Nehemiah 4:20
in Nehemiah 4Wherever you hear the sound of the horn, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
in what place soever ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us; our God will fight for us.
KJV
In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.
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This verse in Nehemiah 4
Commentary
7 notes on this verseYe hear the sound of the trumpet - As the walls were very extensive, and the workmen consequently much scattered, their enemies might easily attack and destroy them successively, he therefore ordered them all to work as near to each other as they could; and himself, who was everywhere surveying the work, kept a trumpeter always with him, who was to sound when the enemy approached; and all were instantly to run to the place where they heard the sound.
This site's exposition
The work is great and extensive
on Nehemiah 4:19-20
The work is too great for every family to defend itself. Nehemiah gives one sign to call them together, and grounds the plan in one line: "Our God will fight for us!" The horn gathers a scattered workforce to a single point without anyone leaving his post before the signal.
This site's exposition
Wherever you hear the sound of the horn
Clarke explains the danger: a long wall with scattered crews could be taken one crew at a time. Nehemiah moved along the whole wall with the trumpeter, so the call could come from any point. The closing cry echoes Exodus 14:14.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
When they acted as workmen, it was requisite they should be dispersed wherever there was work to do; but when as soldiers it was requisite they should come into close order, and be found in a body. Thus should the labourers in Christ's building be ready to unite against a common foe.
2 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?
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet,.... Be it what part of the wall soever they were at work, even the most distant: resort ye thither to us; to Nehemiah, and the half of his servants armed, where the trumpet was blown; that was to be the place of rendezvous: our God shall fight for us; and give us victory over our enemies; none have any reason to be intimidated, when they shall hear the sound of the trumpet.
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
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בִּמְק֗וֹם | bimkom | in [the] place | H4725 → | 401 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | <of> where | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ | tishmeu | you will hear | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| ק֣וֹל | kol | [the] sound of | H6963 → | 506 times |
| הַשּׁוֹפָ֔ר | hashofar | the ram's horn | H7782 → | |
| שָׁ֖מָּה | shamah | there towards | H8033 → | 834 times |
| תִּקָּבְצ֣וּ | tikavetzu | you will assemble | H6908 → | 127 times |
| אֵלֵ֑ינוּ | ʾeleinu | to us | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ | ʾeloheinu | God our | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יִלָּ֥חֶם | yilachem | he will fight | H3898 → | 177 times |
| לָֽנוּ׃ | lanu | for us |
בִּמְק֗וֹםin [the] place
bimkomH4725 →401 times
אֲשֶׁ֤ר<of> where
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙you will hear
tishmeuH8085 →1159 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
ק֣וֹל[the] sound of
kolH6963 →506 times
הַשּׁוֹפָ֔רthe ram's horn
hashofarH7782 →
שָׁ֖מָּהthere towards
shamahH8033 →834 times
תִּקָּבְצ֣וּyou will assemble
tikavetzuH6908 →127 times
אֵלֵ֑ינוּto us
ʾeleinuH413 →5510 times
אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּGod our
ʾeloheinuH430 →2601 times
יִלָּ֥חֶםhe will fight
yilachemH3898 →177 times
לָֽנוּ׃for us
lanu
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
Joshua 23:10One of you can put a thousand to flight, because the LORD your God fights for you, just as He promised.
it leads to
- Exodus 14:14
The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Reached by 4 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 3:22
Do not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God Himself will fight for you.”
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 32:30
How could one man pursue a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up?
- Leviticus 26:8
Five of you will pursue a hundred, and a hundred of you will pursue ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.
- Psalms 35:1
Contend with my opponents, O LORD; fight against those who fight against me.
- Exodus 14:14
Through
Exodus 14:14The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 1:30
The LORD your God, who goes before you, will fight for you, just as you saw Him do for you in Egypt
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 20:4
For the LORD your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Chronicles 20:17
You need not fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 1:30
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) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.