Nehemiah 4:9

Nehemiah 4:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
• New International Version (NIV)But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.
• New Living Translation (NLT)But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.

Context of Nehemiah 4:9

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, 8and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night. 10Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.” 11And our adversaries said, “They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease.”

Nehemiah 4:9 word by word

וַנִּתְפַּלֵּ֖ל אֶל־אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וַנַּעֲמִ֨יד מִשְׁמָ֧ר עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם יוֹמָ֥ם וָלַ֖יְלָה מִפְּנֵיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Nevertheless we made our prayerפָּלַלpâlal · to prayH6419
• unto our Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• and setעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
• a watchמִשְׁמָרmishmâr · custodyH4929
• against them dayיוֹמָםyômâm · by dayH3119
• and nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
• becauseפָּנֶהpânîym · face: becauseH6440

Cross-references for Nehemiah 4:9

• Nehemiah 4:11And our adversaries said, “They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease.”
• Genesis 32:9Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you’:
• 2 Kings 19:14And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord.
• Psalms 50:15Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
• Psalms 55:16As for me, I will call upon God, And the Lord shall save me.
• Luke 6:11But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.
• Acts 4:24So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them,
• Matthew 26:41Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
• Luke 21:36Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
• 1 Peter 5:8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 4:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9We made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch - The strongest confidence in the protection and favor of God does not preclude the use of all or any of the means of self-preservation and defense which his providence has put in our power. While God works in us to will and to do, we should proceed to willing, through the power he has given us to will; and we should proceed to action, through the power he has given us to act. We cannot will, but through…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Because of them - Or, “over against them,” i. e. opposite to the place where they were encamped, probably on the north side of the city.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. 9we prayed...and posted a guard: This wise approach to the threat involved both trusting in God and taking necessary actions.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 4:9

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Prayer
• Temptation
• Watchfulness
• Watchman

In the dictionaries

• God
• Day and Night
• Armour
• Sanballat
• Ammon; Ammonites
• Esdras, the First Book of
• Prayer
• Watch

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