Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;
I also said to the king, 'If it pleases you, please give me official letters to the governors of the provinces beyond the river, so they will provide safe passage for me until I reach Judah.'
Nehemiah is asking the Persian king for official travel documents that would guarantee him safe passage and government assistance on his journey to rebuild Jerusalem.
📚 Historical Context
During the time of the Persian Empire, Nehemiah, a Jewish exile serving as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, was seeking permission to return to his homeland. He requested letters of safe passage from the king to the governors of the provinces beyond the Euphrates River to ensure his safe travel to Judah without interference. This occurred as part of Nehemiah's broader mission to rebuild Jerusalem's walls, amid the Jewish people's ongoing recovery from the Babylonian exile.
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