Nehemiah Chapter 4

From The Open Bible Project

4:1 But it happened that when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.

4:2 He spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, seeing they are burned?"

• (a) Of his companions who dwelt in Samaria.
• (b) Thus the wicked who do not consider that God’s power is always ready to defend his, mock them as thought they were weak and feeble.

4:3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, "What they are building, if a fox climbed up it, he would break down their stone wall."

4:4 "Hear, our God; for we are despised; and turn back their reproach on their own head, give them up for a spoil in a land of captivity;

• (c) This is the remedy that the children of God have against the derision and threatenings of their enemies, to flee to God by prayer.
• (d) Let them be spoiled and led away captive.

4:5 don't cover their iniquity, and don't let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted the builders."

• (e) Let the plagues declare to the world that they set themselves against you and your Church: that he prays only having respect for God’s glory and not for any private affection, or grudge.

4:6 So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half [the height] of it: for the people had a mind to work.

4:7 But it happened that when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, [and] that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very angry;

4:8 and they conspired all of them together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion therein.

4:9 But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

4:10 Judah said, "The strength of the bearers of burdens is fading, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall."

4:11 Our adversaries said, "They shall not know, neither see, until we come into the midst of them, and kill them, and cause the work to cease."

4:12 It happened that when the Jews who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, "Wherever you turn, they will attack us."

• (f) That is, often.
• (g) They who brought the tidings said this, when you leave your work, and go either to eat or to rest, your enemies will assail you.

4:13 Therefore set I in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places, I set [there] the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

4:14 I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, "Don't be afraid of them! Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses."

• (h) Who is always on hand to deliver his out of danger: and therefore seeing they should fight for the maintenance of God’s glory, and for the preservation of their own lives and of theirs, he encourages them to play the valiant men.

4:15 It happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nothing, that we returned all of us to the wall, everyone to his work.

4:16 It happened from that time forth, that half of my servants worked in the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.

• (i) To overcome them and encourage them in their work.

4:17 They all built the wall and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands worked in the work, and with the other held his weapon;

4:18 and the builders, everyone had his sword girded by his side, and so built. He who sounded the trumpet was by me.

4:19 I said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, "The work is great and large, and we are separated on the wall, one far from another.

4:20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally there to us. Our God will fight for us."

• (k) Meaning, to resist their enemies, if need be.

4:21 So we worked in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.

4:22 Likewise at the same time said I to the people, "Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in the day."

4:23 So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes. Everyone took his weapon to the water.

• (l) That is, when they purified themselves or else when they washed their clothes.