Nehemiah 4:2
in Nehemiah 4before his associates and the army of Samaria, saying, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Can they restore the wall by themselves? 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?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What are these feeble Jews doing? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, seeing they are burned?
KJV
And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?
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This verse in Nehemiah 4
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThe army of Samaria - As he was governor, he had the command of the army, and he wished to excite the soldiers to second his views against Nehemiah and his men. What do these feeble Jews? - We may remark here, in general, that the enemies of God’s work endeavor by all means to discredit and destroy it, and those who are employed in it. 1. They despise the workmen: What do these feeble Jews? 2. They endeavor to turn all into ridicule: Will they fortify themselves?
This site's exposition
He ridiculed the Jews
on Nehemiah 4:1-3
Sanballat hears that the wall rises and answers with contempt before he answers with force, mocking feeble Jews who cannot finish what they started. Matthew Henry reads the sequence as the pattern of every threatened enemy, ridicule tried first because it costs nothing and works if it lands.
This site's exposition
before his associates and the army of Samaria
Clarke notes that Sanballat, as governor, commanded Samaria's army and meant to stir the soldiers against Nehemiah and the Jews. His five questions mock the builders' strength, their sacrifices, their haste and their burnt stones. Each question expects the answer no.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
"Will the stones be rebuilt?" etc. For the stones were rebuilt, burnt from the heaps of dust, and were placed again in the work of the holy city, when those who had either denied the faith under the fire of persecutions or had lost the …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And what mean they by being so hasty? Do they think to make the walling of a city but one day's work, and to keep the feast of dedication with sacrifice the next day? See how ridiculous they make themselves!" (2.) Tobiah speaks with no less scorn of the work itself.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
And he spake before his brethren,....
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר׀ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לִפְנֵ֣י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אֶחָ֗יו | ʾechav | brothers his | H251 → | 630 times |
| וְחֵיל֙ | vecheil | and [the] army of | H2428 → | 246 times |
| שֹֽׁמְר֔וֹן | shomeron | Samaria | H8111 → | |
| וַיֹּ֕אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| מָ֛ה | mah | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| הַיְּהוּדִ֥ים | haiyehudim | [are] the Jews | H3064 → | 75 times |
| הָאֲמֵלָלִ֖ים | haamelalim | <the> feeble | H537 → | |
| עֹשִׂ֑ים | ʾosim | doing | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| הֲיַעַזְב֨וּ | hayaazvu | ¿ will they restore | H5800 → | 215 times |
| לָהֶ֤ם | lahem | for themselves | ||
| הֲיִזְבָּ֙חוּ֙ | hayizbachu | ¿ will they offer sacrifices | H2076 → | |
| הַיְכַלּ֣וּ | haykhalu | ¿ will they finish | H3615 → | |
| בַיּ֔וֹם | vaiyom | in the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַיְחַיּ֧וּ | haychaiyu | ¿ will they restore | H2421 → | 282 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאֲבָנִ֛ים | haavanim | the stones | H68 → | 273 times |
| מֵעֲרֵמ֥וֹת | mearemot | from [the] heaps of | H6194 → | |
| הֶעָפָ֖ר | heafar | <the> debris | H6083 → | |
| וְהֵ֥מָּה | vehemah | and they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| שְׂרוּפֽוֹת׃ | serufot | [are] burned | H8313 → |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר׀and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לִפְנֵ֣י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
אֶחָ֗יוbrothers his
ʾechavH251 →630 times
וְחֵיל֙and [the] army of
vecheilH2428 →246 times
שֹֽׁמְר֔וֹןSamaria
shomeronH8111 →
וַיֹּ֕אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
מָ֛הwhat?
mahH4100 →752 times
הַיְּהוּדִ֥ים[are] the Jews
haiyehudimH3064 →75 times
הָאֲמֵלָלִ֖ים<the> feeble
haamelalimH537 →
עֹשִׂ֑יםdoing
ʾosimH6213 →2628 times
הֲיַעַזְב֨וּ¿ will they restore
hayaazvuH5800 →215 times
לָהֶ֤םfor themselves
lahem
הֲיִזְבָּ֙חוּ֙¿ will they offer sacrifices
hayizbachuH2076 →
הַיְכַלּ֣וּ¿ will they finish
haykhaluH3615 →
בַיּ֔וֹםin the day
vaiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַיְחַיּ֧וּ¿ will they restore
haychaiyuH2421 →282 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאֲבָנִ֛יםthe stones
haavanimH68 →273 times
מֵעֲרֵמ֥וֹתfrom [the] heaps of
mearemotH6194 →
הֶעָפָ֖ר<the> debris
heafarH6083 →
וְהֵ֥מָּהand they
vehemahH1992 →553 times
שְׂרוּפֽוֹת׃[are] burned
serufotH8313 →
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
1 Corinthians 1:27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
it leads to
- James 2:5
Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?
- Matthew 11:25
At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
- 1 Corinthians 1:20
Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
- Psalms 8:2
From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise on account of Your adversaries, to silence the enemy and avenger.
- Luke 21:15
For I will give you speech and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.
- James 2:5
Through
Nehemiah 12:43On that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.
it leads to
- Ezra 3:13
The people could not distinguish the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people were making so much noise. And the sound was heard from afar.
- Psalms 92:4
For You, O LORD, have made me glad by Your deeds; I sing for joy at the works of Your hands.
- Ezra 3:13
Through
Zechariah 12:8On that day the LORD will defend the people of Jerusalem, so that the weakest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of…
it leads to
- Micah 5:2–4
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel—One whose origins are of old, from the days…
- Micah 5:2–4
About Nehemiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.