New King James Version
Nehemiah 4:7
7Now 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,
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 Living Translation (NLT)But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious.
Context of Nehemiah 4:7
5Do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You; for they have provoked You to anger before the builders. 6So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. 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, 8and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. 9Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them 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 4:1But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews.
- Nehemiah 2:10When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of it, they were deeply disturbed that a man had come to seek the well-being of the children of Israel.
- Judges 10:7So the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the people of Ammon.
- Judges 11:12Now Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the people of Ammon, saying, “What do you have against me, that you have come to fight against me in my land?”
- 1 Samuel 11:2And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, “On this condition I will make a covenant with you, that I may put out all your right eyes, and bring reproach on all Israel.”
- 2 Samuel 10:1It happened after this that the king of the people of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place.
- 2 Kings 24:2And the Lord sent against him raiding bands of Chaldeans, bands of Syrians, bands of Moabites, and bands of the people of Ammon; He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken by His servants the prophets.
- 2 Chronicles 20:1It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat.
- Ezekiel 25:3Say to the Ammonites, ‘Hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God: “Because you said, ‘Aha!’ against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity,
- Amos 1:13Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of the people of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they ripped open the women with child in Gilead, That they might enlarge their territory.
- Nehemiah 13:23In those days I also saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.
- 1 Samuel 5:1Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
- 2 Chronicles 26:6Now he went out and made war against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities around Ashdod and among the Philistines.
- Jeremiah 25:20all the mixed multitude, all the kings of the land of Uz, all the kings of the land of the Philistines (namely, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod);
- Amos 1:8I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, And the one who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; I will turn My hand against Ekron, And the remnant of the Philistines shall perish,” Says the Lord God.
- Amos 3:9“Proclaim in the palaces at Ashdod, And in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say: ‘Assemble on the mountains of Samaria; See great tumults in her midst, And the oppressed within her.
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries