Nehemiah 4:14
in Nehemiah 4After I had made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And 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, who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
KJV
And 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.
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This verse in Nehemiah 4
Commentary
7 notes on this verseBe not ye afraid of them - Are they more terrible or stronger than God? Fight for your brethren - Your own countrymen, who worship the same God, and are come from the same stock; your sons, whom they wish to slay or lead into captivity; your daughters and wives, whom they wish to deflower and defile; and your houses, which they wish to seize and occupy as their own. They had every thing at stake; and therefore they must fight pro aris et focis, for their religion, their lives, and their property.
This site's exposition
behind the lowest sections of the wall
on Nehemiah 4:13-15
Nehemiah stations the people "by families with their swords, spears, and bows" in the low and exposed places. He answers their fear on the ground of his prayer. When the enemy learns the plan is known, the text credits God directly, "God had frustrated it," and the builders return.
This site's exposition
Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome
The title great and awesome repeats Nehemiah's prayer at 1:5, turned into a charge for battle. Clarke spells out what each named group stood to lose: sons to death or captivity, daughters and wives to violence, and homes to seizure. Fear of the enemy is answered by memory of God.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
He is great above them to control them, and will be terrible to them when he comes to reckon with them." Those that with an eye of faith see the church's God to be great and terrible will see the church's enemies to be mean and despicable. The reigning fear of God is the best antidote against the ensnaring fear of man.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
That was his way, and should be ours: all his cares, all his griefs, all his fears he spread before God. Great and terrible - You think your enemies are great and terrible. But what are they in comparison of God?
And I looked,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Nehemiah's vigilance anticipated every difficulty, his prudent measures defeated every obstruction, and with astonishing rapidity this Jerusalem was made again "a city fortified."
The words behind it
25 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וָאֵ֣רֶא | vaere' | and I saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| וָאָק֗וּם | vaakum | and I arose | H6965 → | 628 times |
| וָאֹמַ֞ר | vaomar | and I said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַחֹרִ֤ים | hachorim | the nobles | H2715 → | 13 times |
| וְאֶל־ | veel- | and to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַסְּגָנִים֙ | haseganim | the officials | H5461 → | 17 times |
| וְאֶל־ | veel- | and to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יֶ֣תֶר | yeter | [the] rest of | H3499 → | 102 times |
| הָעָ֔ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תִּֽירְא֖וּ | tireu | you be afraid | H3372 → | 315 times |
| מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם | mipeneihem | of <before> them | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲדֹנָ֞י | ʾadonai | [the] Lord | H136 → | |
| הַגָּד֤וֹל | hagadol | <the> great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| וְהַנּוֹרָא֙ | vehanora' | and <the> awesome | H3372 → | 315 times |
| זְכֹ֔רוּ | zekhoru | remember | H2142 → | 230 times |
| וְהִֽלָּחֲמ֗וּ | vehilachamu | and fight | H3898 → | 177 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אֲחֵיכֶם֙ | ʾacheikhem | brothers your | H251 → | 630 times |
| בְּנֵיכֶ֣ם | beneikhem | sons your | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| וּבְנֹתֵיכֶ֔ם | uvenoteikhem | and daughters your | H1323 → | 588 times |
| נְשֵׁיכֶ֖ם | nesheikhem | wives your | H802 → | 781 times |
| וּבָתֵּיכֶֽם׃ פ | uvateikhem | and houses your | H1004 → | 2046 times |
וָאֵ֣רֶאand I saw
vaere'H7200 →1300 times
וָאָק֗וּםand I arose
vaakumH6965 →628 times
וָאֹמַ֞רand I said
vaomarH559 →5305 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַחֹרִ֤יםthe nobles
hachorimH2715 →13 times
וְאֶל־and to
veel-H413 →5510 times
הַסְּגָנִים֙the officials
haseganimH5461 →17 times
וְאֶל־and to
veel-H413 →5510 times
יֶ֣תֶר[the] rest of
yeterH3499 →102 times
הָעָ֔םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תִּֽירְא֖וּyou be afraid
tireuH3372 →315 times
מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑םof <before> them
mipeneihemH6440 →2123 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֲדֹנָ֞י[the] Lord
ʾadonaiH136 →
הַגָּד֤וֹל<the> great
hagadolH1419 →526 times
וְהַנּוֹרָא֙and <the> awesome
vehanora'H3372 →315 times
זְכֹ֔רוּremember
zekhoruH2142 →230 times
וְהִֽלָּחֲמ֗וּand fight
vehilachamuH3898 →177 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
אֲחֵיכֶם֙brothers your
ʾacheikhemH251 →630 times
בְּנֵיכֶ֣םsons your
beneikhemH1121 →4930 times
וּבְנֹתֵיכֶ֔םand daughters your
uvenoteikhemH1323 →588 times
נְשֵׁיכֶ֖םwives your
nesheikhemH802 →781 times
וּבָתֵּיכֶֽם׃ פand houses your
uvateikhemH1004 →2046 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hebrews 13:6So we say with confidence: “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
it leads to
- Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 118:6–9
The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
- Isaiah 41:10
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand…
- Psalms 27:1–3
The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— whom shall I dread?
- Psalms 124:8
Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
- Romans 8:31
Through
2 Samuel 10:12Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and for the cities of our God. May the LORD do what is good in His sight.”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Corinthians 16:13
Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Be men of courage. Be strong.
- Deuteronomy 31:6
Through
Numbers 14:9Only do not rebel against the LORD, and do not be afraid of the people of the land, for they will be like bread for us. Their protection has been removed, and the LORD…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 7:18
But do not be afraid of them. Be sure to remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and all Egypt:
- Deuteronomy 7:18
About Nehemiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.