Nehemiah 4:10

Nehemiah 4:10 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
• New International Version (NIV)Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)In Judah it was said, "The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.”

Context of Nehemiah 4:10

8They all conspired together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to cause a disturbance in it. 9But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night. Then [the leaders of] Judah said, “The strength of the burden bearers is failing, And there is much rubble; We ourselves are unable To rebuild the wall.” 11Our enemies said, “They will not know or see us until we are among them, kill them and put a stop to the work.” 12When the Jews who lived near them came, they said to us ten times (repeatedly), “From every place you turn, they will come up against us.”

Nehemiah 4:10 word by word

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוּדָ֗ה כָּשַׁל֙ כֹּ֣חַ הַסַּבָּ֔ל וְהֶעָפָ֖ר הַרְבֵּ֑ה וַאֲנַ֙חְנוּ֙ לֹ֣א נוּכַ֔ל לִבְנ֖וֹת בַּחוֹמָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• The strengthכֹּחַkôach kôach · strengthH3581
• of the bearers of burdensסַבָּלsabbâl · burdenH5449
• is decayedכָּשַׁלkâshal · to stumbleH3782
• muchרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
• rubbishעָפָר‛âphâr · dustH6083
• so that we are not ableיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
• to buildבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
• the wallחוֹמָהchômâh · wallH2346

Cross-references for Nehemiah 4:10

• Numbers 13:31But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people [of Canaan], for they are too strong for us.”
• Numbers 32:9For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the hearts of the Israelites so that they did not go into the land which the Lord had given them.
• Psalms 11:1In the Lord I take refuge [and put my trust]; How can you say to me, “Flee like a bird to your mountain;
• Haggai 1:2“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘These people say, “The time has not come that the Lord’s house (temple) should be rebuilt.” ’ ”
• 2 Chronicles 2:18He assigned 70,000 of them to carry loads and 80,000 to quarry stone in the mountain, and 3,600 as overseers to make the people work.
• Ezekiel 29:18“Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army work hard [at My command] against Tyre; every [soldier’s] head became bald and every shoulder was worn and peeled [from carrying loads of dirt and stones for siege works]. Yet he had no wages from Tyre [in proportion to the time and labor expended during the siege], either for himself or his army, for the work that he had done against it [for Me].”

Commentaries on Nehemiah 4:10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed - They worked both day and night, scarcely ever putting off their clothes, except for the purpose of being washed, Nehemiah 4:21, Nehemiah 4:23. Much rubbish - The ruins they were obliged to clear away, before they could dig the foundation for a new wall: and in this labor they were nearly exhausted; see Nehemiah 5:15.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-15Verses 7-15 The hindering good work is what bad men aim at, and promise themselves success in; but good work is God's work, and it shall prosper. God has many ways of bringing to light, and so of bringing to nought, the devices and designs of his church's enemies. If our enemies cannot frighten us from duty, or deceive us into sin, they cannot hurt us. Nehemiah put himself and his cause under the Divine protection. It was the way of this good man, and…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-237-21. But ... when Sanballat ... heard that the walls ... were made up, and ... the breaches ... stopped--The rapid progress of the fortifications, despite all their predictions to the contrary, goaded the Samaritans to frenzy. So they, dreading danger from the growing greatness of the Jews, formed a conspiracy to surprise them, demolish their works, and disperse or intimidate the builders. The plot being discovered, Nehemiah adopted the most energetic…Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Judah
• Judah, kingdom of Judah
• Judea, Judah
• Armour
• Sanballat
• Ammon; Ammonites
• Decay
• Esdras, the First Book of

Commentaries on Nehemiah 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings