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Chapter 4

When Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites[a] heard that the repairs to the walls of Jerusalem were proceeding according to plan and that the gaps were beginning to be closed, they became infuriated. As a result, they all plotted together to launch an attack against Jerusalem and throw all of us into panic and confusion. Therefore, we prayed to our God and posted guards against them day and night in an attempt to foil their plans.

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 4:1 Ashdodites: the people of Ashdod were Philistines; 13:23 speaks of women of Ashdod who had married Jews.

Opposition to the Rebuilding

[a]When Sanballat(A) heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates(B) and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble(C)—burned as they are?”

Tobiah(D) the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!”(E)

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 4:1 In Hebrew texts 4:1-6 is numbered 3:33-38, and 4:7-23 is numbered 4:1-17.