Nehemiah 4:23

Nehemiah 4:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.
• New International Version (NIV)Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes; each kept his weapon at his right hand.
• New Living Translation (NLT)During this time, none of us—not I, nor my relatives, nor my servants, nor the guards who were with me—ever took off our clothes. We carried our weapons with us at all times, even when we went for water.

Context of Nehemiah 4:23

21So we labored in the work, and half of the men held the spears from daybreak until the stars appeared. 22At the same time I also said to the people, “Let each man and his servant stay at night in Jerusalem, that they may be our guard by night and a working party by day.” So neither I, my brethren, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes, except that everyone took them off for washing.

Nehemiah 4:23 word by word

וְאֵ֨ין אֲנִ֜י וְאַחַ֣י וּנְעָרַ֗י וְאַנְשֵׁ֤י הַמִּשְׁמָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַחֲרַ֔י אֵין־אֲנַ֥חְנוּ פֹשְׁטִ֖ים בְּגָדֵ֑ינוּ אִ֖ישׁ שִׁלְח֥וֹ הַמָּֽיִם׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• So neither I, nor my brethrenאָח'âch · brother: compatriotH251
• nor my servantsנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
• nor the menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• of the guardמִשְׁמָרmishmâr · custodyH4929
• which followedאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• me, none of usאֲנַ֫חְנוּ'ănachnû · weH587
• put offפָּשַׁטpâshaţ · to stripH6584
• our clothesבֶּ֫גֶדbeged · garmentH899
• every oneאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• put them offשֶׁ֫לַחshelach · missileH7973
• for washingמַיmayim · waterH4325

Cross-references for Nehemiah 4:23

• Nehemiah 5:16Indeed, I also continued the work on this wall, and we did not buy any land. All my servants were gathered there for the work.
• Nehemiah 7:2that I gave the charge of Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the leader of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many.
• Judges 9:48Then Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took an ax in his hand and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it and laid it on his shoulder; then he said to the people who were with him, “What you have seen me do, make haste and do as I have done.”
• 1 Corinthians 15:10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
• Judges 5:11Far from the noise of the archers, among the watering places, There they shall recount the righteous acts of the Lord, The righteous acts for His villagers in Israel; Then the people of the Lord shall go down to the gates.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 4:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23None of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing - The Hebrew for all this is only המים שלחו איש בגדינו פשטים אנחנו אין ein anachnu poshetim begadeynu ish shilcho hammayim ; which Montanus translates, Non nos exuentes vestes nostras, vir missile suum aquas; "We, not putting off our garments, a man his dart to the waters." Of this latter clause what sense can be made? Let us hear what the ancient versions say. The Vulgate…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23Saving … - The text here is probably unsound. It yields no satisfactory sense. See the margin.Read the comment
• 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
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23Nehemiah and the other leaders were not elitists who rested while others worked hard.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 4:23

• Prudence
• Servant

In the dictionaries

• Armour
• Ammon; Ammonites
• Esdras, the First Book of
• Wash; Washing
• Arms, Armor

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