The Meaning of Nehemiah 1:11 Explained

Nehemiah 1:11

KJV: O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.

YLT: 'I beseech Thee, O Lord, let, I pray Thee, Thine ear be attentive unto the prayer of Thy servant, and unto the prayer of Thy servants, those delighting to fear Thy Name; and give prosperity, I pray Thee, to Thy servant to-day, and give him for mercies before this man;' and I have been butler to the king.

Darby: O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants who delight to fear thy name; and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. Now I was the king's cupbearer.

ASV: O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who delight to fear thy name; and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. Now I was cupbearer to the king.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

O Lord,  I beseech  thee, let now thine ear  be attentive  to the prayer  of thy servant,  and to the prayer  of thy servants,  who desire  to fear  thy name:  and prosper,  I pray thee, thy servant  this day,  and grant  him mercy  in the sight  of this man.  For I was the king's  cupbearer. 

What does Nehemiah 1:11 Mean?

Study Notes

fear
.
fear of the Lord
The "fear of the Lord," a phrase of the O.T. piety, meaning reverential trust, with hatred of evil.

Context Summary

Nehemiah 1:1-11 - A Patriot's Prayer
Though living in luxury, in the winter palace of the Persian kings, Nehemiah's heart was keenly sensitive to all that affected his people. But he turned from tears to prayer, from man to God. Oh, that we could cry and sigh for the rents and breaches in the Church of God. We should deal much more successfully with men, if, like Nehemiah, we dealt more largely with God. Gordon used to say that he had met and conquered his enemies before he saw them. This prayer of Nehemiah's is very beautiful, saturated as it is with quotations from Scripture, and so effective with God, because based on His own Word. It was steeped in tears of contrition for sin, and offered without ceasing day and night. Nor was it solitary, for there seems to have been a little band of others united with him, Nehemiah 1:11. Lord, teach us to pray thus, till others are found kneeling with us. Here is a good petition for us as we go forth to our daily calling, in which so much depends on the attitude of our fellow-men. Prosper thy servant this day and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 1

1  Nehemiah, understanding by Hanani the misery of Jerusalem, mourns, fasts, and prays
5  His prayer

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 1:11 mean?

I pray Lord let be please Your ear attentive to the prayer of Your servant and to of Your servants who desire to fear - Your name and let prosper I pray Your servant this day and grant him mercy in the sight of man This for I was cupbearer of the king -
אָנָּ֣א אֲדֹנָ֗י תְּהִ֣י נָ֣א אָזְנְךָֽ־ קַ֠שֶּׁבֶת אֶל־ תְּפִלַּ֨ת עַבְדְּךָ֜ וְאֶל־ עֲבָדֶ֗יךָ הַֽחֲפֵצִים֙ לְיִרְאָ֣ה אֶת־ שְׁמֶ֔ךָ וְהַצְלִֽיחָה־ נָּ֤א לְעַבְדְּךָ֙ הַיּ֔וֹם וּתְנֵ֣הוּ לְרַחֲמִ֔ים לִפְנֵ֖י הָאִ֣ישׁ הַזֶּ֑ה וַאֲנִ֛י הָיִ֥יתִי מַשְׁקֶ֖ה לַמֶּֽלֶךְ פ

אָנָּ֣א  I  pray 
Parse: Interjection
Root: אָנָּא 
Sense: ah now! I/we beseech you, oh now!, pray now! (participle of entreaty usually followed by the imperative verb).
אֲדֹנָ֗י  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
תְּהִ֣י  let  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Jussive, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
נָ֣א  please 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
אָזְנְךָֽ־  Your  ear 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֹזֶן  
Sense: ear, as part of the body.
קַ֠שֶּׁבֶת  attentive 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: קַשָּׁב 
Sense: attentive.
תְּפִלַּ֨ת  the  prayer 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: תְּפִלָּה  
Sense: prayer.
עַבְדְּךָ֜  of  Your  servant 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
וְאֶל־  and  to 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
עֲבָדֶ֗יךָ  of  Your  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
הַֽחֲפֵצִים֙  who  desire 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: חָפֵץ  
Sense: desiring, delighting in, having pleasure in.
לְיִרְאָ֣ה  to  fear 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person feminine singular
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
שְׁמֶ֔ךָ  Your  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
וְהַצְלִֽיחָה־  and  let  prosper 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: צָלַח 
Sense: (Qal) to rush.
נָּ֤א  I  pray 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
לְעַבְדְּךָ֙  Your  servant 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
הַיּ֔וֹם  this  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
וּתְנֵ֣הוּ  and  grant  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לְרַחֲמִ֔ים  mercy 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural
Root: רַחַם 
Sense: womb.
לִפְנֵ֖י  in  the  sight 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הָאִ֣ישׁ  of  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הַזֶּ֑ה  This 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
וַאֲנִ֛י  for  I 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
מַשְׁקֶ֖ה  cupbearer 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַשְׁקֶה 
Sense: irrigation, drink.
לַמֶּֽלֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation