Nehemiah 4

Nehemiah · Chapter 4

Nehemiah 4:3

1But 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.7But 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.16And 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.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
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.Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “If even a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!”Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they are building, if a fox go up, he shall break down their stone wall.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and Tobiahוְטוֹבִיָּ֥הve-toi-YAHH2900I
Tobiah

טוֹבִיָּ֫הוּ (to.viy.yah) A man of the Ammonites living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Neh.2.10; married to daughter_of_Shecaniah (H7935N); father of: Jehohanan (H3076O) § Tobiah = "Jehovah is good" 1) head of a family who returned from exile with Zerubbabel but who were unable to prove their connection with Israel 2) the Ammonite who with Sanballat opposed the rebuilding of Jerusalem 3) a Levite in the reign of Jehoshaphat 4) a chief of the returning exiles

the Ammoniteהָעַמֹּנִ֖יha-'a-mo-NIH5984H
Meunite

עַמּוֹנִי (am.mo.ni) Someone descended from Meunit(?) of the Canaanites, first mentioned at 1Ch.4.41 Group of me.u.ni (מְעוּנִים "Meunite" H4586) § Ammonite, of Ammon "tribal" descendants of Ammon and inhabitants of Ammon

[was] beside himאֶצְל֑וֹ'etz-LOH0681
beside

אֵ֫צֶל (e.tsel) 1) beside, by, near, nearness, joining, proximity subst 2) (BDB) 2a) conjunction, proximity 2b) beside, in proximity, contiguous to, from beside

and he saidוַיֹּ֗אמֶרvai-YO-merH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

alsoגַּ֚םgamH1571
also

גַּם (gam) 1) also, even, indeed, moreover, yea 1a) also, moreover (giving emphasis) 1b) neither, neither...nor (with negative) 1c) even (for stress) 1d) indeed, yea (introducing climax) 1e) also (of correspondence or retribution) 1f) but, yet, though (adversative) 1g) even, yea, yea though (with 'when' in hypothetical case) 2) (TWOT) again, alike

[that] whichאֲשֶׁר־'a-SHER-H0834A
which

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when

theyהֵ֣םhemH1992
they

אִנּוּן (in.nun) these, those, they Aramaic of hem.mah (הֵ֫מָּה "they(masc.)" H1992)

[are] buildingבּוֹנִ֔יםbo-NIMH1129
to build

בְּנָה (be.nah) 1) to build 1a) (P'al) to build 1b) (Ithp'il) to be built

ifאִם־'im-H0518A
if

אִם (im) : if/whether_or/though 1) if 1a) conditional clauses 1a1) of possible situations 1a2) of impossible situations 1b) oath contexts 1b1) no, not 1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or 1d) when, whenever 1e) since 1f) interrogative particle 1g) but rather

it will go upיַעֲלֶ֣הya-'a-LEHH5927G
to ascend: rise

עָלָה (a.lah) : rise/go 1) to go up, ascend, climb 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go up, ascend 1a2) to meet, visit, follow, depart, withdraw, retreat 1a3) to go up, come up (of animals) 1a4) to spring up, grow, shoot forth (of vegetation) 1a5) to go up, go up over, rise (of natural phenomenon) 1a6) to come up (before God) 1a7) to go up, go up over, extend (of boundary) 1a8) to excel, be superior to 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be taken up, be brought up, be taken away 1b2) to take oneself away 1b3) to be exalted 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to bring up, cause to ascend or climb, cause to go up 1c2) to bring up, bring against, take away …

a foxשׁוּעָ֔לshu-'ALH7776
fox

שׁוּעָל (shu.al) 1) fox, a burrower 1a) fox 1b) perhaps also jackal

and it will break downוּפָרַ֖ץu-fa-RATZH6555
to break through

פָּרַץ (pa.rats) 1) to break through or down or over, burst, breach 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to break or burst out (from womb or enclosure) 1a2) to break through or down, make a breach in 1a3) to break into 1a4) to break open 1a5) to break up, break in pieces 1a6) to break out (violently) upon 1a7) to break over (limits), increase 1a8) to use violence 1a9) to burst open 1a10) to spread, distribute 1b) (Niphal) to be broken through 1c) (Pual) to be broken down 1d) (Hithpael) to break away

[the] wall ofחוֹמַ֥תcho-MATH2346G
wall

חוֹמָה (cho.mah) wall

stones theirאַבְנֵיהֶֽם׃ פ'av-nei-HEMH0068G
stone

אֶ֫בֶן (e.ven) : stone 1) stone (large or small) 1a) common stone (in natural state) 1b) stone, as material 1b1) of tablets 1b2) marble, hewn stones 1c) precious stones, stones of fire 1d) stones containing metal (ore), tool for work or weapon 1e) weight 1f) plummet (stones of destruction) also made of metal 1g) stonelike objects, eg hailstones, stony heart, ice 1h) sacred object, as memorial Samuel set up to mark where God helped Israel to defeat the Philistines 1i) (simile) 1i1) sinking in water, motionlessness 1i2) strength, firmness, solidity 1i3) commonness 1j) (metaph) 1j1) petrified with terror …

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.