those present.81 Perhaps Nehemiah had chosen the day; that is the implication of Give your servant success today in the prayer above. I took the wine … Envision the king eating with others, Nehemiah near him. A subordinate brought the wine to Nehemiah, who then tasted it and offered it to the king. The cupbearer then was adjacent to the king and fully visible to him. … sad … The Heb literally reads, רַע (ra‘), “bad,” similar to our usage, “you look bad” for “you look ill.” Nehemiah had been serving
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