The passage breaks down into two sections, with the closing words of Nehemiah 2:4 and Nehemiah 2:8 forming the climax of each section:
Nehemiah 2:1–4 set the stage, relating that the king noticed his cupbearer’s sad face and the ensuing initial discussion.
Nehemiah 2:5–8 relates the dialogue between the king and the cupbearer, a conversation characterized by the boldness that comes with trusting the Lord to fulfill his promises.
The climactic statements of Nehemiah 2:4 and Nehemiah 2:8 underscore how Nehemiah (as well as the king) are fully dependent on the Lord God.
1 In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence.