In the form of a prayer Nehemiah asks God to punish Tobiah and Sanballat, as Good News Translation makes explicit. Good News Translation begins with the words “I prayed” to make it clear that Nehemiah is praying to God. Translators may need to do the same for the sake of clarity. See the comments on Neh 5.19.

Remember is often used in a request to God to act toward someone with favor or to reward someone (see Neh 5.19), but here it is used in a negative sense (also Neh 13.29). This is a special type of prayer that calls on God to bring evil upon someone as a punishment.

O my God: See Ezra 9.6.

Things that they did is literally “his deeds” in Hebrew (also the Septuagint). The “his” could refer to both men.

The prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid: A prophetess is a female prophet. Nothing is known about the prophetess Noadiah. She is mentioned nowhere else in the Old Testament. She and the rest of the prophets were part of a group that was opposed to the work and plans of Nehemiah. If they could make him afraid, then they hoped that he would stop the building project. Good News Translation avoids using the term prophetess by referring to her as a “woman” and then referring to “all the other prophets,” thereby implying that she is a “prophet” (similarly Contemporary English Version). Some languages that have gender will be obliged to indicate that she is a female prophet. Other languages will call her a “woman-speak-on-behalf-God.” For comments on “prophesy” and “prophet,” see Ezra 5.1.

Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Nehemiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .