Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 4:15
And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to naught, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
15. Success of Nehemiah’s precautions.
our enemies ] a different word in the original from that rendered ‘adversaries’ in Neh 4:11.
that it was known unto us ] i.e. their project of a sudden attack.
God had brought their counsel to nought ] i.e. through the precautionary measures taken by Nehemiah. The words ‘brought their counsel to nought’ are the same as those rendered ‘frustrate their purpose’ in Ezr 4:5.
we returned work ] This clause implies what is not definitely stated. The enemy, on hearing that Nehemiah was prepared to meet their attack, seem to have abandoned their intention of an immediate assault. Nehemiah and his companions were able to resume the work upon the wall, although precautions were still necessary.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Neh 4:15
Every one unto his work.
Specialty of work for each man
There is something beautiful to me in the thought that there is a specialty of work for each man. In work, as in character, disposition, history, and destiny, there is a specialty; and when the Church arises to the New Jerusalem, it will not be to sit there as one vast photographic likeness, nor shall one be able to say of its members, I have heard their history, when the story of one has been told. The history of the Church will be made up of individual histories; and each one shall possess its own peculiar interest. Your history will be none the less interesting when mine has been told, nor mine when you have related yours. Your head and heart will not be as mine, nor mine as yours; we shall not be mere fragments of a universal Church; but we shall be fully, roundly, and conspicuously ourselves, in the Church of which we make a whole, and perfect, and unexampled individual. (H. W. Beecher.)
Every man at his place
In that fearful national catastrophe which befell England, i.e., the loss of the ironclad Victoria, the staunch steadfastness of our British sailors was grandly illustrated. When the crash came, instead of a wild rush on deck of all below, every man remained true to his post. All knew that a serious collision had occurred, yet the most perfect order was maintained. The engineers kept their eyes on the indicator and moved their levers as directed, in spite of the fact that their lives were in imminent danger. Even when it was seen that the vessel was settling down, and all were called on deck, the men ranged themselves in line, and the order, Right about face, was obeyed, though while in the act the vessel heeled over, and all were precipitated into the sea. Our personal duty:–The only way to regenerate the world is to do the duty which lies nearest to us, and not to hunt after grand, far-fetched ones for ourselves. If each drop of rain chose where it should fall, Gods showers would not fall as they do now on the evil and the good alike. (Charles Kingsley.)
Our own duty to be attended to
There is a story with which many of the present generation have been made familiar in our reading books which has an important application to Christian life. The story is that a German, with an ear sensitive to music, one day entered a church, and, being distressed by the discords of the singing, put his fingers in his ears; but there penetrated through them a single clear, rich soprano, singing in such perfect tune, that he was moved to listen. The singer never faltered because of the jarring notes, nor increased the volume of her voice to drown them. She kept steadily on till one after another came into accord with her sweet tones, till she brought the entire body of singers into harmony.
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 15. Their counsel to naught] The word counsel used here countenances the emendation in the 12th verse.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Our enemies being frustrated in their hopes, which were wholly built upon the secrecy and suddenness of their attempt, we knowing this, returned to our business.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And it came to pass, when our enemies heard it was known unto us,…. What they intended, as might be reported to them from the preparations made by the Jews to receive them, and defend themselves:
and God had brought their counsel to naught; which was to come upon them secretly and unawares; but being discovered, they dropped their design, and their scheme came to nothing:
so that we returned all of us to the wall, every man to his work; to that part of it where he wrought, in order to finish it.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(4:9-17)
Thus was the design of the enemy circumvented, and the Jews returned to their work on the wall, which they had forsaken to betake themselves to their weapons. The manner in which they resumed their building work was, that one half held weapons, and the other half laboured with weapons in hand.
Neh 4:15 When our enemies heard that it (their intention) was known to us, and (that) God had brought their counsel to nought (through the measures with which we had met it), we returned all of us to the wall, every one to his work. The conclusion does not begin till , belonging to the premiss, in continuation of .
Neh 4:16-18 From that day the half of my servants wrought at the work, and the other half of them held the spears and shields, the bows and the armour, i.e., carried the arms. The servants of Nehemiah are his personal retinue, Neh 4:17, Neh 5:10, Neh 5:16, namely, Jews placed at his disposal as Pechah for official purposes. The before was probably placed before this word, instead of before the following, by a clerical error; for if it stood before the latter also, it might be taken in the sense of et – et. , instead of being construed with , is in the accusative, as also in Neh 4:11, and even in Jer 6:23 and Isa 41:9, Isa 41:13. Unnecessary and unsuitable is the conjecture of Bertheau, that the word originally stood after , and that a fresh sentence begins with : and the other half held the spears; and the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the armour, and the rulers, were behind the whole house of Judah, – a strange combination, which places the weapons and rulers behind the house of Judah. Besides, of the circumstance of the weapons being placed behind the builders, so that they might at any moment seize them, we not only read nothing in the text; but in Neh 4:11 and Neh 4:12 just the contrary, viz., that the builders wrought with one hand, and with the other held a weapon. “The rulers were behind all the house of Judah,” i.e., each was behind his own people who were employed on the work, to encourage them in their labour, and, in case of attack, to lead them against the enemy. – In Neh 4:11 is prefixed after the manner of a title. With respect to those who built the wall, both the bearers of burdens were lading with the one hand of each workman, and holding a weapon with the other, and the builders were building each with his sword girt on his side. The prefixed to and means both; and , bearers of burdens, who cleared away the rubbish, and worked as labourers. These, at all events, could do their work with one hand, which would suffice for emptying rubbish into baskets, and for carrying material in handle baskets. , literally, with the one (namely) of his hands that was doing the work. The suffix of points to the genitive following. , the one and the other hand. , not a missile, but a weapon that was stretched out, held forth, usually a sword or some defensive weapon: see rem. on Jos 2:8; 2Ch 32:5. The builders, on the contrary, needed both hands for their work: hence they had swords girt to their sides. “And he that sounded the trumpet was beside me.” Nehemiah, as superintendent of the work, stood at the head of his servants, ready to ward off any attack; hence the trumpeter was beside him, to be able to give to those employed on the wall the signal for speedy muster in case danger should threaten.
Neh 4:19-21 Hence he said to the nobles, the rulers, and the rest of the people, i.e., all employed in building, “The work is much (great) and wide, and we are separated upon the wall one far from another; in what place ye hear the sound of the trumpet, assemble yourselves to me: our God will fight for us.” – In Neh 4:15 the whole is summed up, and for this purpose the matter of Neh 4:10 is briefly repeated, to unite with it the further statement that they so laboured from early morning till late in the evening. “We (Nehemiah and his servants) laboured in the work, and half of them (of the servants) held the spears from the grey of dawn till the stars appeared.”
Neh 4:22 He took moreover, a further precaution: he said to the people (i.e., to the labourers on the wall, and not merely to the warriors of the community, as Bertheau supposes): Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, i.e., to remain together during the night also, and not be scattered through the surrounding district, “that they may be guardianship for us by night and labour by day.” The abstracts, guardianship and labour, stand for the concretes, guards and labourers. As , to us, refers to the whole community separated on the walls, so is to be understood of all the workers, and not of the fighting men only. From it only appears that the fathers of families and master builders had servants with them as labourers.
Neh 4:23 Nehemiah, moreover, and his brethren (his kinsmen and the members of his house), and his servants, and the men of the guard in his retinue, were constantly in their clothes (“not putting off our clothes” to rest). The last words, are very obscure, and give no tolerable sense, whether we explain of water for drinking or washing. Luther translates, Every one left off washing; but the words, Every one’s weapon was water, can never bear this sense. Roediger, in Gesen. Thes. s.v. , seeks to alter into , to which Bttcher ( N. krit. Aehrenl. iii. p. 219) rightly objects: “how could have been altered into , or have got into the text at all, if some portion of it had not been originally there? What this expresses, would be far more definitely given with the very slight correction of changing the closing of , and reading = (comp. 2Sa 14:19); thus each had taken his missile on the right (in his right hand), naturally that he might be ready to discharge it in case of a hostile attack.” This conjecture seems to us a happy emendation of the unmeaning text, since might easily have been changed into ; and we only differ in this matter from Bttcher, by taking in its only legitimate meaning of weapon, and translating the words: And each laid his weapon on the right, viz., when he laid himself down at night to rest in his clothes, to be ready for fighting at the first signal from the watch.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
3. Work progresses in the midst of precautions.
TEXT, Neh. 4:15-23
15
And it happened when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work.
16
And it came about from that day on, that half of my servants carried on the work while half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows, and the breastplates; and the captains were behind the whole house of Judah.
17
Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon.
18
As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while the trumpeter stood near me.
19
And I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall far from one another.
20
At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.
21
So we carried on the work with half of them holding spears from dawn until the stars appeared.
22
At that time I also said to the people, Let each man with his servant spend the night within Jerusalem so that they may be a guard for us by night and a laborer by day.
23
So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each took his weapon even to the water.
COMMENT
Neh. 4:15 : If it had been the plan of Judahs enemies to create confusion to hinder the work, the plan failed: they heard that the Jews responded to the threats by organizing adequate defenses. Nehemiah gives credit to God for the outcome; the emphasis is not on their avoiding attack, but on their being able to continue their work. All we have seen so far are threats; their enemies may not have had the heart, or intention, to risk health or life for their evil ends.
Nehemiahs servants, Neh. 4:16, may have been his bodyguard of Persian soldiers. The presence of the captains behind the house of Judah could be physical; but it could speak more pointedly of their moral support.
The workmen in Neh. 4:17 could continue hauling materials with one hand, and could use the other hand for weapons.
The workmen in Neh. 4:18, stone masons most likely, would need both hands for their work, so they kept their weapons close by.
At the end of Neh. 4:18 and in Neh. 4:19-20, communication was provided for. It was well over half a mile from the northern to the southern extremities of the wall, so a loud signal was needed if they were to be summoned to one anothers defense. The shofar (trumpet), made of the curved horn of a cow or ram, was the answer. With this reassurance against surprise attack, and with the added assurance of Gods assistance, they could work more efficiently.
In Neh. 4:21, though their work force was cut in half by their need of defense, they could make up a part of this by working from dawn to dusk.
According to Neh. 4:22, additional efficiency would be obtained by keeping all the workers within the city each night. The teaming of a skilled and unskilled laborer may be suggested by the mention of a man and his servant. The availability of the workmen as guards during the night is cited; there would be other advantages to the stratagem. It had been the workers who came from outside the city who brought the rumors in Neh. 4:12; this would cut off that avenue of subversion. It would also prevent defections from their work force, and at the same time speed construction by eliminating travel time. There may be a hint in this passage on how to get along with people; the only reasons which Nehemiah expressed for keeping men in the city were those which showed no lack of confidence in, or disrespect for, his workmen. The practice of hospitality by the residents of the city would be needed to make this method succeed.
Neh. 4:23 emphasizes once more the urgency of their work, that they kept their clothes on continuously. The last phrase of the verse is obscure. Literally it reads, each one his weapon to the water. The KJV interprets it to mean that they did remove their clothes to wash them; sanitation must not be neglected. The Anchor Bible assumes that it is necessary to make some small corrections in the text; it reads, each one had his spear in his right hand, to indicate constant readiness. The Cambridge Bible adds still more and suggests, each one with his weapon in his hand for a full month of days. The NASB stresses that they took their weapons everywhere, even to get a drink or to bathe. The Living Bible simply tries to capture the sense: And we carried our weapons with us at all times.
WORD STUDIES
WEALTHY (Neh. 4:2 : Chayil): in various contexts, it can mean (1) strength, might, valor; (2) forces, army; (3) ability, wealth; (4) integrity, virtue. It is usually translated army, but wealth in Rth. 2:1, where it describes Boaz.
The two most important letters in the word are the h and i; these appear in our words heil, hale, heal, health, whole, and even holy: words having the same sense as the Hebrew, in certain contexts. They also occur in a word of very different derivation, but with the same connotations, in our slang (big) wheel; we wonder if this is only a coincidence. Try that expression in Neh. 4:2!
TRUMPET (Neh. 4:20 : Shofar): scratch, scrape, rub, polish. This leads to the idea of brightness, brilliance, and a brilliant tone. The word for scribe (Sepher) is akin to it (cf. Word Studies on Ezra 7 : note the resemblance in primary meaning). There seems to be a connection between what a person communicates by writing or speech, and what he conveys by musical tones.
SUMMARY
This chapter tells of the effort of Israels enemies to block progress on the wall by ridicule and rumor. First, Sanballat of Samaria made fun of these feeble people trying by themselves to push stones around; stones which already had been pushed over and burned, showing their ineffectiveness. Tobiah joined in by saying it wouldnt support a fox. Nehemiah prayed, and the people kept on working till the wall was half built.
Then their enemies came from four directions and threatened to do battle. Again Nehemiah prayed, and this time he set a guard. The workers were becoming tired and discouraged. A rumor of ambush spread, and as the people became frightened, Nehemiah calmed them and encouraged them to be willing to fight for God and home. Half of the workers were put on guard while the other half worked; even these had their weapons in their hand or within reach. At the sound of a trumpet, all were to rush to that point to defend their fellows. They worked from dawn to dusk, they remained close to their work instead of going home, some slept in their clothes, and they stayed alert.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(15) We returned.This verse remarkably condenses the frustration of the attempt and the cessation of the special guard.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
15. God had brought their counsel to nought Observe the doctrine of Providence here. The betrayal of the enemies’ designs, and the preparations for defence, though all wrought out by human instrumentalities, are attributed to God.
We returned all of us to the wall That is, as is immediately explained, every one unto his work. For a time they merely watched, and stood in readiness to resist the enemy that proposed to assail them unawares, (Neh 4:11😉 but now they return to their work again, not, however, without some change in their manner of procedure, as the next verse tells.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Neh 4:15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
Ver. 15. And it came to pass, when our enemies heard ] This rumour was enough to frighten these no less now timorous than before temerarious Samaritans; great brags they made at first what they would do, but now that they see they are defeated of their purpose, they are crest fallen, and have no mind at all to advance. So that to these may be fitly applied that which Guicciardine saith of Charles VIII, king of France, in his expedition against Naples, that he came into the field like thunder and lightning, but went out like a snuff; more than a man at first, and less than a woman at last.
And God had brought their counsel to nought
That we returned all of us to the wall
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Neh 4:15-20
15 When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work. 16From that day on, half of my servants carried on the work while half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows and the breastplates; and the captains were behind the whole house of Judah. 17Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon. 18As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while the trumpeter stood near me. 19I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall far from one another. 20At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.
Neh 4:15 The battle was God’s! He was and is in control. His people must act in faith! As when God defeated the Canaanites, Israel had to prepare for battle, so too, here.
Neh 4:16 my servants There has been much discussion by commentators whether this refers to (1) the Jews (cf. Neh 4:21), (2) Nehemiah’s special Persian helpers (cf. NJB), or (3) his relatives (cf. Neh 4:21; Neh 5:10; Neh 5:16). It seems that all three are referred to in Neh 4:23.
the captains were behind the whole house of Judah The term captain (BDB 978) is the general term for chief, official, leader, or prince. It is contextually impossible to tell to what group this refers.
The Hebrew Construct can be literalthey stood behind the wall and guarded the workers, or metaphoricalthey supported the effort.
Neh 4:17-18 This shows the labor force’s precautions and preparations.
Neh 4:18 while the trumpeter stood near me The context (Neh 4:17-20) seems to imply that there was one trumpeter (singular) who followed Nehemiah (cf. TEV, NJB), but the Peshitta and Josephus in his Antiq. 11.5.8 seems to surmise that there were several trumpeters stationed around the circumference of the city, which seems to be more practical.
The trumpet was a shofar or ram’s horn (Assyrian origin, wild goat). It was used for military and religious occasions. In later Judaism it had to be the left horn. It was soaked in water and stretched into a long spiral.
Neh 4:20 Our God will fight for us This is covenant language (cf. Exo 14:14; Deu 1:30; Deu 3:22; Deu 20:4; Jos 10:14; Jos 10:42). YHWH was on their side. They were His special people.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
brought, &c. Compare Job 5:12; Psa 33:10.
one = man. Hebrew. ‘ish.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Neh 4:15-20
Neh 4:15-20
IN SPITE OF THREATENING ENEMIES THE WORK WENT ON
“And it came to pass when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God brought their counsel to naught, that we returned all of us to the wall every one unto his work. And it came to pass from that time forth, that half of my servants wrought in the work, and half of them held the spears, and the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. They that builded the wall and they that bare burdens laded themselves; every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with his other held his weapon; and the builders every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me. And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one from another: in what place soever ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us; our God will fight for us.”
“God brought their counsel to naught” (Neh 4:15). This simply means that Sanballat, hearing and observing Nehemiah’s preparations and determination to fight, backed down from his ugly threats. In his mind, no doubt, was the knowledge that the king of Persia was also behind Nehemiah’s fortifying Jerusalem. “That no conflict came about shows that when the enemy approached, and saw from a distance, the whole people awaiting them in perfect order with all equipment and weapons at the ready, they simply lost heart and turned back.”
“Half of my servants wrought in the work” (Neh 4:16). These are generally understood to have been “official servants that pertained to Nehemiah”; but there remains the possibility that the military escort provided by the king of Persia was yet with Nehemiah, there having been no report of its return to Persia. Therefore there is the possibility that these were meant.
“Every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other held his weapon” (Neh 4:17). This expression is obviously somewhat figurative, as explained by the next clause, “Everyone had his sword girded by his side, and so builded.” The great London preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon published a paper called Sword and Trowel, named after what is written here.
“The coats of mail” (Neh 4:16). “Coats of mail were common in Assyria from the 9th century B.C., and even earlier in Egypt; they were made of thin leaves of bronze or iron sewed upon leather or linen and overlapping one another.”
“The sound of the trumpet” (Neh 4:20). “When an attack was made, the trumpet sounded at that point; all the workers rallied, and the enemy was either frightened or driven away. Even those who lived beyond the city came into Jerusalem at night to sleep.”
E.M. Zerr:
Neh 4:15. The “war scare” was over as soon as the enemy learned that the Jews were preparing for the worst. They ceased their threatening for the time being, and the men resumed their work on the wall.
Neh 4:16. While Nehemiah was not frightened by the threats of the enemy, he decided not to take any chances. From that time he used a special plan for the work. It was especially arranged for the men of Judah to strengthen their morale, as they were the ones who had been foremost in the complaints. As a greater precaution, half of the servants of Nehemiah were released from active duty on the wall so that they could be on constant guard. They were prepared for this defense with various weapons, and also were covered with a habergeon. That was a sort of metallic coat that was worn over the other clothing for protection from the darts of the enemy.
Neh 4:17. There were the masons and others who worked on the wall. They had to be furnished with materials that were borne on the shoulders of men called “burden bearers,” and some others were needed to lay the materials on the shoulders of the bearers. These three classes of workmen are meant in the forepart of this verse. Even all of these men were directed to carry a weapon in one hand. That would explain why they needed some to lay the load on the shoulders of the carriers.
Neh 4:18. We thus see that all the classes of workers, whether engaged directly on the wall or in attending on them, were armed and prepared to fight if need be, as well as to work. The same principle is taught in the New Testament. Christians are commanded to work (Php 2:12), and to fight (1Ti 6:12). The use of the trumpeter standing by Nehemiah will be shown in the following paragraph.
Neh 4:19-20. The wall was very great and the workers were necessarily scattered so that not many would be in any one section. Should the enemy observe that fact, he might select some one of the more scattered groups and direct his attack there. The trumpeter was therefore expected to sound an alarm and all the others were to rush to the place attacked and help in the defense. This is another principle taught in the New Testament. See Rom 12:15; 1Co 12:26; 1Th 5:14. Nehemiah taught his people the idea of being coworkers with God; that man’s efforts were required, but they alone would not win. Hence they were told that “our God shall fight for us.”
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
God: 2Sa 15:31, 2Sa 17:14, Job 5:12, Job 5:13, Psa 33:10, Psa 33:11, Pro 21:30, Isa 8:10, Isa 44:25, Lam 3:37, Lam 3:38, 1Co 3:19, 1Co 3:20
every one: Mar 13:34, Rom 12:11, 1Th 4:11
Reciprocal: Ezr 7:6 – according to Act 5:38 – for
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Neh 4:15. When our enemies heard that it was known unto us When they heard that their plot was discovered, and they had no hope to surprise us, but found that we were ready to receive them, they laid aside their designs, and we went on with our work.