Matthew Poole and continuators on Nehemiah 2:1

1 And it came to pass in the month Nisan , in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.

Which was four months after he had heard those sad ridings. The reason of this long silence and delay might be manifold; either because he thought fit that some time should be spent by himself and possibly others of his brethren in seeking God by solemn Prayer and fasting for Gods blessing and the good success of this great affair: or because he could not take so long and dangerous a journey in the depth of Winter: or because his turn of attending upon the King did not come to him till that time: or because till then he wanted a fit opportunity to move it to the King by reason of the Kings indisposition or occasions or multitude of attendants, among whom there probably were diverse enemies to the Jews who, he feared, might hinder his design and desire.

Artaxerxes Longimanus the Son of the great Xerxes, who reigned both with his Father and after his death alone: whence the years of his reign are computed two ways, one from the death of Xerxes; and the other from his first entrance upon the administration of the Kingdom, which was committed to him in the 5th year of Xerxes when he began the Grecian war and left his Son King or Viceroy in his stead, as the manner of the Persians was. It may seem doubtful and is not much material which way of computation is here used. Others understand this of Artaxerxes Nemon.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] 3. 7.