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 plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw it into confusion. 9So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard because of them day and night. In Judah, it was said: The strength of the laborer fails, since there is so much rubble. We will never be able to rebuild the wall. 11And our enemies said, “They won’t realize it until we’re among them and can kill them and stop the work.” 12When the Jews who lived nearby arrived, they said to us time and again, “Everywhere you turn, they attack 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 responded, “We can’t attack the people because they are stronger than we are!”
• Numbers 32:9After they went up as far as Eshcol Valley and saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them.
• Psalms 11:1I have taken refuge in the Lord. How can you say to me, “Escape to the mountains like a bird!
• Haggai 1:2“The Lord of Armies says this: These people say: The time has not come for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.”
• 2 Chronicles 2:18Solomon made 70,000 of them porters, 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 supervisors to make the people work.
• Ezekiel 29:18“Son of man, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon made his army labor strenuously against Tyre. Every head was made bald and every shoulder chafed, but he and his army received no compensation from Tyre for the labor he expended against it.

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