Nehemiah 4:17-23

17 They all built the wall and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands worked in the work, and with the other held his weapon;

18 and the builders, everyone had his sword girded by his side, and so built. He who sounded the shofar was by me.

19 I said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated on the wall, one far from another:

20 in whatever place you hear the sound of the shofar, resort you there to us; our God will fight for us.

21 So we worked in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.

22 Likewise at the same time said I to the people, Let everyone with his servant lodge within Yerushalayim, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in the day.

23 So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us put off our clothes, everyone [went with] his weapon [to] the water.

Nehemiah 4:17-23 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NEHEMIAH 4

This chapter relates, how the Jews, while building, were mocked by their enemies, to which no answer was returned but by prayer to God, and they went on notwithstanding in their work, Ne 4:1-6 and how that their enemies conspired against them, to hinder them by force of arms, Ne 4:7-12 to oppose which, both spiritual and temporal weapons were made use of, so that the work was still carried on, Ne 4:13-23.