Nehemiah 2:1

Year. It seems the Persians began the year with Tizri, since both Casleu (the third) and Nisan (the seventh month of the civil year) fall on the twentieth of the king. --- Wine. These kings drunk only that of Syria. (Strabo xv.) --- People of distinction were appointed cup-bearers; and even the children of kings did not esteem the office beneath them. (Herodotus iii. 34.) (Atheneus x. 6.) (Homer, &c.) (Calmet) --- I was. Protestants, "I had not been before-time sad in his presence." (Haydock) --- Hebrew literally, "I was not evil." Septuagint, "an enemy, or stranger." Arabic, "disagreeable." Syriac, "sorrowful." Septuagint also, "there was not another ( Greek: ouk en eteros) present," chap. v. 6. St. Jerome seems not to have read the negation. (Haydock)