Why did Nehemiah need to tell us that the Queen was sitting beside the King? What is the significance of knowing that the queen was sitting next to the king during this conversation in Nehemiah? Was there some historical or cultural significance to the queen being present that adds an element to the story?


  Nehemiah 2:5-6 ESV -  And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it.” And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time.
In this Matthew Henry commentary over on blueletterbible.org (a great research site!), he notes evidence from the book of Esther that it seemed to be uncommon for the queen to be in the king's presence in a Persian court.  Henry suggests that the queen had some interest or motive for being there, whether she was perhaps a false friend trying to hinder Nehemiah's (and God's) purposes, or an honest ally trying to advance them.  Henry notes that either way it's significant and a credit to God:  either He allowed the request to succeed in spite of a troublesome queen, or He aided its success by making sure the helpful queen was there.

Based on my own personal experiences I think that second option is worth considering.  When I find myself in a potentially contentious situation -- say, being rearended by some teenager who had his nose buried in his phone instead of watching the road -- I'm more prone to be temperate and generous in my responses if my wife's with me, vs. if I'm in the car alone.  The king's merciful and generous response to Nehemiah's request might have been subtly prompted in the same way.