Nehemiah 4:21

Nehemiah 4:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
• New International Version (NIV)So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So we labored in the work, and half of the men held the spears from daybreak until the stars appeared.

Context of Nehemiah 4:21

19I told the nobles, the leaders, and the rest of the people, “So much work has to be done in different places that we are widely separated from one another on the wall. 20When you hear the trumpet, assemble around me. Our God will fight for us!” So we continued to work. Half of us held spears from early dawn until the stars came out. 22At that time I told the people, “Every man and his servant should stay overnight in Jerusalem so that we can set a guard at night and work during the day.” 23My brothers, my servants, and the guards assigned to me never changed their clothes. Neither did I. We each kept our weapons at hand.

Nehemiah 4:21 word by word

וַאֲנַ֖חְנוּ עֹשִׂ֣ים בַּמְּלָאכָ֑ה וְחֶצְיָ֗ם מַחֲזִיקִים֙ בָּֽרְמָחִ֔ים מֵעֲל֣וֹת הַשַּׁ֔חַר עַ֖ד צֵ֥את הַכּוֹכָבִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• So we labouredעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• in the workמְלָאכָהmelâ'kâh · workH4399
• and halfחֲצִיchêtsîy · halfH2677
• of them heldחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: holdH2388
• the spearsרֹ֫מַחrômach · spearH7420
• from the risingעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: dawnH5927
• of the morningשַׁ֫חַרshachar · dawnH7837
• till the starsכּוֹכָבkôkâb · starH3556
• appearedיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318

Cross-references for Nehemiah 4:21

• 1 Corinthians 15:10But God’s kindness made me what I am, and that kindness was not wasted on me. Instead, I worked harder than all the others. It was not I who did it, but God’s kindness was with me.
• Galatians 6:9We can’t allow ourselves to get tired of living the right way. Certainly, each of us will receive ⌞everlasting life⌟ at the proper time, if we don’t give up.
• Colossians 1:29I work hard and struggle to do this while his mighty power works in me.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 4:21

• 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
• 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 4:21

• Prudence

In the dictionaries

• Armour
• Ammon; Ammonites
• Appear
• Day and Night
• Esdras, the First Book of
• Jerusalem
• Morning

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