Neemias 4

Opposition to the Work

1 * 4:1 Ch 3:33 in Hebrew Now when *ver. 7;ch. 2:10,19Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. 2 And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of *1 Kgs. 16:24Samaria, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves?*4:2 Or Will they commit themselves to God? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?" 3 *[See ver. 1above] Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, "Yes, what they are building—*[Lam. 5:18]if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!" 4 *Ps. 123:3,4Hear, O our God, for we are despised. *Ps. 79:12Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. 5 *Ps. 69:27,28;109:14,15;Jer. 18:23Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders.

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