Nehemiah 4
Overview
4:1 While the enemies scoff, Nehemiah prays and continues the work;
4:7 Understanding the wrath and secrets of the enemy, he sets a watch;
4:13 He arms the labourers;
4:19 and gives military precepts. Verse 1 Sanballat Nehemiah 2:10, 2:19; Ezra 4:1-5; Acts 5:17 mocked Psalm 35:15, 35:16, 44:13, 44:14; Matthew 27:29; Habakkuk 3:1 Reciprocal Genesis 21:9 - mocking; 1 Kings 9:7 - and Israel; 2 Chronicles 7:20 - a proverb; Nehemiah 4:7 - Sanballat; 6:1 - when Sanballat; 6:15 - fifty; 6:16 - when all our enemies; Psalm 79:4 - scorn; Proverbs 22:10 - General; Isaiah 58:12 - build; Jeremiah 30:17 - they; John 4:9 - for Verse 2 the army Ezra 4:9, 4:10 feeble 1 Samuel 14:11, 14:12, 17:43, 17:44; Zechariah 12:8; 1 Corinthians 1:27 fortify themselvesHeb. leave to themselvessacrifice Nehemiah 12:27, 12:43 revive 4:10; Ezekiel 37:3-13; Habakkuk 3:2 Reciprocal 1 Samuel 17:42 - disdained; 2 Kings 18:23 - I will deliver; 1 Chronicles 11:8 - repaired; Nehemiah 6:15 - fifty; Psalm 14:6 - Ye; 102:14 - General; 123:3 - for we are; 137:3 - wasted us; Proverbs 11:12 - that; Ecclesiastes 9:10 - thy hand; Isaiah 36:8 - and I; Jeremiah 9:11 - Jerusalem; 26:18 - Jerusalem; 33:24 - thus; Lamentations 3:14 - General; Zechariah 4:10 - despised; John 4:9 - for; 18:35 - Amos I Verse 3 Tobiah Nehemiah 2:10, 2:19, 6:1; 1 Kings 20:10, 20:18; 2 Kings 18:23 Reciprocal Deuteronomy 23:3 - Ammonite; 2 Samuel 6:20 - glorious; 10:2 - show kindness; 1 Chronicles 19:2 - the children; Ezra 9:1 - Ammonites; Nehemiah 13:1 - Moabite; Ezekiel 13:15 - The wall; 25:6 - rejoiced; Micah 7:11 - the day Verse 4 Hear Psalm 123:3, 123:4 despisedHeb. despiteturn 1 Samuel 17:26; Psalm 79:12; Proverbs 3:34; Hosea 12:14 Reciprocal Judges 12:4 - fugitives; 2 Samuel 6:20 - glorious; Nehemiah 6:14 - think thou; Proverbs 18:3 - General; Jeremiah 18:19 - hearken; 18:23 - forgive; Lamentations 1:22 - all their; 5:1 - behold; Ezekiel 25:6 - rejoiced Verse 5 cover not Psalm 59:5-13, 69:27, 109:14; Jeremiah 18:23; 2 Timothy 4:14 their sin Psalm 51:1, 51:9; Isaiah 43:25, 44:22 before the builders 36:11, 36:12 Reciprocal Nehemiah 6:14 - think thou; Job 16:18 - cover not; Psalm 32:1 - covered; Jeremiah 18:19 - hearken; Lamentations 1:22 - all their; Colossians 2:14 - Blotting Verse 6 and all the wallThat is, the whole circuit of the wall was completed unto half the intended height.for the peopleThe original is very emphatic, wyhee laiv leam laasoth, "for the people had a heart to work." Their heart was engaged in it, and they went about it cheerfully and vigorously.had a mind Nehemiah 6:15; 1 Chronicles 29:3, 29:14, 29:17, 29:18; 2 Chronicles 29:36; Psalm 110:3; 2 Corinthians 8:16, 8:17; Philippians 2:13; Habakkuk 3:1 Reciprocal Psalm 102:14 - General; Ecclesiastes 9:10 - thy hand; Micah 7:11 - the day; Haggai 1:14 - and they Verse 7 Sanballat Nehemiah 4:1, 2:10, 2:19 the Ammonites Judges 10:7-18, 11:12-40; 1 Samuel 11:2; 2 Samuel 10:1-5; 2 Kings 24:2; 2 Chronicles 20:1; Ezekiel 25:3-7; Amos 1:13 Ashdodites Nehemiah 13:23, 13:24; 1 Samuel 5:1, 5:2; 2 Chronicles 26:6-8; Jeremiah 25:20; Amos 1:8, 3:9; Zechariah 9:5, 9:6 heard Ezra 4:4-16, 5:8 were made upHeb. ascendedthen Genesis 3:15; Acts 4:17, 4:18, 5:33; Revelation 12:12, 12:13, 12:17 Reciprocal Deuteronomy 23:3 - Ammonite; 1 Kings 11:27 - the breaches; 1 Chronicles 19:2 - the children; 2 Chronicles 24:13 - the work was perfected by them; Ezra 9:1 - Ammonites; Nehemiah 6:1 - when Sanballat; 6:16 - when all our enemies; Isaiah 58:12 - The repairer; Jeremiah 41:10 - to the; 49:1 - their king Verse 8 all Psalm 2:1-3, 83:3-11; Isaiah 8:9, 8:10; Acts 23:12, 23:13 hinder itHeb. make an error to it, Jeremiah 20:10 Reciprocal Ezra 4:4 - troubled; Jeremiah 41:10 - to the; Daniel 9:25 - wall; 1 Corinthians 9:12 - hinder Verse 9 Nevertheless Nehemiah 4:11; Genesis 32:9-12, 32:28; 2 Kings 19:14-19; Psalm 50:15, 55:16-22; Luke 6:11, 6:12; Acts 4:24-30 set a watch Matthew 26:41; Luke 21:36; 1 Peter 5:8 Reciprocal Ecclesiastes 9:10 - thy hand Verse 10 The strength Numbers 13:31, 32:9; Psalm 11:1, 11:2; Haggai 1:2 bearers 2 Chronicles 2:18; Ezekiel 29:18 Reciprocal 2 Chronicles 34:13 - the bearers; Nehemiah 4:2 - revive; 4:17 - bare burdens; 6:9 - For they; Psalm 102:14 - General Verse 11 They shall not Judges 20:29-48; 2 Samuel 17:2; Psalm 56:6; Isaiah 47:11; Acts 23:12, 23:21; 1 Thessalonians 5:2 Reciprocal Ezra 4:4 - troubled; Nehemiah 4:9 - Nevertheless; Psalm 64:4 - shoot Verse 12 ten times Genesis 31:7, 31:41; Numbers 14:22; Job 19:3 From all placesetc. or, That from all places ye must return to usye shall returnHoubigant, Michaelis, and Dathe contend, that instead of tashoovoo, "ye shall return," we should read chashevoo, "they designed.Reciprocal Daniel 1:20 - ten Verse 13 Therefore Genesis 32:13-20; 2 Chronicles 32:2-8; Psalm 112:5; Matthew 10:16; 1 Corinthians 14:20 in the lower placesHeb. from the lower parts of the place, etc. their swords. Nehemiah 4:17, 4:18; Song of Songs 3:7, 3:8; Ephesians 6:11-20
Verse 14 Be Numbers 14:9; Deuteronomy 1:21, 1:29, 1:30, 20:3, 20:4; Joshua 1:9; 2 Chronicles 20:15-17, 32:7; Psalm 27:1, 46:11; Isaiah 41:10-14; Matthew 10:28; Habakkuk 3:1 remember Psalm 20:7, 77:10-20, 143:5; Isaiah 51:12, 51:13, 63:11-13 great Nehemiah 1:5; Deuteronomy 10:17; Job 37:22; Psalm 65:5, 66:3, 66:5; Isaiah 64:1-3; Nahum 1:2-7; Habakkuk 3:1, 3:1, 3:1, 3:1 fight 2 Samuel 10:12 Reciprocal Deuteronomy 7:21 - a mighty God; 1 Chronicles 19:13 - of good; Psalm 99:3 - thy great; Jeremiah 10:6 - thou; Daniel 2:45 - the great Verse 15 God 2 Samuel 15:31, 17:14; Job 5:12, 5:13; Psalm 33:10, 33:11; Proverbs 21:30; Isaiah 8:10; 44:25; Lamentations 3:37, 3:38; 1 Corinthians 3:19, 3:20 every one Mark 13:34; Romans 12:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:11 Reciprocal Ezra 7:6 - according to; Acts 5:38 - for Verse 16 my servants Nehemiah 4:23, 5:15, 5:16; Psalm 101:6 and the other halfThis is no unusual thing in Palestine, even at the present day; people sowing their seed are often attended by armed men, to prevent the Arabs from robbing them of it.habergeonsHabergeon, from the Teutonic hals, the neck, and bergen, to cover, defend, may be considered as signifying a breast-plate, though the Franco-Gallic hautbergon signifies a coat of mail; the original shiryon, we have already seen, denotes a corslet.Reciprocal Exodus 28:32 - as it were; Daniel 9:25 - wall; John 11:53 - from; 1 Corinthians 12:21 - General Verse 17 bare burdens Nehemiah 4:10 every oneThat is, he had his arms at hand; and was as fully prepared to fight as to work. The builders could not possibly have made any progress, if they had literally held a weapon in one of their hands; but the expression is evidently figurative, implying that every man was a much a soldier as a builder.with one Daniel 9:25; 1 Corinthians 9:12, 16:9, 16:13; 2 Corinthians 6:7; Ephesians 6:11-20; Philippians 1:28; 2 Timothy 2:3; 4:7 Reciprocal Nehemiah 4:13 - in the lower places; Ecclesiastes 9:10 - thy hand; Joel 2:8 - sword Verse 18 by his sideHeb. on his loinshe that sounded Numbers 10:9; 2 Chronicles 13:12-17 Reciprocal Nehemiah 4:13 - in the lower places; Ezekiel 33:3 - he blow; 1 Corinthians 14:8 - General Verse 20 our God Exodus 14:14, 14:25; Deuteronomy 1:30, 3:22, 20:4; Joshua 23:10; Zechariah 14:3 Reciprocal 2 Samuel 10:11 - General; 1 Chronicles 5:22 - the war was of God; 19:12 - If the Syrians; Psalm 35:1 - fight; Ezekiel 33:3 - he blow Verse 21 So we 1 Corinthians 15:10, 15:58; Galatians 6:9; Colossians 1:29 Reciprocal Song of Songs 3:8 - because Verse 22 every one Nehemiah 11:1, 11:2 Reciprocal Song of Songs 3:8 - because Verse 23 So neither I Nehemiah 5:16, 7:2; Judges 9:48; 1 Corinthians 15:10 saving thatetc. or, every one went with his weapon for water, Judges 5:11
The original of this obscure clause is ish shilcho hammayim, which is rendered by Montanus, vir missile suum aquas, "a man his dart to the waters," of which it is difficult to make sense. It is wholly omitted by the LXX; and one of De Rossi's manuscripts reads, meshallachah al hammayim, "in order to send them to the water.Reciprocal Nehemiah 4:16 - my servants; Joel 2:8 - sword