Nehemiah

Nehemiah 4:3–7

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. 5Do not cover up their iniquity or let their sin be blotted out from Your sight, for they have provoked the builders.b

6So we rebuilt the wall until all of it was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

7When Sanballat and Tobiah, together with the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites, heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they were furious,

Footnotes

  • b 4:5 Or have provoked You to anger before the builders

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 4:3

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

Nehemiah 4:5

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Do notוְאַל־wə·’al-Conjunctive waw; AdverbH408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
cover upתְּכַס֙tə·ḵasVerb - Piel - Imperfect Jussive - second person masculine singularH3680 cover
their iniquityעֲוֺנָ֔ם‘ă·wō·nāmNoun - common singular construct; third person masculine pluralH5771 iniquity, guilt, or punishment of iniquity
or let their sinוְחַטָּאתָ֖םwə·ḥaṭ·ṭā·ṯāmConjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine pluralH2403 offence, penalty, occasion
be blotted outתִּמָּחֶ֑הtim·mā·ḥehVerb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singularH4229 wipe, wipe out
from Your sightמִלְּפָנֶ֣יךָmil·lə·p̄ā·ne·ḵāPreposition-m, Preposition-l; Noun - common plural construct; second person masculine singularH6440 face, before
forכִּ֥יkîConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
they have provokedהִכְעִ֖יסוּhiḵ·‘î·sūVerb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common pluralH3707 be vexed, angry
the buildersהַבּוֹנִֽים׃hab·bō·w·nîmArticle; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralH1129 build

Nehemiah 4:6

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
So we rebuiltוַנִּבְנֶה֙wan·niḇ·nehConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common pluralH1129 build
the wallהַ֣חוֹמָ֔הha·ḥō·w·māhArticle; Noun - feminine singularH2346 wall
until allכָּל־kāl-Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
was joined togetherוַתִּקָּשֵׁ֥רwat·tiq·qā·šêrConjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularH7194 bind, league together, conspire
up toעַד־‘aḏ-PrepositionH5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
half itsחֶצְיָ֑הּḥeṣ·yāhNoun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singularH2677 half
for the peopleלָעָ֖םlā·‘āmPreposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine singularH5971 people
hadוַיְהִ֧יway·hîConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
a mindלֵ֦בlêḇNoun - masculine singularH3820 inner man, mind, will, heart
to workלַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃פla·‘ă·śō·wṯPreposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH6213 do, make

Nehemiah 4:7

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Whenכַאֲשֶׁ֣רḵa·’ă·šerPreposition-k; Pronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
Sanballatסַנְבַלַּ֡טsan·ḇal·laṭNoun - proper - masculine singularH5571 Sanballat
and Tobiahוְ֠טוֹבִיָּהwə·ṭō·w·ḇî·yāhConjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singularH2900 Tobijah
together with the Arabsוְהָעַרְבִ֨יםwə·hā·‘ar·ḇîmConjunctive waw, Article; Noun - proper - masculine pluralH6163 steppe-dweller
Ammonitesוְהָעַמֹּנִ֜יםwə·hā·‘am·mō·nîmConjunctive waw, Article; Noun - proper - masculine pluralH5984 Ammonite
and Ashdoditesוְהָאַשְׁדּוֹדִ֗יםwə·hā·’aš·dō·w·ḏîmConjunctive waw, Article; Noun - proper - masculine pluralH796 Ashdodite
heardשָׁמַ֣עšā·ma‘Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH8085 hear
thatכִּֽי־kî-ConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
the repairאֲרוּכָה֙’ă·rū·ḵāhNoun - feminine singularH724 healing
to the wallsלְחֹמ֣וֹתlə·ḥō·mō·wṯPreposition-l; Noun - feminine plural constructH2346 wall
of Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֔םyə·rū·šā·limNoun - proper - feminine singularH3389 Jerusalem
was progressingעָלְתָ֤ה‘ā·lə·ṯāhVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singularH5927 go up, ascend, climb
and thatכִּי־kî-ConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
the gapsהַפְּרֻצִ֖יםhap·pə·ru·ṣîmArticle; Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine pluralH6555 break through
were being closedלְהִסָּתֵ֑םlə·his·sā·ṯêmPreposition-l; Verb - Nifal - Infinitive constructH5640 stop up, shut up, keep close
they were furiousוַיִּ֥חַרway·yi·ḥarConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH2734 burn, be kindled

Cross-references

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

Nehemiah 4:3 Nehemiah 2:19

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

Nehemiah 4:5 Jeremiah 18:23 · Psalm 109:14 · Psalm 69:27–28 · Isaiah 44:22 · 2 Timothy 4:14 · Isaiah 43:25 · Psalm 51:1

Nehemiah 4:6 Philippians 2:13 · Hebrews 13:21 · Nehemiah 6:15 · 1 Chronicles 29:3 · 1 Chronicles 29:17–18 · 1 Chronicles 29:14 · Psalm 110:3 · 2 Chronicles 29:36 · 2 Corinthians 8:16–17

Nehemiah 4:7 Nehemiah 4:1 · Nehemiah 2:10 · Revelation 12:12–13 · Acts 5:33 · Amos 1:13 · Acts 4:17–18 · Revelation 12:17 · Jeremiah 25:20

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.