Discovery BoxNehemiah 2:6 
Context2:6 Then the king, with his consort 1 sitting beside him, replied, “How long would your trip take, and when would you return?” Since the king was amenable to dispatching me, 2 I gave him a time.
Nehemiah 5:11
Context5:11 This very day return to them their fields, their vineyards, their olive trees, and their houses, along with the interest 3 that you are exacting from them on the money, the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil.”
Nehemiah 9:26
Context9:26 “Nonetheless they grew disobedient and rebelled against you; they disregarded your law. 4 They killed your prophets who had solemnly admonished them in order to cause them to return to you. They committed atrocious blasphemies.
1 tn Or “queen,” so most English versions (cf. HALOT 1415 s.v. שֵׁגַל); TEV “empress.”
2 tn Heb “It was good before the king and he sent me.”
3 tc The MT reads וּמְאַת (umÿ’at, “and the hundredth”) which is somewhat enigmatic. The BHS editors suggest emending to וּמַשַּׁאת (umasha’t, “and the debt”) which refers to the interest or collateral (pledge) seized by a creditor (Deut 24:10; Prov 22:26; see HALOT 641-42 s.v. מַשָּׁא). The term מַשַּׁאת (masha’t) is related to the noun מָשָּׁא (masha’, “debt”) in 5:7, 10.
4 tn Heb “they cast your law behind their backs.”
