Nehemiah 2:16
New International Version
The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.

New Living Translation
The city officials did not know I had been out there or what I was doing, for I had not yet said anything to anyone about my plans. I had not yet spoken to the Jewish leaders—the priests, the nobles, the officials, or anyone else in the administration.

English Standard Version
And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, and I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest who were to do the work.

Berean Standard Bible
The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews or priests or nobles or officials or any other workers.

King James Bible
And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.

New King James Version
And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the others who did the work.

New American Standard Bible
However, the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing; nor had I as yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the rest who were doing the work.

NASB 1995
The officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; nor had I as yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials or the rest who did the work.

NASB 1977
And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; nor had I as yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the rest who did the work.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing; nor had I as yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the rest who were doing the work.

Amplified Bible
The officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; nor had I yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the rest who did the work.

Christian Standard Bible
The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, officials, or the rest of those who would be doing the work.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, officials, or the rest of those who would be doing the work.

American Standard Version
And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the Governors did not know where I went and what I did, and I had not shown the Jews, or the Priests, or the Rulers, or the Scribes, or the rest who did the work, until now.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the sentinels knew not why I went, nor what I was doing; and until that time I told it not to the Jews, or to the priests, or to the nobles, or to the captains, or to the rest of the men who wrought the works.

Contemporary English Version
None of the city officials knew what I had in mind. And I had not even told any of the Jews--not the priests, the leaders, the officials, or any other Jews who would be helping in the work.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But the magistrates knew not whither I went, or what I did: neither had I as yet told any thing to the Jews, or to the priests, or to the nobles, or to the magistrates, or to the rest that did the work.

English Revised Version
And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The officials didn't know where I had gone or what I had done. I hadn't yet told the Jews, the priests, the leaders, the other officials, or any of the rest who would be doing the work.

Good News Translation
None of the local officials knew where I had gone or what I had been doing. So far I had not said anything to any of the other Jews--the priests, the leaders, the officials, or anyone else who would be taking part in the work.

International Standard Version
The local officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done—I informed neither the Judeans, nor the priests, nor the nobles, nor the officials, nor any of the rest who would be doing the work.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.

Literal Standard Version
And the prefects have not known to where I have gone, and what I am doing; and to the Jews, and to the priests, and to the nobles, and to the prefects, and to the rest of those doing the work, until now I have not declared [it];

Majority Standard Bible
The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews or priests or nobles or officials or any other workers.

New American Bible
The magistrates knew nothing of where I had gone or what I was doing, for as yet I had disclosed nothing to the Jews, neither to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the magistrates, nor to the others who were to do the work.

NET Bible
The officials did not know where I had gone or what I had been doing, for up to this point I had not told any of the Jews or the priests or the nobles or the officials or the rest of the workers.

New Revised Standard Version
The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing; I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest that were to do the work.

New Heart English Bible
The rulers did not know where I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest who did the work.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.

World English Bible
The rulers didn’t know where I went, or what I did. I had not as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest who did the work.

Young's Literal Translation
And the prefects have not known whither I have gone, and what I am doing; and to the Jews, and to the priests, and to the freemen, and to the prefects, and to the rest of those doing the work, hitherto I have not declared it;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Nehemiah Inspects the Walls
15so I went up the valley by night and inspected the wall. Then I headed back and reentered through the Valley Gate. 16The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews or priests or nobles or officials or any other workers. 17Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned down. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.”…

Cross References
Nehemiah 2:15
so I went up the valley by night and inspected the wall. Then I headed back and reentered through the Valley Gate.

Nehemiah 2:17
Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned down. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we will no longer be a disgrace."


Treasury of Scripture

And the rulers knew not where I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.

the rulers

Nehemiah 2:12
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.

Jump to Previous
Chiefs Declared Freemen Great Hitherto Jews Nobles Officials Ones Others Prefects Priests Rest Rulers Whither Work
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Chiefs Declared Freemen Great Hitherto Jews Nobles Officials Ones Others Prefects Priests Rest Rulers Whither Work
Nehemiah 2
1. Artaxerxes, understanding the cause of Nehemiah's sadness,
6. sends him with letters and commission to Jerusalem
9. Nehemiah, to the grief of the enemies, comes to Jerusalem
12. He views secretly the ruins of the walls
17. He incites the Jews to build














(16) The rest that did the work, that is, afterwards. The caution of this procedure is justified by subsequent events: the city teemed with elements of danger. The nobles and rulers were possessed of no substantial repressive authority.

Verse 16. - The rulers. On Nehemiah's arrival at Jerusalem he found no single individual exercising authority, but a number of persons, a sort of town-council, whom he calls khorim and saganim. It is not clear that he made his commission known to them at first, or indeed that he divulged it before the interview mentioned in vers. 17 and 18. The rest that did the work This seems to be said by anticipation, and to mean those who subsequently built the wall.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The officials
וְהַסְּגָנִ֗ים (wə·has·sə·ḡā·nîm)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5461: A prefect of a, province

did not
לֹ֤א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

know
יָדְעוּ֙ (yā·ḏə·‘ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3045: To know

where
אָ֣נָה (’ā·nāh)
Interrogative
Strong's 575: Where?, whither?, when?, hither and thither

I had gone
הָלַ֔כְתִּי (hā·laḵ·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

or what
וּמָ֖ה (ū·māh)
Conjunctive waw | Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

I
אֲנִ֣י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

was doing,
עֹשֶׂ֑ה (‘ō·śeh)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

for I had not
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

yet
עַד־ (‘aḏ-)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

told
הִגַּֽדְתִּי׃ (hig·gaḏ·tî)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5046: To be conspicuous

the Jews
וְלַיְּהוּדִ֨ים (wə·lay·yə·hū·ḏîm)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 3064: Jews -- Jewish

or priests
וְלַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים (wə·lak·kō·hă·nîm)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3548: Priest

or nobles
וְלַחֹרִ֣ים (wə·la·ḥō·rîm)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2715: White, pure, noble

or officials
וְלַסְּגָנִ֗ים (wə·las·sə·ḡā·nîm)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5461: A prefect of a, province

or any others
וּלְיֶ֙תֶר֙ (ū·lə·ye·ṯer)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3499: An overhanging, an excess, superiority, remainder, a small rope

who would be doing
עֹשֵׂ֣ה (‘ō·śêh)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6213: To do, make

the work.
הַמְּלָאכָ֔ה (ham·mə·lā·ḵāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4399: Deputyship, ministry, employment, work, property


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OT History: Nehemiah 2:16 The rulers didn't know where I went (Neh Ne)
Nehemiah 2:15
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