God’s Word Translation
Nehemiah 4:14
14I looked them over and proceeded to tell the nobles, the leaders, and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of our enemies. Remember how great and awe-inspiring the Lord is. Fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”
Nehemiah 4:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
- New International Version (NIV)After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”
Context of Nehemiah 4:14
12Jews who were living near our enemies warned us ten times that our enemies would attack us from every direction. 13That is why I positioned people by their families behind the wall where it was lowest and most exposed. The people were armed with swords, spears, and bows. I looked them over and proceeded to tell the nobles, the leaders, and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of our enemies. Remember how great and awe-inspiring the Lord is. Fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.” 15When our enemies heard that we knew about their plots and that God had prevented their plans from being successful, we all went back to the work on the wall. Each person performed his own job. 16From that day on, half of my men worked on the wall, and the other half were wearing body armor and holding spears, shields, and bows. The leaders stood behind all the Judeans
Read all of Nehemiah 4Nehemiah 4:14 word by word
וָאֵ֣רֶא וָאָק֗וּם וָאֹמַ֞ר אֶל־הַחֹרִ֤ים וְאֶל־הַסְּגָנִים֙ וְאֶל־יֶ֣תֶר הָעָ֔ם אַל־תִּֽירְא֖וּ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם אֶת־אֲדֹנָ֞י הַגָּד֤וֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא֙ זְכֹ֔רוּ וְהִֽלָּחֲמ֗וּ עַל־אֲחֵיכֶם֙ בְּנֵיכֶ֣ם וּבְנֹתֵיכֶ֔ם נְשֵׁיכֶ֖ם וּבָתֵּיכֶֽם׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And I lookedרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- and rose upקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto the noblesחֹרchôr chôr · nobleH2715
- and to the rulersסָגָןsâgân · rulerH5461
- and to the restיֶ֫תֶרyether · remainderH3499
- of the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- Be not ye afraidיָרֵאyârê' · to fearH3372
- of themפָּנֶהpânîym · face ofH6440
- rememberזָכַרzâkar · to rememberH2142
- the Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
- greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- and terribleיָרֵאyârê' · to fear: revereH3372
- and fightלָחַםlâcham · to fightH3898
- for your brethrenאָח'âch · brother: compatriotH251
- your sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- and your daughtersבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- your wivesאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
- and your housesבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
Cross-references for Nehemiah 4:14
- Numbers 14:9Don’t rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. We will devour them like bread. They have no protection, and the Lord is with us. So don’t be afraid of them.”
- Deuteronomy 1:21The Lord your God is giving you this land. Go ahead! Take possession of it, as the Lord God of your ancestors told you. Don’t be afraid or terrified.”
- Deuteronomy 20:3He should tell them, “Listen, Israel, today you’re going into battle against your enemies. Don’t lose your courage! Don’t be afraid or alarmed or tremble because of them.
- Joshua 1:9“I have commanded you, ‘Be strong and courageous! Don’t tremble or be terrified, because the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.’ ”
- 2 Chronicles 20:15Jahaziel said, “Pay attention to me, everyone from Judah, everyone living in Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. This is what the Lord says to you: Don’t be frightened or terrified by this large crowd. The battle isn’t yours. It’s God’s.
- 2 Chronicles 32:7“Be strong and courageous. Don’t be frightened or terrified by the king of Assyria or the crowd with him. Someone greater is on our side.
- Psalms 27:1The Lord is my light and my salvation. Who is there to fear? The Lord is my life’s fortress. Who is there to be afraid of?
- Psalms 46:11The Lord of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah
- Isaiah 41:10Don’t be afraid, because I am with you. Don’t be intimidated; I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will support you with my victorious right hand.
- Matthew 10:28Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell.
- Hebrews 13:6So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper. I will not be afraid. What can mortals do to me?”
- Psalms 20:7Some ⌞rely⌟ on chariots and others on horses, but we will boast in the name of the Lord our God.
- Psalms 77:10Then I said, “It makes me feel sick that the power of the Most High is no longer the same.”
- Psalms 143:5I remember the days long ago. I reflect on all that you have done. I carefully consider what your hands have made.
- Isaiah 51:12I alone am the one who comforts you. Why, then, are you afraid of mortals, who must die, of humans, who are like grass?
- Isaiah 63:11Then his people remembered Moses and the distant past. Where is the one who brought them out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? Where is the one who put his Holy Spirit in them?
Commentaries on Nehemiah 4:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Be not ye afraid of them - Are they more terrible or stronger than God? Fight for your brethren - Your own countrymen, who worship the same God, and are come from the same stock; your sons, whom they wish to slay or lead into captivity; your daughters and wives, whom they wish to deflower and defile; and your houses, which they wish to seize and occupy as their own. They had every thing at stake; and therefore they must fight pro aris et focis, for their…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. 14The greatest reason for hope was Israel’s powerful and glorious God, who had saved them from strong nations before (compare 2 Chronicles 32:7–8; Exodus 14:13–14; Deuteronomy 8:1–3; 20:3; Joshua 10:25). Another reason was to protect their families and properties.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 4:14
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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