Nehemiah 2:19-20

2:19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard all this, 1  they derided us and expressed contempt toward us. They said, “What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” 2:20 I responded to them by saying, “The God of heaven will prosper us. We his servants will start the rebuilding. 2  But you have no just or ancient right in Jerusalem.” 3 

Nehemiah 9:11

9:11 You split the sea before them, and they crossed through 4  the sea on dry ground! But you threw their pursuers 5  into the depths, like a stone into surging 6  waters.

Nehemiah 13:21

13:21 But I warned them and said, 7  “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you repeat this, I will forcibly remove you!” 8  From that time on they did not show up on the Sabbath. 9 

1 tn The Hebrew text does not include the words “all this,” but they have been added in the translation for clarity.

2 tn Heb “will arise and build.” The idiom “arise and…” means to begin the action described by the second verb.

3 tn Heb “portion or right or remembrance.” The expression is probably a hendiatris: The first two nouns retain their full nominal function, while the third noun functions adjectivally (“right or remembrance” = “ancient right”).

4 tn Heb “in the midst of.”

5 tn Heb “those who pursued them.”

6 tn Heb “mighty.”

7 tn The Hebrew text includes the words “to them,” but they have been excluded from the translation for stylistic reasons.

8 tn Heb “I will send a hand on you.”

9 sn This statement contains a great deal of restrained humor. The author clearly takes pleasure in the effectiveness of the measures that he had enacted.