Focused Passage

Nehemiah 4:15-23

Opposition Intensifies as the People Pray, Watch, and Continue the Work

Mockery turns to threat, threat exposes weakness and fear, and Nehemiah leads the people to pray, post guards, remember the Lord, protect their families, and continue rebuilding with tools and weapons in hand.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

15 When our enemies heard that we were aware of their scheme and that God had frustrated it, each of us returned to his own work on the wall.

16 And from that day on, half of my servants did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor. The officers stationed themselves behind all the people of Judah

17 who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried materials worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.

18 And each of the builders worked with his sword strapped at his side. But the trumpeter stayed beside me.

19 Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: “The work is great and extensive, and we are spread out far from one another along the wall.

20 Wherever you hear the sound of the horn, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!”

21 So we continued the work, while half of the men held spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out.

22 At that time I also said to the people, “Let every man and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, so that they can stand guard by night and work by day.”

23 So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the guards with me changed out of our clothes; each carried his weapon, even to go for water.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 15

Original words

- וַיְהִ֞י H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular When כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־ H834 Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative our enemies אוֹיְבֵ֙ינוּ֙ H341 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | first person common plural heard שָׁמְע֤וּ H8085 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural that כִּי־ H3588 Conjunction we were aware נ֣וֹדַֽע H3045 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular of their scheme עֲצָתָ֑ם H6098 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural and that God הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים H430 Article | Noun - masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker had frustrated it וַיָּ֥פֶר H6565 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular each כֻּלָּ֙נוּ֙ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common plural of us returned וַנָּשׁוּב H7725 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common plural to אֶל־ H413 Preposition his own אִ֖ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular work מְלַאכְתּֽוֹ׃ H4399 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular on אֶל־ H413 Preposition the wall הַ֣חוֹמָ֔ה H2346 Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 16

Original words

And וַיְהִ֣י׀ H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular from מִן־ H4480 Preposition that הַה֗וּא H1931 Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular day on הַיּ֣וֹם H3117 Article | Noun - masculine singular half חֲצִ֣י H2677 Noun - masculine singular construct of my servants נְעָרַי֮ H5288 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular did עֹשִׂ֣ים H6213 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural the work בַּמְּלָאכָה֒ H4399 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular while the other half וְחֶצְיָ֗ם H2677 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural held מַחֲזִיקִים֙ H2388 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural spears וְהָרְמָחִ֣ים H7420 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural shields הַמָּגִנִּ֔ים H4043 Article | Noun - common plural bows וְהַקְּשָׁת֖וֹת H7198 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine plural and armor וְהַשִּׁרְיֹנִ֑ים H8302 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural The officers וְהַ֨שָּׂרִ֔ים H8269 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural [stationed themselves] behind אַחֲרֵ֖י H310 Preposition all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct the people בֵּ֥ית H1004 Noun - masculine singular construct of Judah יְהוּדָֽה׃ H3063 Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 17

Original words

who were rebuilding הַבּוֹנִ֧ים H1129 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural the wall בַּחוֹמָ֛ה H2346 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular The laborers who carried וְהַנֹּשְׂאִ֥ים H5375 Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural materials בַּסֶּ֖בֶל H5447 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular . . . עֹמְשִׂ֑ים H6006 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural worked עֹשֶׂ֣ה H6213 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular . . . בַמְּלָאכָ֔ה H4399 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular with one בְּאַחַ֤ת H259 Preposition-b | Number - feminine singular construct hand יָדוֹ֙ H3027 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular and held מַחֲזֶ֥קֶת H2388 Verb - Hifil - Participle - feminine singular a weapon הַשָּֽׁלַח׃ H7973 Article | Noun - masculine singular with the other וְאַחַ֖ת H259 Conjunctive waw | Number - feminine singular
Verse 18

Original words

And each אִ֥ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular of the builders וְהַ֨בּוֹנִ֔ים H1129 Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural worked וּבוֹנִ֑ים H1129 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural with his sword חַרְבּ֛וֹ H2719 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular strapped אֲסוּרִ֥ים H631 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural at עַל־ H5921 Preposition his side מָתְנָ֖יו H4975 Noun - masculine dual construct | third person masculine singular But the trumpeter וְהַתּוֹקֵ֥עַ H8628 Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular . . . בַּשּׁוֹפָ֖ר H7782 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular stayed beside me אֶצְלִֽי׃ H681 Preposition | first person common singular
Verse 19

Original words

Then I said וָאֹמַ֞ר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition the nobles הַחֹרִ֤ים H2715 Article | Noun - masculine plural . . . וְאֶל־ H413 Conjunctive waw | Preposition the officials הַסְּגָנִים֙ H5461 Article | Noun - masculine plural . . . וְאֶל־ H413 Conjunctive waw | Preposition and the rest יֶ֣תֶר H3499 Noun - masculine singular construct of the people הָעָ֔ם H5971 Article | Noun - masculine singular The work [is] הַמְּלָאכָ֥ה H4399 Article | Noun - feminine singular great הַרְבֵּ֖ה H7235 Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute and extensive וּרְחָבָ֑ה H7342 Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine singular and we וַאֲנַ֗חְנוּ H587 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common plural are spread out נִפְרָדִים֙ H6504 Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural far רְחוֹקִ֖ים H7350 Adjective - masculine plural from one אִ֥ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular another מֵאָחִֽיו׃ H251 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular along עַל־ H5921 Preposition the wall הַ֣חוֹמָ֔ה H2346 Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 20

Original words

Wherever בִּמְק֗וֹם H4725 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct - אֲשֶׁ֤ר H834 Pronoun - relative you hear תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ H8085 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the sound ק֣וֹל H6963 Noun - masculine singular construct of the horn הַשּׁוֹפָ֔ר H7782 Article | Noun - masculine singular rally תִּקָּבְצ֣וּ H6908 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural to us אֵלֵ֑ינוּ H413 Preposition | first person common plural there שָׁ֖מָּה H8033 Adverb | third person feminine singular Our God אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural will fight יִלָּ֥חֶם H3898 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular for us לָֽנוּ׃ Preposition | first person common plural
Verse 21

Original words

So we וַאֲנַ֖חְנוּ H587 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common plural continued עֹשִׂ֣ים H6213 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural the work בַּמְּלָאכָ֑ה H4399 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular while half of [the men] וְחֶצְיָ֗ם H2677 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural held מַחֲזִיקִים֙ H2388 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural spears בָּֽרְמָחִ֔ים H7420 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural from the break מֵעֲל֣וֹת H5927 Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct of dawn הַשַּׁ֔חַר H7837 Article | Noun - masculine singular until עַ֖ד H5704 Preposition the stars הַכּוֹכָבִֽים׃ H3556 Article | Noun - masculine plural came out צֵ֥את H3318 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Verse 22

Original words

At that הַהִיא֙ H1931 Article | Pronoun - third person feminine singular time בָּעֵ֤ת H6256 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular I also גַּ֣ם H1571 Conjunction said אָמַ֣רְתִּי H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular to the people לָעָ֔ם H5971 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular Let every man אִ֣ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular and his servant וְנַעֲר֔וֹ H5288 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular spend the night יָלִ֖ינוּ H3885 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural inside בְּת֣וֹךְ H8432 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct Jerusalem יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם H3389 Noun - proper - feminine singular so that they can stand וְהָֽיוּ־ H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural guard מִשְׁמָ֖ר H4929 Noun - masculine singular by night הַלַּ֛יְלָה H3915 Article | Noun - masculine singular and work מְלָאכָֽה׃ H4399 Noun - feminine singular by day וְהַיּ֥וֹם H3117 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 23

Original words

So neither I אֲנִ֜י H589 Pronoun - first person common singular - וְאֵ֨ין H369 Conjunctive waw | Adverb nor my brothers וְאַחַ֣י H251 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular nor my servants וּנְעָרַ֗י H5288 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular . . . וְאַנְשֵׁ֤י H376 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct nor the guards הַמִּשְׁמָר֙ H4929 Article | Noun - masculine singular - אֲשֶׁ֣ר H834 Pronoun - relative with me אַחֲרַ֔י H310 Preposition | first person common singular . . . אֵין־ H369 Adverb . . . אֲנַ֥חְנוּ H587 Pronoun - first person common plural changed out of פֹשְׁטִ֖ים H6584 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural our clothes בְּגָדֵ֑ינוּ H899 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural each אִ֖ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular carried his weapon שִׁלְח֥וֹ H7973 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular [even to go] for water הַמָּֽיִם׃ס H4325 Article | Noun - masculine plural

BSB notes

  • Or each carried his weapon in his right hand

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.