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Texts -- Nehemiah 4:4-23 (NET)

Context
4:4 Hear , O our God , for we are despised ! Return their reproach on their own head ! Reduce them to plunder in a land of exile ! 4:5 Do not cover their iniquity , and do not wipe out their sin from before them. For they have bitterly offended the builders ! 4:6 So we rebuilt the wall , and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height. The people were enthusiastic in their work . 4:7 When Sanballat , Tobiah , the Arabs , the Ammonites , and the people of Ashdod heard that the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem had moved ahead and that the breaches had begun to be closed , they were very angry . 4:8 All of them conspired together to move with armed forces against Jerusalem and to create a disturbance in it. 4:9 So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard to protect against them both day and night . 4:10 Then those in Judah said , “The strength of the laborers has failed ! The debris is so great that we are unable to rebuild the wall .” 4:11 Our adversaries also boasted , “Before they are aware or anticipate anything, we will come in among them and kill them, and we will bring this work to a halt !” 4:12 So it happened that the Jews who were living near them came and warned us repeatedly about all the schemes they were plotting against us. 4:13 So I stationed people at the lower places behind the wall in the exposed places. I stationed the people by families , with their swords , spears , and bows . 4:14 When I had made an inspection , I stood up and said to the nobles , the officials , and the rest of the people , “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the great and awesome Lord , and fight on behalf of your brothers , your sons , your daughters , your wives , and your families !” 4:15 It so happened that when our adversaries heard that we were aware of these matters, God frustrated their intentions . Then all of us returned to the wall , each to his own work . 4:16 From that day forward, half of my men were doing the work and half of them were taking up spears , shields , bows , and body armor . Now the officers were behind all the people of Judah 4:17 who were rebuilding the wall . Those who were carrying loads did so by keeping one hand on the work and the other on their weapon . 4:18 The builders to a man had their swords strapped to their sides while they were building . But the trumpeter remained with me. 4:19 I said to the nobles , the officials , and the rest of the people , “The work is demanding and extensive , and we are spread out on the wall , far removed from one another . 4:20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet , gather there with us. Our God will fight for us!” 4:21 So we worked on, with half holding spears , from dawn till dusk . 4:22 At that time I instructed the people , “Let every man and his coworker spend the night in Jerusalem and let them be guards for us by night and workers by day . 4:23 We did not change clothes – not I , nor my relatives , nor my workers , nor the watchmen who were with me. Each had his weapon , even when getting a drink of water .

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • Sanballat

    [ebd] held some place of authority in Samaria when Nehemiah went up to Jerusalem to rebuild its ruined walls. He vainly attempted to hinder this work (Neh. 2:10, 19; 4:1-12; 6). His daughter became the wife of one of the sons of J...
    [nave] SANBALLAT, an enemy of the Jews in rebuilding Jerusalem after the captivity, Neh. 2:10, 19; 4; 6; 13:28.

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • Influence

    [nave] INFLUENCE. Evil 1 Kin. 11:3, 4; 1 Kin. 15:25, 26; 1 Kin. 21:25; 1 Kin. 22:51-53; 2 Kin. 8:16-18, 25-27; 2 Kin. 17:21, 22; 2 Kin. 21:9; 2 Chr. 21:5, 6; 2 Chr. 22:3-5; 2 Chr. 33:9; Prov. 22:24, 25; Prov. 29:12; Jer. 17:1, 2;...

  • Decision

    [nave] DECISION. Deut. 30:19; Josh. 23:8. Josh. 24:15; 1 Sam. 12:20; 1 Kin. 18:21; Psa. 37:34; Psa. 69:13; Prov. 4:25-27; Isa. 50:7; Matt. 24:13 Mark 13:13; Matt. 10:22. Matt. 25:23; Luke 7:23 Matt. 11:6. John 8:31; John 15:4, 5, ...

  • Armour

    [ebd] is employed in the English Bible to denote military equipment, both offensive and defensive. (1.) The offensive weapons were different at different periods of history. The "rod of iron" (Ps. 2:9) is supposed to mean a mace o...

  • Country

    [nave] COUNTRY. Love of Judg. 5:1-31; 2 Sam. 10:12; Neh. 1:1-11; Neh. 2:1-20 chapters 3-6.Neh. 5:1-18; Psa. 137:1-6 The Jews held church and country as one, therefore See: Church, Love for. See also Patriotism.

  • Jerusalem

    [nave] JERUSALEM Called Jebus, Josh. 18:28; Judg. 19:10; Zion, 1 Kin. 8:1; Zech. 9:13; City of David, 2 Sam. 5:7; Isa. 22:9; Salem, Gen. 14:18; Psa. 76:2; Ariel, Isa. 29:1; City of God, Psa. 46:4; City of the Great King, Psa. 48:2;...

  • Malice

    [nave] MALICE. Gen. 3:15; Lev. 19:14, 17, 18; Deut. 27:17, 18; Deut. 32:32, 33; 2 Kin. 6:21, 22; Job 31:29, 30; Psa. 4:2; Psa. 7:14-16 Job 15:35. Psa. 10:7-10, 14; Psa. 21:11; Psa. 22:7, 8; Psa. 35:15, 16, 19-21; Psa. 38:16, 19; P...

  • Zeal

    [nave] ZEAL, Religious Josh. 24:15, 16; 2 Sam. 24:24, 25; 1 Kin. 9:4; 1 Kin. 15:14; 1 Chr. 29:17; 2 Chr. 15:15; 2 Chr. 19:3; Ezra 7:23; Job 16:19; Psa. 42:1, 2; Psa. 60:4; Psa. 96:2, 3, 10; Psa. 119:139; Prov. 11:30; Eccl. 9:10; ...

  • Ophel

    [ebd] hill; mound, the long, narrow, rounded promontory on the southern slope of the temple hill, between the Tyropoeon and the Kedron valley (2 Chr. 27:3; 33:14; Neh. 3:26, 27). It was surrounded by a separate wall, and was occup...

  • Persecution

    [nave] PERSECUTION See also Intolerance; Bigotry. Of Jesus Gen. 3:15; Psa. 2:1-5; Psa. 22:1, 2, 6-8, 11-21; Psa. 69:7-9, 20, 21, 26 vs. 1-21.; Psa. 109:25; Isa. 49:7; Isa. 50:6; Isa. 52:14; Isa. 53:2-5, 7-10; Mic. 5:1; Matt. 2:13...

  • Nehemiah

    [nave] NEHEMIAH 1. Son of Hachaliah, Neh. 1:1. Cupbearer of Artaxerxes, Neh. 1:11; 2:1. Is grieved over the desolation of his country, Neh. 1. Is sent by the king to rebuild Jerusalem, Neh. 2:1-8. Register of the people whom he...

  • Rulers

    [nave] RULERS Appointed and removed by God. See: Government, God in. Chastised, Dan. 4. See: Nation. Monarchical, See: Kings. Patriarchal, Gen. 27:29, 37. Instances of Nimrod, Gen. 10:8-10. Abraham, Gen. 14:13-24; 17:6; 21:2...

  • Prudence

    [nave] PRUDENCE. Job 34:3, 4; Psa. 39:1; Psa. 112:5; Prov. 6:1, 2; Prov. 8:12; Prov. 11:13, 15, 29; Prov. 12:8, 23; Prov. 13:16; Prov. 14:8, 15, 16, 18; Prov. 15:5, 22; Prov. 16:20, 21; Prov. 17:2, 18; Prov. 18:15, 16; Prov. 19:2;...

  • JERUSALEM, 4

    [isbe] JERUSALEM, 4 - IX. History. Pre-Israelite period.--The beginnings of Jerusalem are long before recorded history: at various points in the neighborhood, e.g. at el Bukei`a to the Southwest, and at the northern extremity of th...

  • Prayer

    [isbe] PRAYER - prar (deesis, proseuche, (enteuxis; for an excellent discussion of the meaning of these see Thayer's Lexicon, p. 126, under the word deesis; the chief verbs are euchomai, proseuchomai, and deomai, especially in Luke...
    [nave] PRAYER. Index of Sub-topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Answer to, Promised; Answered, Instances of Answered; Confession in; Importunity in, Instances of Importunity in; Intercessor...

  • RULER

    [isbe] RULER - rool'-er: 1. In the Old Testament: (1) moshel, "ruler," "prince," "master" (tyrant), applied to Joseph in Egypt (Gen 45:8; compare Ps 105:21); to the Philistines (Jdg 15:11); to David's descendants, the future kings ...

  • Afflictions and Adversities

    [nave] AFFLICTIONS AND ADVERSITIES. List of Sub-Topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Benefits of; Benefits of, Illustrated; Consolation in; Deliverance from; Design of; Despondency in; Dispe...

  • GUARD

    [ebd] (1.) Heb. tabbah (properly a "cook," and in a secondary sense "executioner," because this office fell to the lot of the cook in Eastern countries), the bodyguard of the kings of Egypt (Gen. 37:36) and Babylon (2 Kings 25:8; ...
    [isbe] GUARD - gard: (1) sar ha-Tabbachim, "captain of the guard," literally, "slaughterers" (Gen 37:36; 39:1; 40:3,1; 41:10,12); rabh Tabbachim (2 Ki 25:8,11,20; Jer 39:9, etc.); rabh tabbachayyah (Dan 2:14); ratsim, "guard," the ...

  • Governor

    [ebd] (1.) Heb. nagid, a prominent, conspicuous person, whatever his capacity: as, chief of the royal palace (2 Chr. 28:7; comp. 1 Kings 4:6), chief of the temple (1 Chr. 9:11; Jer. 20:1), the leader of the Aaronites (1 Chr. 12:27...
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Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • The years of history the book covers are 445-431 B.C. or perhaps a few years after that.In 445 B.C. (the twentieth year of Artaxerxes' reign, 1:1) Nehemiah learned of the conditions in Jerusalem that led him to request permis...
  • For many years, believers regarded Ezra and Nehemiah as twin books. They called them 1 and 2 Ezra (or Esdras, the Greek transliteration of Ezra). Jerome, who lived in the fourth century A.D., gave 2 Ezra the name Nehemiah. Th...
  • I. The fortification of Jerusalem chs. 1-7A. The return under Nehemiah chs. 1-21. The news concerning Jerusalem 1:1-32. The response of Nehemiah 1:4-113. The request of Nehemiah 2:1-84. The return to Jerusalem 2:9-20B. The re...
  • Nehemiah prayed for four months about conditions in Jerusalem before he spoke to Artaxerxes about them (cf. 1:1; 2:1). Artaxerxes' reign began in the seventh Jewish month, Tishri (late September and early October), of 464 B.C...
  • Any attempt to fulfill God's desires will almost certainly draw opposition from God's enemies."The real test of a leader is how he or she faces crises and reacts to opposition. This chapter recounts several forms of oppositio...
  • The builders finished the walls only 52 days after construction had begun (v. 15). "Elul"is late August and early September. Israel's enemies viewed their rapid progress as evidence that God had helped the workers (v. 16)."Th...
  • The Ammonites lived north of the Moabites, north of the Arnon River for most of their history, and east of the tribal territories of Gad and Reuben. However, the Ammonites had taken over some Israelite territory in Transjorda...
  • Ezekiel previously recorded an oracle against Ammon (21:28-32). Its placement there was evidently due to the presence of "sword of the Lord"terminology in that oracle, which the other prophecies in that chapter also contain.2...
  • 4:6 The angel announced a word of explanation from Yahweh that Zechariah was to pass on to Zerubbabel, the descendant of David who was the leader of the first group of returnees from exile.88He was to tell him, "not by might ...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

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