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

21We continued to work on the wall every day, from dawn until it became dark. Half of the men held spears to be our guards. 22I said to the people, ‘Everybody must stay in Jerusalem each night, together with those who are helping them. Then they can be our guards to keep us safe at night. During each day they can do the work.’ I did not take my clothes off at night time, and neither did any of my friends. The workers and the guards who were with me kept their clothes on all the time. Everyone carried his own weapon whatever he was doing.

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 5:16I worked hard to help the work on the city's walls. I did not take any land for myself. All my servants also had to join with me in the work.
• Nehemiah 7:2I gave authority over Jerusalem to my brother Hanani and to Hananiah. Hananiah was the leader of the men in Jerusalem's strong building. He was a faithful man who respected God more than many men do.
• Judges 9:48He took all his men up to Mount Zalmon. He used an axe to cut some branches off a tree. He put the branches on his shoulders. Then he said to his men, ‘Be quick! Do the same thing as you have seen me do!’
• 1 Corinthians 15:10But God was very kind to me. He helped me to become a different person. And because God has been so kind to me, the result has been great. I have worked more than all the other apostles. But it was not really I myself who could do that work. No, I could do it because God was so kind to me.
• Judges 5:11Listen to the voices of the singers near the wells of water. They sing about the great things that the Lord has done. They tell how Israel's soldiers have won against their enemies. Then the Lord's people marched 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