Nehemiah 4:9

Nehemiah 4:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
• New International Version (NIV)But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.

Context of Nehemiah 4:9

7Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arab people, the Ammonites and the people who came from Ashdod all heard that the work was continuing. They could see that we were repairing the holes in the wall. So they were very angry. 8They met together to decide what they should do. They decided to attack Jerusalem so that there would be trouble. So we continued to pray to our God. We also put guards on the walls in the day and the night, to keep the city safe. 10Then the people in Judah complained, ‘Our workers are becoming weak. There are so many stones and rubbish! We cannot finish the work on the wall!’ 11At the same time, our enemies were boasting, ‘Before the Jews even see us, we will attack them. We will kill them before they know what is happening. That will be the end of their work on the wall!’

Nehemiah 4:9 word by word

וַנִּתְפַּלֵּ֖ל אֶל־אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וַנַּעֲמִ֨יד מִשְׁמָ֧ר עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם יוֹמָ֥ם וָלַ֖יְלָה מִפְּנֵיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Nevertheless we made our prayerפָּלַלpâlal · to prayH6419
• unto our Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• and setעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
• a watchמִשְׁמָרmishmâr · custodyH4929
• against them dayיוֹמָםyômâm · by dayH3119
• and nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
• becauseפָּנֶהpânîym · face: becauseH6440

Cross-references for Nehemiah 4:9

• Nehemiah 4:11At the same time, our enemies were boasting, ‘Before the Jews even see us, we will attack them. We will kill them before they know what is happening. That will be the end of their work on the wall!’
• Genesis 32:9Then Jacob prayed, ‘God of my grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac, Lord, you said to me, “Go back to your country and to your relatives. I will do good things for you there.”
• 2 Kings 19:14When Hezekiah received the letter with this message, he read it. Then he went up to the Lord's temple. He put the letter there, in front of the Lord.
• Psalms 50:15Pray to me when you are in trouble. Then I will rescue you, and you will praise me.’
• Psalms 55:16But I will call to God for help. The Lord will make me safe.
• Luke 6:11Then the Pharisees and the teachers of God's Law were very angry. They began to talk to each other about what they could do to Jesus.
• Acts 4:24The believers listened to what Peter and John told them. Then they all prayed together. They said to God, ‘You are the Lord who rules over everything. You made the sky, the earth and the sea. You also made everything that is in them.
• Matthew 26:41You must stay awake and pray. God can help you, so that you will not do something wrong. You really want to do the right thing, but your bodies are weak.’
• Luke 21:36So watch all the time! Continue to pray that you will be strong. Then you will be safe through all these things! You will stand in front of the Son of Man and you will not be afraid.’
• 1 Peter 5:8Think seriously about how you live. Watch carefully for danger. Remember that the Devil is your enemy. He wants to hurt you. He walks about like a hungry lion. He is looking for someone to kill and then eat them!

Commentaries on Nehemiah 4:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9We made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch - The strongest confidence in the protection and favor of God does not preclude the use of all or any of the means of self-preservation and defense which his providence has put in our power. While God works in us to will and to do, we should proceed to willing, through the power he has given us to will; and we should proceed to action, through the power he has given us to act. We cannot will, but through…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Because of them - Or, “over against them,” i. e. opposite to the place where they were encamped, probably on the north side of the city.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. 9we prayed...and posted a guard: This wise approach to the threat involved both trusting in God and taking necessary actions.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 4:9

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Prayer
• Temptation
• Watchfulness
• Watchman

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Day and Night
• Armour
• Sanballat
• Ammon; Ammonites
• Esdras, the First Book of
• Prayer
• Watch

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