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Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Nehemiah 4:14

And I looked, and rose up Nehemiah's -look" seems to denote his inspection of the guards which he had stationed.

unto the nobles, and to the rulers R.V. marg. -Or, deputies". Upon the difference of these two classes see note on Nehemiah 2:16.

the Lord R.V. the Lord. The sacred name here used is -Adonai," not -Jahveh;" see on Nehemiah 1:11, (Nehemiah 3:5).

which is great and terrible For these epithets, see note on Nehemiah 1:5, and compare Nehemiah 9:22. The attributes of power and awe belong to the God of Israel and ensure the victory of those that trust him, cf. Deuteronomy 3:22, Deut. 20:31, 32.

fight for your brethren … houses Nehemiah exhorts his men to fight courageously. To the Jews the contest must be for their very existence as a people. Their foes are banded together to compass the extermination of their race and name. The brotherhood of the race (brethren), the blessings of family and home (sons and daughters), the ties of personal affection (wives) or cherished ancestral inheritance (house) were at stake. The enemy against whom they fought knew no pity.

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See also Nehemiah 4:14 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse 14. _BE NOT YE AFRAID OF THEM_] Are they more terrible or stronger than God? _FIGHT FOR YOUR BRETHREN_] Your own _countrymen_, who worship the same God, and are come from the same stock; _your...

  • 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

    RULERS. See note on Nehemiah 2:16. THE LORD *. Jehovah. One of the 134 places where the _Sopherim_ altered Jehovah to _Adonai._ See App-32, and compare App-4....

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    2. The Jews faced the menace of an attack. TEXT, NEHEMIAH 4:7-14 7 Now it came about when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerus...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _THEREFORE SET I IN THE LOWER PLACES BEHIND THE WALL, AND ON THE HIGHER PLACES, I EVEN SET THE PEOPLE AFTER THEIR FAMILIES WITH THEIR SWORDS, THEIR SPEARS, AND THEIR BOWS._ No JFB commentary on these...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    4:14 rulers, (a-15) As Ezra 9:2 ....

  • 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....

  • 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

    AND I LOOKED. — It appears that the energetic appeal now described was uttered on the actual approach of an attacking party....

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    _[Nehemiah 4:8]_ וָ אֵ֣רֶא וָ אָק֗וּם וָ...

  • 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

    THE TRIUMPH OF COURAGE AND DEVOTION Nehemiah 4:13 The work of rebuilding the ruins of Zion is typical of our efforts as Christians to counteract the deterioration which is ever at work in our own hea...

  • 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 I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: (h) remember the Lord, [which is] great and terrible, and fight for you...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Remember. These are the most powerful arguments to encourage an army. (Haydock)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (9) Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them. (10) And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much...

  • John Brown Commentaries Selected Books of the Bible

    Fighting and Building I. INTRODUCTION A. Last week in our study of Nehemiah, we saw that no spiritual re-building can be done effectively without first removing the rubbish. 1. Sin makes a lousy fo...

  • 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 I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, [which is] great and terrible, and fight for your br...

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

    _I said unto the nobles, Be not afraid of them_ All was at stake; therefore he exhorts them to be valiant, trusting in God. _Remember the Lord, who is great and terrible_, &c. You think your enemies a...

  • 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...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, since it seemed that the whole community was being infected with fear, AND TO THE RULERS AND TO THE REST OF THE PEOPLE, BE NOT YE AFRAID OF THEM; R...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Nehemiah's Precautions...

  • 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,...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    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 t...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    No text from Poole on this verse....

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Nehemiah 4:14 looked H7200 (H8799) arose H6965 (H8799) said H559 (H8799) nobles H2715 leaders H5461 rest...

  • 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 AND HIS ALLIES DETERMINE VIOLENCE AGAINST THE BUILDERS OF THE WALLS WITH THE AIM OF PREVENTING THEIR COMPLETION ONLY TO BE THWARTED BY NEHEMIAH'S PRECAUTIONS (NEHEMIAH 4:7). Their derision h...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    NEHEMIAH'S TAKES PRECAUTIONS AND HIS RESPONSE ENCOURAGES THE BUILDERS AND BALKS THE ENEMY (NEHEMIAH 4:13). Nehemiah's response demonstrated his leadership abilities, and his firm practicality. He call...

  • 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

    _Remember the Lord, which is great._ THE POWER OF MEMORY Consider-- I. The power of memory. II. The application of the text to ourselves. 1. Parents should remember that God regards them as stewa...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobtah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls. .. conspired all of them together._ FOES OF THE FAITH It is well...

  • 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

    EXPOSITION NEHEMIAH 4:7 IT CAME TO PASS, THAT WHEN SANBALLAT, AND TOBIAH, at Samaria, AND THE ARABIANS, AND THE AMMONITES, AND THE ASHDODITES, in their respective residences, HEARD THAT THE WALLS OF...

  • 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

    2 Chronicles 20:15; 2 Chronicles 32:7; 2 Samuel 10:12; Deuteronomy 1:21;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Looked — He looked up, engaged God for him, and put himself and his cause under the Divine protection. That was his way, and should be ours: all his cares, all his griefs, all his fears he spread befo...

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