Nehemiah

Nehemiah 4:2–4

2before his associates and the army of Samaria, saying, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Can they restore the wall by themselves?a Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?”

3Then 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!”

4Hear us, O God, for we are despised. Turn their scorn back upon their own heads, and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity.

Footnotes

  • a 4:2 Or Will they commit themselves to God?

Read all of Nehemiah 4

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Nehemiah 4:2

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
beforeלִפְנֵ֣יlip̄·nêPreposition-l; Noun - common plural constructH6440 face, before
his associatesאֶחָ֗יו’e·ḥāwNoun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singularH251 brother
and the armyוְחֵיל֙wə·ḥêlConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular constructH2428 strength, efficiency, wealth, army
of Samariaשֹֽׁמְר֔וֹןšō·mə·rō·wnNoun - proper - feminine singularH8111 Shomeron
sayingוַיֹּ֣אמֶר׀way·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
Whatמָ֛הmāhInterrogativeH4100 what? how? aught
are these feebleהָאֲמֵלָלִ֖יםhā·’ă·mê·lā·lîmArticle; Adjective - masculine pluralH537 id.
Jewsהַיְּהוּדִ֥יםhay·yə·hū·ḏîmArticle; Noun - proper - masculine pluralH3064 Jewish
doingעֹשִׂ֑ים‘ō·śîmVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralH6213 do, make
Can they restoreהֲיַעַזְב֨וּhă·ya·‘az·ḇūVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralH5800 leave, forsake, loose
by themselvesלָהֶ֤םlā·hemPreposition-l; Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Will they offer sacrificesהֲיִזְבָּ֙חוּ֙hă·yiz·bā·ḥūVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralH2076 slaughter for sacrifice
Will they complete itהַיְכַלּ֣וּhay·ḵal·lūVerb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralH3615 be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, spent
in a dayבַיּ֔וֹםḇay·yō·wmPreposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singularH3117 day
theseוְהֵ֥מָּהwə·hêm·māhConjunctive waw; Pronoun - third person masculine pluralH1992 they, them
burntשְׂרוּפֽוֹת׃śə·rū·p̄ō·wṯVerb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine pluralH8313 burn
stonesהָאֲבָנִ֛יםhā·’ă·ḇā·nîmArticle; Noun - feminine pluralH68 stone
back to lifeהַיְחַיּ֧וּhay·ḥay·yūVerb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralH2421 live
from the moundsמֵעֲרֵמ֥וֹתmê·‘ă·rê·mō·wṯPreposition-m; Noun - feminine plural constructH6194 heap, sheaf
of rubbleהֶעָפָ֖רhe·‘ā·p̄ārArticle; Noun - masculine singularH6083 dry earth, dust

Nehemiah 4:3

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Then Tobiahוְטוֹבִיָּ֥הwə·ṭō·w·ḇî·yāhConjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singularH2900 Tobijah
the Ammoniteהָעַמֹּנִ֖יhā·‘am·mō·nîArticle; Noun - proper - masculine singularH5984 Ammonite
who was beside himאֶצְל֑וֹ’eṣ·lōwPreposition; third person masculine singularH681 conjunction, proximity
saidוַיֹּ֗אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
Ifאִם־’im-ConjunctionH518 if
evenגַּ֚םgamConjunctionH1571 also, moreover, yea
a foxשׁוּעָ֔לšū·‘ālNoun - masculine singularH7776 fox
were to climb up onיַעֲלֶ֣הya·‘ă·lehVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH5927 go up, ascend, climb
whatאֲשֶׁר־’ă·šer-Pronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
theyהֵ֣םhêmPronoun - third person masculine pluralH1992 they, them
are buildingבּוֹנִ֔יםbō·w·nîmVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralH1129 build
it would break downוּפָרַ֖ץū·p̄ā·raṣConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularH6555 break through
their wallחוֹמַ֥תḥō·w·maṯNoun - feminine singular constructH2346 wall
of stonesאַבְנֵיהֶֽם׃פ’aḇ·nê·hemNoun - feminine plural construct; third person masculine pluralH68 stone

Nehemiah 4:4

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Hear usשְׁמַ֤עšə·ma‘Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularH8085 hear
O Godאֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙’ĕ·lō·hê·nūNoun - masculine plural construct; first person common pluralH430 God
forכִּֽי־kî-ConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
we areהָיִ֣ינוּhā·yî·nūVerb - Qal - Perfect - first person common pluralH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
despisedבוּזָ֔הḇū·zāhNoun - feminine singularH939 contempt
Turnוְהָשֵׁ֥בwə·hā·šêḇConjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singularH7725 turn back, return
their scornחֶרְפָּתָ֖םḥer·pā·ṯāmNoun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine pluralH2781 reproach
back uponאֶל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
their own headsרֹאשָׁ֑םrō·šāmNoun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine pluralH7218 head
and let them be takenוּתְנֵ֥םū·ṯə·nêmConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular; third person masculine pluralH5414 give, put, set
as plunderלְבִזָּ֖הlə·ḇiz·zāhPreposition-l; Noun - feminine singularH961 spoil, booty
to a landבְּאֶ֥רֶץbə·’e·reṣPreposition-b; Noun - feminine singular constructH776 earth, land
of captivityשִׁבְיָֽה׃šiḇ·yāhNoun - feminine singularH7633 captivity, captives

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Nehemiah 4:2 1 Corinthians 1:27 · Ezra 4:9–10 · 1 Samuel 17:43–44 · Zechariah 12:8 · Nehemiah 4:10 · Ezekiel 37:3–13

Nehemiah 4:3 Nehemiah 2:19

Nehemiah 4:4 Psalm 79:12 · Psalm 123:3–4 · Proverbs 3:34

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.