Nehemiah 2:20

2:20 I responded to them by saying, “The God of heaven will prosper us. We his servants will start the rebuilding. ¹  But you have no just or ancient right in Jerusalem.” ² 

Nehemiah 2:18

2:18 Then I related to them how the good hand of my God was on me and what ³  the king had said to me. Then they replied, “Let’s begin rebuilding right away!” ⁴  So they readied themselves ⁵  for this good project.

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¹ tn Heb “will arise and build.” The idiom “arise and…” means to begin the action described by the second verb.

² 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”).

³ tn Heb “the words of the king which he had spoken to me.”

⁴ tn Heb “Arise! Let us rebuild!”

⁵ tn Heb “strengthened their hands.”