Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; nor was there any animal with me, except the one on which I rode.
Parallel translations
- WEB I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There wasn’t any animal with me, except the animal that I rode on.
- KJV And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.
- BSB I set out at night with a few men. I did not tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal with me was the one on which I was riding.
- NASB And I got up in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God was putting into my mind to do for Jerusalem, and there was no animal with me except the animal on which I was riding.
- NLT I slipped out during the night, taking only a few others with me. I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem. We took no pack animals with us except the donkey I was riding.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
By night Nehemiah secretly surveys the city with a few men, telling no one what God had put in his heart. He guards the plan carefully while crediting its origin to God.
Overview
Nehemiah conducts a private nighttime inspection, keeping his God-given burden hidden until the right moment to reveal it. He recognizes that the impulse to rebuild was something "my God put into my heart," not merely his own idea. His discretion shows wise leadership, while his attribution of the vision to God reminds us that holy purposes are inspired and sustained by the Lord.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Rev 17:17For God has put in their hearts to do what he has in mind, and to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God should be accomplished.
- Ezra 7:27Blessed be Yahweh, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify Yahweh’s house which is in Jerusalem;
- Jer 31:33“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says Yahweh: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people:
- 2 Cor 8:16But thanks be to God, who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus.
- Jer 32:40and I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from following them, to do them good; and I will put my fear in their hearts, that they may not depart from me.
- Ps 51:18Do well in your good pleasure to Zion. Build the walls of Jerusalem.
- Jas 1:16–17Don’t be deceived, my beloved brothers.
- Eccl 3:7a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
- Amos 5:13Therefore a prudent person keeps silent in such a time, for it is an evil time.
- Judg 9:32Now therefore, go up by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field.
- Judg 6:27Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as Yahweh had spoken to him. Because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city, he could not do it by day, but he did it by night.
- Ps 122:6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Those who love you will prosper.
- Mic 7:5Don’t trust in a neighbor. Don’t put confidence in a friend. With the woman lying in your embrace, be careful of the words of your mouth!
- Gen 32:22–24He rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of the Jabbok.
- Matt 2:14He arose and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt,
- Matt 10:16“Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
- Josh 10:9Joshua therefore came to them suddenly. He marched from Gilgal all night.
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Christ at the center
The rebuilt walls and renewed covenant community foreshadow the greater builder who gathers and secures a people for God, the one who declares 'I will build my church.'
How Nehemiah 2:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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