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 1SanballatNehemiah 2:10, 2:19; Ezra 4:1-5; Acts 5:17 mockedPsalm 35:15, 35:16, 44:13, 44:14; Matthew 27:29; Habakkuk 3:1ReciprocalGenesis 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 2the armyEzra 4:9, 4:10 feeble1 Samuel 14:11, 14:12, 17:43, 17:44; Zechariah 12:8; 1 Corinthians 1:27 fortify themselvesHeb. leave to themselvessacrificeNehemiah 12:27, 12:43 revive4:10; Ezekiel 37:3-13; Habakkuk 3:2Reciprocal1 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 3TobiahNehemiah 2:10, 2:19, 6:1; 1 Kings 20:10, 20:18; 2 Kings 18:23ReciprocalDeuteronomy 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 4HearPsalm 123:3, 123:4 despisedHeb. despiteturn1 Samuel 17:26; Psalm 79:12; Proverbs 3:34; Hosea 12:14ReciprocalJudges 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 5cover notPsalm 59:5-13, 69:27, 109:14; Jeremiah 18:23; 2 Timothy 4:14 their sinPsalm 51:1, 51:9; Isaiah 43:25, 44:22 before the builders36:11, 36:12ReciprocalNehemiah 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 6and 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 mindNehemiah 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 3:1ReciprocalPsalm 102:14 - General; Ecclesiastes 9:10 - thy hand; Micah 7:11 - the day; Haggai 1:14 - and they Verse 7SanballatNehemiah 4:1, 2:10, 2:19 the AmmonitesJudges 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 AshdoditesNehemiah 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 heardEzra 4:4-16, 5:8 were made upHeb. ascendedthenGenesis 3:15; Acts 4:17, 4:18, 5:33; Revelation 12:12, 12:13, 12:17ReciprocalDeuteronomy 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 8allPsalm 2:1-3, 83:3-11; Isaiah 8:9, 8:10; Acts 23:12, 23:13 hinder itHeb. make an error to it, Jeremiah 20:10ReciprocalEzra 4:4 - troubled; Jeremiah 41:10 - to the; Daniel 9:25 - wall; 1 Corinthians 9:12 - hinder Verse 9NeverthelessNehemiah 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 watchMatthew 26:41; Luke 21:36; 1 Peter 5:8ReciprocalEcclesiastes 9:10 - thy hand Verse 10The strengthNumbers 13:31, 32:9; Psalm 11:1, 11:2; Haggai 1:2 bearers2 Chronicles 2:18; Ezekiel 29:18Reciprocal2 Chronicles 34:13 - the bearers; Nehemiah 4:2 - revive; 4:17 - bare burdens; 6:9 - For they; Psalm 102:14 - General Verse 11They shall notJudges 20:29-48; 2 Samuel 17:2; Psalm 56:6; Isaiah 47:11; Acts 23:12, 23:21; 1 Thessalonians 5:2ReciprocalEzra 4:4 - troubled; Nehemiah 4:9 - Nevertheless; Psalm 64:4 - shoot Verse 12ten timesGenesis 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.ReciprocalDaniel 1:20 - ten Verse 13ThereforeGenesis 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 BeNumbers 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 rememberPsalm 20:7, 77:10-20, 143:5; Isaiah 51:12, 51:13, 63:11-13 greatNehemiah 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 fight2 Samuel 10:12ReciprocalDeuteronomy 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 15God2 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 oneMark 13:34; Romans 12:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:11ReciprocalEzra 7:6 - according to; Acts 5:38 - for Verse 16my servantsNehemiah 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.ReciprocalExodus 28:32 - as it were; Daniel 9:25 - wall; John 11:53 - from; 1 Corinthians 12:21 - General Verse 17bare burdensNehemiah 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 oneDaniel 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; 4:7ReciprocalNehemiah 4:13 - in the lower places; Ecclesiastes 9:10 - thy hand; Joel 2:8 - sword Verse 18by his sideHeb. on his loinshe that soundedNumbers 10:9; 2 Chronicles 13:12-17ReciprocalNehemiah 4:13 - in the lower places; Ezekiel 33:3 - he blow; 1 Corinthians 14:8 - General Verse 20our GodExodus 14:14, 14:25; Deuteronomy 1:30, 3:22, 20:4; Joshua 23:10; Zechariah 14:3Reciprocal2 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 21So we1 Corinthians 15:10, 15:58; Galatians 6:9; Colossians 1:29ReciprocalSong of Songs 3:8 - because Verse 22every oneNehemiah 11:1, 11:2ReciprocalSong of Songs 3:8 - because Verse 23So neither INehemiah 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.ReciprocalNehemiah 4:16 - my servants; Joel 2:8 - sword