1tn It is not entirely clear whether the Hebrew word כְּפִירִים (k’firim) is a place-name not mentioned elsewhere in the OT (as indicated in the present translation; so also NAB, NASB) or whether it means “in [one of] the villages” (so, e.g., NIV, NRSV, NLT; see BDB 499 s.v.; HALOT 493 s.v.). The LXX and Vulgate understand it in the latter sense. Some scholars connect this term with the identically spelled word כּפירים (“lions”) as a figurative description of princes or warriors (e.g., Pss 34:11; 35:17; 58:7; Jer 2:15; Ezek 32:2, 13; Nah 2:14; see HALOT 493 s.v.): “let us meet together with the leaders in the plain of Ono.” 2tn Heb “[am] doing.” 3tn Heb “sent to.” 4tn Heb “and I answered them according to this word.” 5tn Heb “heard.” 6tn Heb “Gashmu”; in Neh 2:19 this name appears as Geshem. Since it is important for the modern reader to recognize that this is the same individual, the form of the name used here in the translation is the same as that in v. 19. 7tn Heb “is saying.” 8tn Heb “words.” So also in v. 7. 9tn Heb “call.” 10map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. 11tn Heb “Let us consult together.” 12tn Heb “We are not according to these matters that you are saying.” 13tn Heb “For from your heart you are inventing them.” 14tn The participle has a desiderative nuance here, describing the desire of the subject and not necessarily the actual outcome. See also v. 14. 15tn The statement “So now, strengthen my hands” is frequently understood as an implied prayer, but is taken differently by NAB (“But instead, I now redoubled my efforts”). 16tn Heb “shut in.” The reason for his confinement is not stated. BDB 783 s.v. עָצַר suggests that it had to do with the fulfillment of a vow or was related to an issue of ceremonial uncleanness. 17tn Heb “go into the temple and live.” 18tn Heb “and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.” 19tc The translation reads לִי (li, “to me”) rather than the MT reading לָהֶם (lahem, “to them”). 20tn Heb “would have a bad name.” 21tc The MT understands the root here to be יָרֵא (yare’, “to fear”) rather than רָאָה (ra’ah, “to see”). 22tn Heb “they greatly fell [i.e., were cast down] in their own eyes.” Some scholars suggest emending the reading of the MT, וַיִּפְּלוּ (vayyip’lu) to וַיִּפָּלֵא (vayyippale’, “it was very extraordinary in their eyes”). 23tn Heb “were lords of oath.” 24tn Heb “my words.” 25tn Or “to intimidate” (so NIV, NRSV, NLT).
1tn It is not entirely clear whether the Hebrew word כְּפִירִים (k’firim) is a place-name not mentioned elsewhere in the OT (as indicated in the present translation; so also NAB, NASB) or whether it means “in [one of] the villages” (so, e.g., NIV, NRSV, NLT; see BDB 499 s.v.; HALOT 493 s.v.). The LXX and Vulgate understand it in the latter sense. Some scholars connect this term with the identically spelled word כּפירים (“lions”) as a figurative description of princes or warriors (e.g., Pss 34:11; 35:17; 58:7; Jer 2:15; Ezek 32:2, 13; Nah 2:14; see HALOT 493 s.v.): “let us meet together with the leaders in the plain of Ono.”
2tn Heb “[am] doing.”
3tn Heb “sent to.”
4tn Heb “and I answered them according to this word.”
5tn Heb “heard.”
6tn Heb “Gashmu”; in Neh 2:19 this name appears as Geshem. Since it is important for the modern reader to recognize that this is the same individual, the form of the name used here in the translation is the same as that in v. 19.
7tn Heb “is saying.”
8tn Heb “words.” So also in v. 7.
9tn Heb “call.”
10map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
11tn Heb “Let us consult together.”
12tn Heb “We are not according to these matters that you are saying.”
13tn Heb “For from your heart you are inventing them.”
14tn The participle has a desiderative nuance here, describing the desire of the subject and not necessarily the actual outcome. See also v. 14.
15tn The statement “So now, strengthen my hands” is frequently understood as an implied prayer, but is taken differently by NAB (“But instead, I now redoubled my efforts”).
16tn Heb “shut in.” The reason for his confinement is not stated. BDB 783 s.v. עָצַר suggests that it had to do with the fulfillment of a vow or was related to an issue of ceremonial uncleanness.
17tn Heb “go into the temple and live.”
18tn Heb “and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.”
19tc The translation reads לִי (li, “to me”) rather than the MT reading לָהֶם (lahem, “to them”).
20tn Heb “would have a bad name.”
21tc The MT understands the root here to be יָרֵא (yare’, “to fear”) rather than רָאָה (ra’ah, “to see”).
22tn Heb “they greatly fell [i.e., were cast down] in their own eyes.” Some scholars suggest emending the reading of the MT, וַיִּפְּלוּ (vayyip’lu) to וַיִּפָּלֵא (vayyippale’, “it was very extraordinary in their eyes”).
23tn Heb “were lords of oath.”
24tn Heb “my words.”
25tn Or “to intimidate” (so NIV, NRSV, NLT).