven and rescued them time and again.

1 tn The interjection אָנָּא (’anna’) is an emphatic term of entreaty: “please!” (BDB 58 s.v.; HALOT 69-70 s.v.). This term is normally reserved for pleas for mercy from God in life-and-death situations (2 Kgs 20:3 = Isa 38:3; Pss 116:4; 118:25; Jonah 1:14; 4:2) and for forgiveness of heinous sins that would result or have resulted in severe judgment from God (Exod 32:31; Dan 9:4; Neh 1:5, 11).

2 tn Heb “let your ear be attentive.”

3 tn Heb “fear.”

4 tn Heb “grant compassion.” The words “to me” are supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness and style in English.

5 tn The vav (ו) on וַאֲנִי (va’ani, “Now, I”) introduces a disjunctive parenthetical clause that provides background information to the reader.

6 tn Heb “did not turn from them by day to guide them in the path.”

7 tn Heb “from the hand of” (so NASB, NIV); NAB “from the power of.”

8 tn Heb “in the hand of” (so KJV, ASV); NAB “to the power of.”