SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:8
y carta para Asaf, guarda de la huerta del rey, a fin que me dé madera para enmaderar los portales del palacio de la Casa, y para el muro de la ciudad, y la casa donde entraré. Y me lo otorgó el rey, según la benéfica mano del SEÑOR sobre mí.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 2:8
Verse 8. Asaph the keeper of the king's forest] sdrph hapardes of the paradise of the king. This I believe is originally a Persian word; it frequently occurs in Arabic, ferdoos, and in Greek, paradeisov, and in both signifies a pleasant garden, vineyard, pleasure garden, and what we call a paradise. Above the hall of audience, in the imperial palace at Dehli, the following Persian couplet is inscribed:- "If there be a paradise on the face of the earth, this is it, this is it, this is it." Thus we find that the word is applied to denote splendid apartments, as well as fine gardens; in a word, any place of pleasure and delight. The king's forest mentioned in the text might have been the same to Artaxerxes, as the New Forest was to William the Conqueror, or Windsor Forest to the late amiable sovereign of the British people, GEORGE the THIRD.
And the king granted me, &c.] This noble spirited man attributes every thing to God. He might have said, I had been long a faithful servant to the king; and he was disposed, in reward of my fidelity, to grant my request; but he would not say so: "He granted my request, because the good hand of my God was upon me." God favoured me, and influenced the king's heart to do what I desired.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 8. And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest , etc.] The forest or mountain of Lebanon, which, because of its odoriferous and fruit bearing trees, was more like an orchard or paradise, as this word signifies, and so it is translated in ( Ecclesiastes 2:5 Song of Solomon 4:13) and at the extreme part of it, it seems, there was a city called Paradisus f17 ; such an officer as here was among the Romans, called Saltuarius f18 , and is now among us: that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertaineth to the house ; not the king’s palace near the temple, for that might have occasioned suspicion in the king, that his view was to set up himself as king in Judea; but for the gates of the courts adjoining to the temple, and of the wall of the outward court, and of the wall which was to encompass the mountain of the house, the whole circumference of it: and for the wall of the city ; to make gates of in various places for that, where they stood before: and for the house which I shall enter into ; and dwell in during his stay at Jerusalem: and the king granted me ; all the above favours: according to the good hand of my God upon me ; the kind providence of God, which wrought on the heart of the king, and disposed it towards him, and overruled all things for good.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - Our prayers must be seconded with serious endeavours, else we mock God We are not limited to certain moments in our addresses to the King of kings, but have liberty to go to him at all times; approaches to the throne of grace are never out of season. But the sense of God' displeasure and the afflictions of his people, are causes of sorrow to the children of God, under which no earthly delights can comfort. The king encouraged Nehemiah to tell his mind. This gave him boldness to speak; much more may the invitation Christ has given us to pray, an the promise that we shall speed, encourage us to come boldly to the throne of grace. Nehemiah prayed to the God of heaven, as infinitel above even this mighty monarch. He lifted up his heart to that God wh understands the language of the heart. Nor should we ever engage in an pursuit in which it would be wrong for us thus to seek and expect the Divine direction, assistance, and blessing. There was an immediat answer to his prayer; for the seed of Jacob never sought the God of Jacob in vain.
Original Hebrew
ואגרת 107 אל 413 אסף 623 שׁמר 8104 הפרדס 6508 אשׁר 834 למלך 4428 אשׁר 834 יתן 5414 לי עצים 6086 לקרות 7136 את 853 שׁערי 8179 הבירה 1002 אשׁר 834 לבית 1004 ולחומת 2346 העיר 5892 ולבית 1004 אשׁר 834 אבוא 935 אליו 413 ויתן 5414 לי המלך 4428 כיד 3027 אלהי 430 הטובה 2896 עלי׃ 5921
