English Standard Version
Nehemiah 4:7
7But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry.
Nehemiah 4:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,
- New International Version (NIV)But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry,
- New Living Translation (NLT)But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious.
Context of Nehemiah 4:7
5Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders. 6So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry. 8And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. 9And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.
Read all of Nehemiah 4Nehemiah 4:7 word by word
וַיְהִ֣י כַאֲשֶׁ֣ר שָׁמַ֣ע סַנְבַלַּ֡ט וְ֠טוֹבִיָּה וְהָעַרְבִ֨ים וְהָעַמֹּנִ֜ים וְהָאַשְׁדּוֹדִ֗ים כִּֽי־עָלְתָ֤ה אֲרוּכָה֙ לְחֹמ֣וֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם כִּי־הֵחֵ֥לּוּ הַפְּרֻצִ֖ים לְהִסָּתֵ֑ם וַיִּ֥חַר לָהֶ֖ם מְאֹֽד׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- when Sanballatסַנְבַלַּטsanballaţ · SanballatH5571
- and Tobiahטוֹבִיָּ֫הוּţôbîyâh ţôbîyâhû · TobiahH2900
- and the Arabiansעַרְבִי‛ărâbîy ‛arbîy · ArabianH6163
- and the Ammonitesעַמּוֹנִי‛ammônîy · AmmonH5984
- and the Ashdoditesאַשְׁדּוֹדִי'ashdôdîy · AshdodH796
- heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- that the wallsחוֹמָהchômâh · wallH2346
- of Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- were made upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- were made upאֲרוּכָה'ărûkâh 'ărûkâh · healthH724
- that the breachesפָּרַץpârats · to break throughH6555
- beganחָלַלchâlal · to profane/begin: beginH2490
- to be stoppedסָתַםsâtham ώâtham · to closeH5640
- then they were veryמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
- wrothחָרָהchârâh · to be incensedH2734
Cross-references for Nehemiah 4:7
- Nehemiah 4:1Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews.
- Nehemiah 2:10But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel.
- Judges 10:7So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites,
- Judges 11:12Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites and said, "What do you have against me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?"
- 1 Samuel 11:2But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, "On this condition I will make a treaty with you, that I gouge out all your right eyes, and thus bring disgrace on all Israel."
- 2 Samuel 10:1After this the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place.
- 2 Kings 24:2And the Lord sent against him bands of the Chaldeans and bands of the Syrians and bands of the Moabites and bands of the Ammonites, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by his servants the prophets.
- 2 Chronicles 20:1After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle.
- Ezekiel 25:3Say to the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord God: Thus says the Lord God, Because you said, 'Aha!' over my sanctuary when it was profaned, and over the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and over the house of Judah when they went into exile,
- Amos 1:13Thus says the Lord: "For three transgressions of the Ammonites, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have ripped open pregnant women in Gilead, that they might enlarge their border.
- Nehemiah 13:23In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.
- 1 Samuel 5:1When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
- 2 Chronicles 26:6He went out and made war against the Philistines and broke through the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod, and he built cities in the territory of Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines.
- Jeremiah 25:20and all the mixed tribes among them; all the kings of the land of Uz and all the kings of the land of the Philistines (Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod);
- Amos 1:8I will cut off the inhabitants from Ashdod, and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; I will turn my hand against Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish," says the Lord God.
- Amos 3:9Proclaim to the strongholds in Ashdod and to the strongholds in the land of Egypt, and say, "Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria, and see the great tumults within her, and the oppressed in her midst."
Commentaries on Nehemiah 4:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7The walls of Jerusalem were made up - That is, they were made up to the half height of the wall; for the preceding verse seems to intimate that the whole wall was thus far built; not half of the wall completed, but the whole wall built to half its height.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7The Arabians - Probably a band, composed largely of Arabians, Ammonites, and Ashdodites, which Sanballat maintained as a guard to his person, and which formed a portion of “the army of Samaria” Nehemiah 4:2. A quarrel between such a band and the people of Jerusalem might be overlooked by the Persian king.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. 7Enemies of Israel from the north (Sanballat), south (Arabs), east (Ammonites), and west (Ashdodites) were angry about Jerusalem's fast and successful rebuilding. This progress threatened their political power in the area.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 4:7
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
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