Nehemiah 4:3

Nehemiah 4:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, "Yes, what they are building—if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!"
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!”

Context of Nehemiah 4:3

1When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 2and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?” Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!” 4Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. 5Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.

Nehemiah 4:3 word by word

וְטוֹבִיָּ֥ה הָעַמֹּנִ֖י אֶצְל֑וֹ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר גַּ֚ם אֲשֶׁר־הֵ֣ם בּוֹנִ֔ים אִם־יַעֲלֶ֣ה שׁוּעָ֔ל וּפָרַ֖ץ חוֹמַ֥ת אַבְנֵיהֶֽם׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Now Tobiahטוֹבִיָּ֫הוּţôbîyâh ţôbîyâhû · TobiahH2900
• the Ammoniteעַמּוֹנִי‛ammônîy · AmmonH5984
• by himאֵ֫צֶל'êtsel · besideH681
• and he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Even that which they buildבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
• if a foxשׁוּעָלshû‛âl shû‛âl · foxH7776
• go upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• he shall even break downפָּרַץpârats · to break throughH6555
• their stoneאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
• wallחוֹמָהchômâh · wallH2346

Cross-references for Nehemiah 4:3

• Nehemiah 2:10When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.
• Nehemiah 6:1When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it—though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates—
• 1 Kings 20:10Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful.”
• 2 Kings 18:23“ ‘Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses—if you can put riders on them!

Commentaries on Nehemiah 4:3

• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. if a fox go up--The foxes were mentioned because they were known to infest in great numbers the ruined and desolate places in the mount and city of Zion (La 5:18).Read the comment

Topics related to Nehemiah 4:3

• Fox
• Sarcasm
• Stones
• Tobiah

In the dictionaries

• Ammonite
• Armour
• Sanballat
• Esdras, the First Book of
• Fox
• Vine

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