Nehemiah 4:23

Nehemiah 4:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.
• New International Version (NIV)Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes; each kept his weapon at his right hand.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So neither I, my brethren, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes, except that everyone took them off for washing.

Context of Nehemiah 4:23

21So we continued the work, while half of the men were holding spears from daybreak until the stars came out. 22At that time, I also said to the people, “Let everyone and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, so that they can stand guard by night and work by day.” And I, my brothers, my servants, and the men of the guard with me never took off our clothes. Each carried his weapon, even when washing.

Nehemiah 4:23 word by word

וְאֵ֨ין אֲנִ֜י וְאַחַ֣י וּנְעָרַ֗י וְאַנְשֵׁ֤י הַמִּשְׁמָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַחֲרַ֔י אֵין־אֲנַ֥חְנוּ פֹשְׁטִ֖ים בְּגָדֵ֑ינוּ אִ֖ישׁ שִׁלְח֥וֹ הַמָּֽיִם׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• So neither I, nor my brethrenאָח'âch · brother: compatriotH251
• nor my servantsנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
• nor the menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• of the guardמִשְׁמָרmishmâr · custodyH4929
• which followedאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• me, none of usאֲנַ֫חְנוּ'ănachnû · weH587
• put offפָּשַׁטpâshaţ · to stripH6584
• our clothesבֶּ֫גֶדbeged · garmentH899
• every oneאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• put them offשֶׁ֫לַחshelach · missileH7973
• for washingמַיmayim · waterH4325

Cross-references for Nehemiah 4:23

• Nehemiah 5:16Instead, I devoted myself to the construction of this wall, and all my subordinates were gathered there for the work. We didn’t buy any land.
• Nehemiah 7:2Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah, commander of the fortress, because he was a faithful man who feared God more than most.
• Judges 9:48So Abimelech and all the troops who were with him went up to Mount Zalmon. Abimelech took his ax in his hand and cut a branch from the trees. He picked up the branch, put it on his shoulder, and said to the troops who were with him, “Hurry and do what you have seen me do.”
• 1 Corinthians 15:10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
• Judges 5:11Let them tell the righteous acts of the Lord, the righteous deeds of his villagers in Israel, with the voices of the singers at the watering places. Then the Lord’s people went down to the city gates.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 4:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23None of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing - The Hebrew for all this is only המים שלחו איש בגדינו פשטים אנחנו אין ein anachnu poshetim begadeynu ish shilcho hammayim ; which Montanus translates, Non nos exuentes vestes nostras, vir missile suum aquas; "We, not putting off our garments, a man his dart to the waters." Of this latter clause what sense can be made? Let us hear what the ancient versions say. The Vulgate…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23Saving … - The text here is probably unsound. It yields no satisfactory sense. See the margin.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-23Verses 16-23 We must watch always against spiritual enemies, and not expect that our warfare will be over till our work is ended. The word of God is the sword of the Spirit, which we ought to have always at hand, and never to have to seek for it, either in our labours, or in our conflicts, as Christians. Every true Christian is both a labourer and a soldier, working with one hand, and fighting with the other. Good work is likely to go on with success…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23Nehemiah and the other leaders were not elitists who rested while others worked hard.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

Topics related to Nehemiah 4:23

• Prudence
• Servant

In the dictionaries

• Armour
• Ammon; Ammonites
• Esdras, the First Book of
• Wash; Washing
• Arms, Armor

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