Nehemiah 4:11

11 Our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, until we come into the midst of them, and kill them, and cause the work to cease.

Nehemiah 4:11 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 4:11

And our adversaries said, they shall not know
Our designs upon them:

neither see;
or perceive what we are about to do:

till we come in the midst of them;
with an army suddenly, at an unawares, and unexpected:

and slay them;
they being unarmed, and not prepared to defend themselves:

and cause the work to cease;
as it must in course, the builders being slain.

Nehemiah 4:11 In-Context

9 But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

10 Yehudah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.

11 Our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, until we come into the midst of them, and kill them, and cause the work to cease.

12 It happened that when the Yehudim who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, You must return to us.

13 Therefore set I in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places, I set [there] the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.