God’s Word Translation
Nehemiah 4:7
7When Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the people from Ashdod heard that the repair work on the walls of Jerusalem was making progress and that the gaps were being filled in, they became furious.
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- 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,
Context of Nehemiah 4:7
5Don’t ignore their guilt, and don’t let their sins disappear from your records. They have insulted you in front of these builders.” 6So we rebuilt the wall, which was rebuilt to about half its ⌞original⌟ height. The people worked with determination. When Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the people from Ashdod heard that the repair work on the walls of Jerusalem was making progress and that the gaps were being filled in, they became furious. 8All of them plotted to attack Jerusalem to create confusion. 9But we prayed to our God and set guards to protect us 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 4:1When Sanballat heard we were rebuilding the wall, he became enraged and made fun of the Jews.
- Nehemiah 2:10But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, they were very upset that someone had come to give the people of Israel so much assistance.
- Judges 10:7The Lord became angry with the people of Israel. So he used the Philistines and Ammonites to defeat them.
- Judges 11:12Jephthah sent messengers to the king of Ammon. They asked the king, “Why did you invade my land and wage war against me?”
- 1 Samuel 11:2Nahash the Ammonite responded, “I’ll make a treaty with you on this one condition: I’ll poke out everyone’s right eye and bring disgrace on all Israel.”
- 2 Samuel 10:1Later the king of Ammon died, and his son Hanun became king in his place.
- 2 Kings 24:2The Lord sent raiding parties of Babylonians, Arameans, Moabites, and Ammonites against Jehoiakim to destroy Judah as the Lord had predicted through his servants the prophets.
- 2 Chronicles 20:1Later the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat.
- Ezekiel 25:3Tell the Ammonites, ‘Listen to the Almighty Lord’s word. This is what the Almighty Lord says: You were glad when my holy place was dishonored, when the land of Israel was ruined, and when the nation of Judah went into exile.
- Amos 1:13This is what the Lord says: Because Ammon has committed three crimes, and now a fourth crime, I will not change my plans. The Ammonites enlarged their territory by ripping open pregnant women in Gilead.
- Nehemiah 13:23In those days I saw some Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.
- 1 Samuel 5:1After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
- 2 Chronicles 26:6Uzziah went to wage war against the Philistines. He tore down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. He built cities near Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines.
- Jeremiah 25:20and all the foreign people living among them; all the kings of the land of Uz; all the kings of Philistia, those from the cities of Ashkelon, Gaza, and Ekron, and the people left in Ashdod;
- Amos 1:8I will cut off those living in Ashdod and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon. I will turn my power against Ekron. The rest of the Philistines will die. The Almighty Lord has said this.
- Amos 3:9Announce in the palaces of Ashdod and in the palaces of Egypt, “Gather together on the mountains of Samaria. See the widespread confusion and oppression in Samaria.”
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
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