Kretzmann's Popular Commentary
Nehemiah 4:4
Hear, O our God; for we are despised; and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity,
Hear, O our God; for we are despised; and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity,
Verse Nehemiah 4:4. _TURN THEIR REPROACH UPON THEIR OWN HEAD_] A prayer of this kind, understood literally, is not lawful for any _Christian_. Jesus, our great master, has said, "Love your enemies; do...
The parenthetical prayers of Nehemiah form one of the most striking characteristics of his history. Here we have the first. Other examples are Nehemiah 5:19; Nehemiah 6:9, Nehemiah 6:14;...
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...
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...
HEAR. TURN. Figure of speech _Apostrophe._ Nehemiah's prayer an echo of Psalms 120, 121, 123:Psalms 120:3, 125, 127, and 129. In accord with that dispensation. GOD. Hebrew. _Elohim._ App-4. DESPISED...
Nehemiah's Soliloquy and Prayer. A parenthesis 4. This is the first of the parenthetical addresses to the Almighty, which are a characteristic feature of Nehemiah's writing. See also Nehemiah 5:19; Ne...
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...
_HEAR, O OUR GOD; FOR WE ARE DESPISED: AND TURN THEIR REPROACH UPON THEIR OWN HEAD, AND GIVE THEM FOR A PREY IN THE LAND OF CAPTIVITY:_ Hear, O our God; for we are despised. The imprecations invoked...
4:4 prey (h-21) Or 'to reproach.'...
IN THE LAND OF CAPTIVITY] Nehemiah's desire for the confusion of his enemies not unnaturally took the form of a wish that they might experience the fate which he and his countrymen had undergone....
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....
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...
So Nehemiah prayed. That is what we would expect him to do. Perhaps he called the people together to pray. (He says ‘us’ in his prayer.) He knew that his enemies were not just insulting the *Jews. Th...
HEAR, O OUR GOD. — The habit of Nehemiah is to turn everything to devotion as he goes on. This prayer is full of an angry jealousy for the honour of a jealous God. THEY HAVE PROVOKED THEE. — The tone...
_[Nehemiah 3:36]_ שְׁמַ֤ע אֱלֹהֵ֨ינוּ֙ כִּֽי ־הָיִ֣ינוּ בוּזָ֔ה
Nehemiah 2:19 ON GUARD Nehemiah 2:10; Nehemiah 2:19; Nehemiah 4:1 ALL his arrangements for rebuilding the walls of Jerusale
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...
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...
(c) Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey (d) in the land of captivity: (c) This is the remedy that the children of God have agai...
_Captivity. Since they have not learnt to commiserate others. (Calmet)_...
(4) Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity: (5) And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blo...
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...
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...
_Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:_ Ver. 4. _Hear, O our God_] These mocks and menaces lay so heavy...
_Hear, O our God_ Nehemiah here interrupts the relation, to mention the prayer he made on the occasion. _Turn their reproach upon their own head_ Let them really be as contemptible as they represent u...
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...
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,...
DESPISED: _ Heb._ despite...
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...
TURN THEIR REPROACH UPON THEIR OWN HEAD; let them be really as contemptible as they represent us to be. This, and the following requests, may seem harsh, but they were both just, as being directed aga...
Nehemiah 4:4 Hear H8085 (H8798) God H430 despised H939 turn H7725 (H8685) reproach H2781 heads H7218 give...
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...
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...
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...
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...
_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...
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....
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
EXPOSTION OPEN OPPOSITION OFFERED TO THE WORK BY SANBALLAT AND TOBIAH, AND ARRANGEMENTS MADE BY NEHEMIAH TO MEET IT ...
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...
1 Samuel 17:26; Hosea 12:14; Proverbs 3:34; Psalms 123:3; Psalms 123:
A prey — Give them for a prey to their enemies, and let these carry them into the land of captivity....