Discovery BoxNehemiah 2:1 
Context2:1 Then in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought to me, 1 I took the wine and gave it to the king. Previously 2 I had not been depressed 3 in the king’s presence. 4
Nehemiah 8:16
Context8:16 So the people went out and brought these things 5 back and constructed temporary shelters for themselves, each on his roof and in his courtyard and in the courtyards of the temple 6 of God and in the plaza of the Water Gate and the plaza of the Ephraim Gate.
Nehemiah 9:15
Context9:15 You provided bread from heaven for them in their time of hunger, and you brought forth water from the rock for them in their time of thirst. You told them to enter in order to possess the land that you had sworn 7 to give them.
1 tc The translation reads with the LXX וְיַיִן לְפָנַי (vÿyayin lÿfanay, “and wine before me”) rather than יַיִן לְפָנָיו (yayin lÿfanayv, “wine before him”) of the MT. The initial vav (ו) on original וְיַיִן probably dropped out due to haplograpy or orthographic confusion with the two yods (י) which follow. The final vav on לְפָנָיו in the MT was probably added due to dittography with the vav on the immediately following word.
2 tc The translation reads לְפָנֵים (lÿfanim, “formerly”) rather than לְפָנָיו (lÿfanayv, “to his face”) of the MT. The MT seems to suggest that Nehemiah was not sad before the king, which is contrary to what follows.
3 tn Or “showed him a sullen face.” See HALOT 1251 s.v. רַע, רָע 9.
4 tn This expression is either to be inferred from the context, or perhaps one should read לְפָנָיו (lÿfanayv, “before him”; cf. the MT) in addition to לְפָנִים (lÿfanim, “formerly”). See preceding note on the word “previously.”
5 tn The words “these things” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
6 tn Heb “the house.”
7 tn Heb “had lifted your hand.”
