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Kretzmann's Popular Commentary

Nehemiah 4:2

And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, for he may actually have brought an armed force in sight of Jerusalem to intimidate the Jews, and said, What do these feeble Jews? They were weak both as to wealth and as to numbers. Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they make an end in a day? that is, Will they accomplish it by day, openly? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? He tried to show the absurdity of Nehemiah's undertaking in raising the walls on the old foundations, in using the charred, moldered, and broken stones of the first wall.

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See also Nehemiah 4:2 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Nehemiah 4:2. _THE ARMY OF SAMARIA_] As he was _governor_, he had the command of the army, and he wished to excite the soldiers to second his views against Nehemiah and his men. _WHAT DO THESE...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 4 _ 1. The indignation and sneers of the enemies (Nehemiah 4:1)_ 2. Nehemiah's ejaculatory prayer (Nehemiah 4:4) 3. Conspiracy, and more prayer (Nehemiah 4:7) 4. Nehemiah's precautions and...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    SAMARITAN ATTEMPT TO FRUSTRATE THE BUILDING OF THE WALLS. In Nehemiah 4:2 f. the text is very corrupt, though the general sense of the passage is fairly clear, viz. the Samaritans mock the efforts mad...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    ARMY. force. WHAT... ? Figure of speech _Erotesis._ App-6. FORTIFY. Hebrew. _Homonym, 'azab._ See note on Exodus 23:5. Margin note of Authorized Version and Revised Version neither needed nor correc...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _And he spake before his brethren_ Sanballat's -brethren" would be the chiefs of the Samaritan community. _and the army of Samaria_ -the army" (LXX. δύναμις): the word here used is the one generally e...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    WHAT DO THESE FEEBLE JEWS, &C.— Mr. Peters observes upon this passage, which is remarkable for its phraseology, that it seems to give no obscure intimation, that the doctrine of the resurrection was t...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    TEXT AND VERSE-BY-VERSE COMMENT D. The enemies try ridicule and rumor to block construction. 1. Their enemies try to block them with ridicule. TEXT, NEHEMIAH 4:1-6 1. Now it came about that when S...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND HE SPAKE BEFORE HIS BRETHREN AND THE ARMY OF SAMARIA, AND SAID, WHAT DO THESE FEEBLE JEWS? WILL THEY FORTIFY THEMSELVES? WILL THEY SACRIFICE? WILL THEY MAKE AN END IN A DAY? WILL THEY REVIVE THE...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE MACHINATIONS OF THE ENEMIES OF THE JEWS 1. Sanballat] His irritation at Nehemiah's arrival (Nehemiah 2:10) was increased by the work accomplished by the latter....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    FORTIFY THEMSELVES] The same word as that used in Nehemiah 3:8, with a like uncertainty of meaning. Some render 'will they (the Persian authorities) let them alone?' WILL THEY SACRIFICE?] i.e. in the...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Sanballat and Tobiah were enemies of the *Jews. They did not want the *Jews to build the walls of Jerusalem again. They probably knew that Jerusalem would become an important city for trade again. So...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE *JEWS BUILD JERUSALEM’S CITY WALL AGAIN NEHEMIAH _ROBERT BRYCE AND ROBERT BETTS_ CHAPTER 4 V1 Sanballat heard that we were building the wall again. So he became very angry. He laughed at the...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    HIS BRETHREN AND THE ARMY OF SAMARIA. — The counsellors and body-guard of Sanballat. WILL THEY FORTIFY THEMSELVES? — Rather, _will they leave them to themselves?_ The nations are referred to; but con...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    _[Nehemiah 3:34]_ וַ יֹּ֣אמֶר ׀ לִ פְנֵ֣י אֶחָ֗יו...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    Nehemiah 2:19 ON GUARD Nehemiah 2:10; Nehemiah 2:19; Nehemiah 4:1 ALL his arrangements for rebuilding the walls of Jerusale

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    BRAVING RIDICULE AND TREACHERY Nehemiah 2:12; Nehemiah 4:1 _ Suspicion_, Nehemiah 2:12. Sanballat was probably a Moabite, a native of Horonaim; Tobiah had been a slave. There are many descendants of...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    As the work proceeded, the opposition of outsiders turned from derision to anger, but rose no higher at the moment than contempt. However, Nehemiah was conscious of the menace of this attitude, and li...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And he spake before his (a) brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these (b) feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revi...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Multitude. Hebrew and Septuagint, "army." (Calmet) --- Silly. Literally, "feeble." (Haydock) --- Sacrifice, at the dedication. (Tirinus) --- Day, in so short a time, as their present vigorous proceedi...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (1) В¶ But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. (2) And he spake before his brethren and the army of Sama...

  • John Brown Commentaries Selected Books of the Bible

    Overcoming the Opposition St. Teresa of Avila (d. A.D. 1582), founder of the Carmelites, was noted for an ironic sense of humor and a deft way of turning a phrase. One day, Teresa was about to go on...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 2, 3, 4, 5, AND 6. The time in which Nehemiah laboured for the good of his people was not one of those brilliant phases which, if faith be there, awaken even...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the s...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _And mocked the Jews_ Pretending contempt in his words, when he had grief, anger, and vexation in his heart. _And he spake before his brethren_ Before Tobiah, Geshem, and others, whom Nehemiah calls h...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 While the enemies scoffe, Nehemiah prayeth and continueth the worke. 7 Vnderstanding the wrath and secrets of the enemy, hee setteth a watch. 13 Hee armeth the labourers, 19 and giueth military p...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    DECISION IN THE FACE OF OPPOSITION (vv. 1-23) The diligent labor of the Jews drew out more bitter anger on the part of the enemy. Sanballat was furious and resorted to the moral weakness of mockery,...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    FORTIFY THEMSELVES?: _ Heb._ leave to themselves...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-6 Many a good work has been looked upon with contempt by proud and haughty scorners. Those who disagree in almost every thing, will unite in persecution. Nehemiah did not answer these fools accordi...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    BEFORE HIS BRETHREN; NEHEMIAH 4:3, and _Geshem_, NEHEMIAH 2:19, and others, whom he calls HIS BRETHREN, because of their conjunction with him in office and interest. THE ARMY OF SAMARIA; whom he desig...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Nehemiah 4:2 spoke H559 (H8799) before H6440 brethren H251 army H2428 Samaria H8111 said H559 (H8799) feeble...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    CONTINUAL OPPOSITION TO THE BUILDING OF THE WALL AND PROBLEMS RELATED TO IT (NEHEMIAH 4:1 TO NEHEMIAH 6:14). Meanwhile the work did not go on unopposed. Powerful men were involved in seeking to ensure...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    SANBALLAT AROUSES THE NEIGHBOURS OF THE JEWS TO RIDICULE THEIR ATTEMPTS TO REBUILD THE WALLS, BUT WITHOUT EFFECT (NEHEMIAH 4:1). We note here the deepening of the already revealed opposition to the J...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Opposition by ridicule, anger and discouragement. CHARACTERS: God, Nehemiah, Sanballat, Tobiah. CONCLUSION: God's people are often a despised people, loaded with contempt, but the reproach...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Nehemiah 4:2. _He spake before his brethren;_ that is, before Tobias, &c. his brother governors, and other great officers whom he had convened for counsel against the Jews. Nehemiah 4:5. _Let not thei...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth._ SANBALLAT: A STUDY IN PARTY SPIRIT You must clearly understand, to begin with, that Samaria was already, even...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    NEHEMIAH 4:1 Opposition Intensifies, but the People Continue Watchfully. While the building continues, Sanballat and his allies resort to direct action in order to stop it, but their plot is foiled....

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    EXPLANATORY NOTES.] Nehemiah 4:1 are in the Hebrew v. 33–38 of chap. Nehemiah 3:1 NEHEMIAH 4:1. SANBALLAT] See on chap. Nehemiah 2:10. That

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSTION OPEN OPPOSITION OFFERED TO THE WORK BY SANBALLAT AND TOBIAH, AND ARRANGEMENTS MADE BY NEHEMIAH TO MEET IT ...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now it came to pass, when [this antagonist] Sanballat [and Tobiah] learned that they had started building the wall, they were very angry, and they began to mock the Jews (Nehemiah 4:1). And they gath...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Corinthians 1:27; 1 Samuel 14:11; 1 Samuel 14:12; 1 Samuel 17:43;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    In a day — Do they intend to begin, and finish the work, all in one day? For if they spend any long time about it, they cannot think that we will suffer them to do it. The stones — Will they pick up t...

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