George Leo Haydock, on Neh 2:1

“And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king: that wine was before him, and I took up the wine, and gave it to the king: and I was as one languishing away before his face.”

“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.) (Athen. 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 ( ouk en eteros ) present,” chap. v. 6. St. Jerome seems not to have read the negation. (Haydock)”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.