Nehemiah 4

King James Version

Full text for Nehemiah Chapter 4

1¶ But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.

2And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?

3Now Tobiah the Ammonite [was] by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.

4Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:

5And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked [thee] to anger before the builders.

6So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.

7¶ But it came to pass, [that] when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, [and] that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,

8And conspired all of them together to come [and] to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.

9Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

10And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and [there is] much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.

11And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.

12And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us [they will be upon you].

13Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, [and] on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

14And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, [which is] great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

15And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.

16¶ And it came to pass from that time forth, [that] the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers [were] behind all the house of Judah.

17They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, [every one] with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other [hand] held a weapon.

18For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and [so] builded. And he that sounded the trumpet [was] by me.

19And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work [is] great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.

20In what place [therefore] ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.

21So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.

22Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.

23So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, [saving that] every one put them off for washing.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Sanballat and Tobiah mocked the Jews' efforts to rebuild Jerusalem's wall, but the people continued to work diligently. When the enemies conspired to attack, Nehemiah responded with prayer and by arming the builders. The work proceeded with half the people building and the other half standing guard, demonstrating their unwavering commitment and trust in God amidst opposition.

Medium Summary

Upon hearing of Jerusalem's wall being rebuilt, Sanballat and Tobiah expressed great indignation and mocked the Jews, questioning their ability to complete the task. Nehemiah, in response, prayed to God, asking Him to turn the enemies' reproach upon themselves. As the wall reached half its height due to the people's dedication, Sanballat, Tobiah, and other adversaries conspired to fight against Jerusalem and hinder the work. Nehemiah wisely combined fervent prayer with practical vigilance, setting a continuous watch. Despite internal weariness among the builders and external threats, Nehemiah encouraged the people to remember the Lord and fight for their families. Consequently, the work continued with builders armed, ready to defend, and prepared to gather at the sound of a trumpet, trusting God's intervention.

Long Summary

Nehemiah 4 details the intense opposition faced by the Jews during the rebuilding of Jerusalem's wall. Initially, Sanballat was greatly angered and mocked the "feeble Jews," questioning their capacity to fortify, sacrifice, or revive burned stones. Tobiah the Ammonite further disparaged their efforts, claiming even a fox could break down their wall. In response, Nehemiah appealed to God, asking for their enemies' reproach to be returned upon their own heads and for their iniquity not to be blotted out. Despite this scorn, the people continued to build, completing half the wall because they "had a mind to work." As the breaches began to be stopped, Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, Ammonites, and Ashdodites became exceedingly wroth and conspired to fight against Jerusalem to hinder the work. Nehemiah's leadership was evident as he combined prayer to God with practical security measures, setting a day and night watch. Internal challenges arose as Judah expressed weariness and a sense of inability to continue due to the immense rubbish. Furthermore, adversaries secretly plotted to attack and stop the work, and Jews living near them warned of impending danger. Nehemiah, however, strategically armed the people by families with swords, spears, and bows in the lower and higher places. He exhorted the nobles, rulers, and the rest of the people not to fear, but to remember the great and terrible Lord and to fight for their families and homes. When the enemies realized their plot was known and God had frustrated their counsel, the builders returned to their tasks. From that point, half of Nehemiah's servants worked while the other half stood guard with weapons. Builders labored with one hand and held a weapon with the other, their swords girded by their sides. Nehemiah also positioned a trumpeter by him, instructing the dispersed workers to gather at the trumpet's sound, affirming that "our God shall fight for us." The chapter concludes with the people's unceasing labor and vigilance, lodging within Jerusalem for guard duty and not removing their clothes except for washing, signifying their constant readiness.

Core Concepts

  • Opposition and MockerySanballat and Tobiah vehemently opposed the rebuilding efforts, expressing great indignation and mocking the Jews' perceived weakness and inability to complete the wall.
  • Prayer and VigilanceNehemiah's leadership combined spiritual reliance on God through prayer with practical defensive measures, such as setting a continuous watch against their adversaries.
  • Unified Labor and DefenseThe people worked diligently on the wall, with half actively building and the other half standing guard, demonstrating a dual commitment to construction and self-defense.
  • Divine Intervention and TrustDespite threats and weariness, Nehemiah encouraged the people to remember God's power and to trust that "our God shall fight for us," believing God would bring their enemies' counsel to nought.
  • Readiness and PerseveranceThe builders maintained constant readiness, working with one hand and holding a weapon with the other, and remaining fully clothed, symbolizing their unwavering commitment and perseverance amidst ongoing threats.
  • Internal and External ThreatsThe chapter highlights both external threats from conspiring enemies and internal challenges such as the people's weariness and fear, which Nehemiah addressed through encouragement and organization.