Nehemiah 4:17-23

17 aedificantium in muro et portantium onera et inponentium una manu sua faciebat opus et altera tenebat gladium

18 aedificantium enim unusquisque gladio erat accinctus renes et aedificabant et clangebant bucina iuxta me

19 et dixi ad optimates et ad magistratus et ad reliquam partem vulgi opus grande est et latum et nos separati sumus in muro procul alter ab altero

20 in loco quocumque audieritis clangorem tubae illuc concurrite ad nos Deus noster pugnabit pro nobis

21 et nos ipsi faciamus opus et media pars nostrum teneat lanceas ab ascensu aurorae donec egrediantur astra

22 in tempore quoque illo dixi populo unusquisque cum puero suo maneat in medio Hierusalem et sint vobis vices per noctem et diem ad operandum

23 ego autem et fratres mei et pueri mei et custodes qui erant post me non deponebamus vestimenta nostra unusquisque tantum nudabatur ad baptismum

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.