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 said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “The work is demanding and extensive, and we are spread out on the wall, far removed from one another. 20Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, gather there with us. Our God will fight for us!” So we worked on, with half holding spears, from dawn till dusk. 22At that time I instructed the people, “Let every man and his coworker spend the night in Jerusalem and let them be guards for us by night and workers by day. 23We did not change clothes – not I, nor my relatives, nor my workers, nor the watchmen who were with me. Each had his weapon, even when getting a drink of water.

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 by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been in vain. In fact, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
• Galatians 6:9So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up.
• Colossians 1:29Toward this goal I also labor, struggling according to his power that powerfully 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