Nehemiah 4:15

Nehemiah 4:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
• New International Version (NIV)When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.
• English Standard Version (ESV)When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.

Context of Nehemiah 4:15

13So I put some men behind the lowest part of the wall where there were holes. Each of the families had guards with swords, spears, bows and arrows. 14I went round the city and I looked at everything. I said to the leaders, the officers and the people, ‘Do not be afraid of our enemies. Remember that our Lord God is great and powerful. Fight on behalf of your brothers, your sons, your daughters and your wives. Fight to keep your homes safe.’ Our enemies realized that we knew what they had decided to do. God had stopped them from doing what they wanted. So each of us went back to our work on the wall. 16After that day, half of my men continued to do the work on the wall. The other half carried spears, shields and bows. They also wore armour. The officers stood behind the people while they built the wall. 17The men who were carrying materials held them with one hand. They held a weapon in their other hand.

Nehemiah 4:15 word by word

וַיְהִ֞י כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־שָׁמְע֤וּ אוֹיְבֵ֙ינוּ֙ כִּי־נ֣וֹדַֽע לָ֔נוּ וַיָּ֥פֶר הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־עֲצָתָ֑ם וַנָּ֤שָׁב כֻּלָּ֙נוּ֙ אֶל־הַ֣חוֹמָ֔ה אִ֖ישׁ אֶל־מְלַאכְתּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And it came to pass, when our enemiesאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341
• heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• that it was knownיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• unto us, and Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• had broughtפָּרַרpârar · to breakH6565
• their counselעֵצָה‛êtsâh · counselH6098
• that we returnedשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• all of us to the wallחוֹמָהchômâh · wallH2346
• every oneאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• unto his workמְלָאכָהmelâ'kâh · workH4399

Cross-references for Nehemiah 4:15

• 2 Samuel 15:31Someone told David that his advisor, Ahithophel, had now joined with Absalom and his men. So David prayed, ‘Lord, please cause Ahithophel to give them foolish advice.’
• 2 Samuel 17:14Absalom and all Israel's leaders said, ‘Hushai's idea is better than Ahithophel's idea.’ This happened because the Lord did not let the people accept Ahithophel's advice. His idea was a good one, but the Lord had decided to cause trouble for Absalom.
• Job 5:12He stops the ideas of clever people. They cannot do what they want to do.
• Psalms 33:10Nations decide what they want to do, but the Lord causes their plans to be useless.
• Proverbs 21:30There is no wisdom, no knowledge and no advice that can win against the Lord.
• Isaiah 8:10Decide how you will fight the battle, but your plans will fail! What you decide to do will never happen. God is with us!
• Isaiah 44:25I show that the false prophets speak useless messages. I show that those who use magic to say what will happen are fools. I cause the ideas of wise people to become useless. People think that their advice is foolish.
• Lamentations 3:37The Lord causes things to happen. Nobody can cause things to happen without him.
• 1 Corinthians 3:19People in this world think that some people are wise. But God thinks that those wise people are fools. It says in the Bible: ‘God causes the clever thoughts of wise people to confuse them.’
• Mark 13:34It is like when a man begins a journey. Before the master leaves his house, he gives authority to his servants. He tells each servant about the work that he should do. Then he tells the servant at the door to watch for his master's return.
• Romans 12:11Do not be lazy, but always work hard. Serve the Lord well because you enjoy it.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:11Try very much to live at peace with other people. Work hard at your own job. We have already told you that you must do these things.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 4:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Their counsel to naught - The word counsel used here countenances the emendation in the 12th verse.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
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15Nehemiah credited God (see also Nehemiah 2:20; 6:16). God had thwarted them through the people's prayers, the 24-hour patrol, the visible show of force, and confidence in God's protection.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 4:15

• Prudence

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Armour
• Ammon; Ammonites
• Esdras, the First Book of
• armor, armory

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