Nehemiah 4:1

1 And it was done, when Sanballat had heard, that we builded the wall, he was full wroth, and he was stirred greatly, and he scorned the Jews. (And it was done, when Sanballat heard, that we were rebuilding the wall, he was very angry, and was greatly stirred up, and he scorned the Jews.)

Nehemiah 4:1 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 4:1

But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we
builded the wall
Or were building it; for as yet it was not finished, see ( Nehemiah 4:6 ) ,

he was wroth, and took great indignation;
inwardly, though outwardly he pretended to treat the work with contempt, as if it never would be accomplished, which yet he feared:

and mocked the Jews;
as a set of foolish builders, and unable to finish what they had begun.

Nehemiah 4:1 In-Context

1 And it was done, when Sanballat had heard, that we builded the wall, he was full wroth, and he was stirred greatly, and he scorned the Jews. (And it was done, when Sanballat heard, that we were rebuilding the wall, he was very angry, and was greatly stirred up, and he scorned the Jews.)
2 And he said before his brethren, and the multitude of Samaritans, What do the feeble Jews? Whether heathen men shall suffer them? Whether they shall [ful]fill, and make sacrifice in one day? Whether they may build stones of the heaps of the dust, which be burnt? (And he said before his kinsmen, and the multitude of the Samaritans, What do these feeble Jews think they be doing? Do they think they can rebuild the whole city? Do they believe they can just make a sacrifice, and then finish it all in one day? Can they make stones out of heaps of rubble, which be all burned up?)
3 And also Tobiah (the) Ammonite, his neighbour, said, Build they; if a fox go up, he shall over-leap their stone wall. (And Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, Let them build; for if a fox shall go up there, he shall just leap over their stone wall.)
4 And Nehemiah said (in prayer), Our God, hear thou, for we be made despising (for we be despised); turn thou the shame upon their own head(s), and give thou them into despising in the land of captivity;
5 cover thou not the wickedness of them, and their sins be not done away before thy face; for they scorned the builders.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.