Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
Parallel translations
- WEB Then the king said to me, “What is your request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
- BSB “What is your request?” replied the king. So I prayed to the God of heaven
- NKJV Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
- NASB Then the king said to me, “What would you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
- NLT The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?” With a prayer to the God of heaven,
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
When the king asks what he wants, Nehemiah breathes a silent prayer to the God of heaven before answering. This "arrow prayer" shows constant dependence on God even in the moment of decision.
Overview
Between the king's question and his reply, Nehemiah prays instantly and inwardly, a striking contrast to the long prayer of chapter 1. This brief, urgent prayer shows that a praying life undergirds spontaneous trust at critical moments. The verse models how believers may lift their hearts to God amid daily decisions, knowing He hears the unspoken cry and works through human conversation.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Phil 4:6Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
- Neh 1:4And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
- Prov 3:6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
- Neh 1:11O 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.
- 1 Kgs 3:5In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
- Mark 10:51And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
- Esth 7:2And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.
- Esth 5:6And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.
- Esth 5:3Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.
- 2 Sam 15:31And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 2:4 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.