Then the king said to me, “What would you 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.
- KJV Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make 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.
- 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 4:6In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
- Neh 1:4When I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned several days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,
- Prov 3:6In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
- Neh 1:11Lord, I beg you, let your ear be attentive now to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants, who delight to fear your name; and please prosper your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cup bearer to the king.
- 1 Kgs 3:5In Gibeon, Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask for what I should give you.”
- Mark 10:51Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “Rabboni, that I may see again.”
- Esth 7:2The king said again to Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, “What is your petition, queen Esther? It shall be granted you. What is your request? Even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.”
- Esth 5:6The king said to Esther at the banquet of wine, “What is your petition? It shall be granted you. What is your request? Even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.”
- Esth 5:3Then the king asked her, “What would you like, queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you even to the half of the kingdom.”
- 2 Sam 15:31Someone told David, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” David said, “Yahweh, please 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.