Nehemiah 4:12

12 Now the Jews who were living near them came and said to us again and again,"You must return to us!"

Nehemiah 4:12 Meaning and Commentary

Ver. 12 And it came to pass, when the Jews that dwelt by them
Near Samaria, Arabia, and Ashdod, and had intelligence of their designs:

came, they said to us ten times;
that is, they came to them at Jerusalem, and often told them, as this phrase "ten times" signifies, (See Gill on Genesis 31:7),

from all places whence ye shall return unto us:
they will be upon you, come which way you will, so that ye are in the utmost danger: or "from all places"; where you are repairing and rebuilding:

return to us;
that ye may enjoy peace and prosperity with us under Sanballat and escape the wrath and fury you are now exposed to; or "from all places we come, that ye may return to us"; so De Dieu; these Jews, though they pretended to be friends, to their brethren, yet seemed to be in friendship with their enemies, and sought to discourage them, and weaken their minds, and cause them to cease building.

Nehemiah 4:12 In-Context

10 But in Judah it was said, "The carrier's strength is failing, for there is too much rubble. We are unable to rebuild the wall!"

11 Meanwhile, our enemies were saying: "Before they know or see anything, we can be in their midst and start to kill them. We'll stop the work!"

12 Now the Jews who were living near them came and said to us again and again,"You must return to us!"

13 So I took up a position in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall in an open area. Then I stationed the people by families, and they had their swords, spears, and bows.

14 After reviewing this, I stood up and said to the officials, the officers, and the rest of the people, "Don't be afraid of them! Remember that the LORD is great and awesome! Fight for your families, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses!"

Footnotes

• [a]. Or ten times from all sides
• [b]. Heb uncertain