Nehemiah 4:4

4 Hear, O our God, for we are despised; and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them as a prey in the land of captivity.

Nehemiah 4:4 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 4:4

Hear, O our God, for we are despised
Here begins the prayer of Nehemiah, who had been informed of what these men said in contempt of him, and his builders, and to whom he sent no answer, but applied to God:

and turn their reproach upon their own head;
as they have despised and reproached us, let them be despised and reproached by their neighbours:

give them for a prey in the land of captivity;
let them be carried captive, as we have been, and become a prey and booty to their enemies.

Nehemiah 4:4 In-Context

2 And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they make sacrifice? Will they finish it in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?"

3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, "Indeed that which they build, if a fox go up, even he shall break down their stone wall."

4 Hear, O our God, for we are despised; and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them as a prey in the land of captivity.

5 And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before Thee; for they have provoked Thee to anger before the builders.

6 So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto half its height, for the people had a mind to work.