was: Nehemiah came to Jerusalem in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, and remained there till the thirty-second, being twelve years; then returned to Babylon; and probably, after about a year, got leave to revisit his brethren, and found matters as here stated.
the two: Neh 2:1, Neh 5:14
after certain days: Heb. at the end of days, Neh 2:5-6