11 And our adversaries H6862 said, H559 They shall not know, H3045 neither see, H7200 till we come H935 in the midst H8432 among H8432 them, and slay H2026 them, and cause the work H4399 to cease. H7673
And Israel H3478 set H7760 liers in wait H693 round about H5439 Gibeah. H1390 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 went up H5927 against the children H1121 of Benjamin H1144 on the third H7992 day, H3117 and put themselves in array H6186 against Gibeah, H1390 as at other times. H6471 And the children H1121 of Benjamin H1144 went out H3318 against H7125 the people, H5971 and were drawn away H5423 from the city; H5892 and they began H2490 to smite H5221 of the people, H5971 and kill, H2491 as at other times, H6471 in the highways, H4546 of which one H259 goeth up H5927 to the house H1004 of God, H430 H1008 and the other H259 to Gibeah H1390 in the field, H7704 about thirty H7970 men H376 of Israel. H3478 And the children H1121 of Benjamin H1144 said, H559 They are smitten down H5062 before H6440 us, as at the first. H7223 But the children H1121 of Israel H3478 said, H559 Let us flee, H5127 and draw H5423 them from the city H5892 unto the highways. H4546 And all the men H376 of Israel H3478 rose up H6965 out of their place, H4725 and put themselves in array H6186 at Baaltamar: H1193 and the liers in wait H693 of Israel H3478 came forth H1518 out of their places, H4725 even out of the meadows H4629 of Gibeah. H1387 And there came H935 against H5048 Gibeah H1390 ten H6235 thousand H505 chosen H977 men H376 out of all Israel, H3478 and the battle H4421 was sore: H3513 but they knew H3045 not that evil H7451 was near H5060 them. And the LORD H3068 smote H5062 Benjamin H1144 before H6440 Israel: H3478 and the children H1121 of Israel H3478 destroyed H7843 of the Benjamites H1145 that day H3117 twenty H6242 and five H2568 thousand H505 and an hundred H3967 men: H376 all these drew H8025 the sword. H2719 So the children H1121 of Benjamin H1144 saw H7200 that they were smitten: H5062 for the men H376 of Israel H3478 gave H5414 place H4725 to the Benjamites, H1145 because they trusted H982 unto the liers in wait H693 which they had set H7760 beside Gibeah. H1390 And the liers in wait H693 hasted, H2363 and rushed H6584 upon Gibeah; H1390 and the liers in wait H693 drew themselves along, H4900 and smote H5221 all the city H5892 with the edge H6310 of the sword. H2719 Now there was an appointed sign H4150 between the men H376 of Israel H3478 and H5973 the liers in wait, H693 that they should make a great H7235 flame H4864 with smoke H6227 rise up H5927 out of the city. H5892 And when the men H376 of Israel H3478 retired H2015 in the battle, H4421 Benjamin H1144 began H2490 to smite H5221 and kill H2491 of the men H376 of Israel H3478 about thirty H7970 persons: H376 for they said, H559 Surely H5062 they are smitten down H5062 before H6440 us, as in the first H7223 battle. H4421 But when the flame H4864 began H2490 to arise up H5927 out of the city H5892 with a pillar H5982 of smoke, H6227 the Benjamites H1145 looked H6437 behind H310 them, and, behold, the flame H3632 of the city H5892 ascended up H5927 to heaven. H8064 And when the men H376 of Israel H3478 turned again, H2015 the men H376 of Benjamin H1144 were amazed: H926 for they saw H7200 that evil H7451 was come H5060 upon them. Therefore they turned H6437 their backs before H6440 the men H376 of Israel H3478 unto the way H1870 of the wilderness; H4057 but the battle H4421 overtook H1692 them; and them which came out of the cities H5892 they destroyed H7843 in the midst H8432 of them. Thus they inclosed H3803 the Benjamites H1145 round about, H3803 and chased H7291 them, and trode them down H1869 with ease H4496 over against H5227 Gibeah H1390 toward the sunrising. H4217 H8121 And there fell H5307 of Benjamin H1144 eighteen H8083 H6240 thousand H505 men; H376 all these were men H582 of valour. H2428 And they turned H6437 and fled H5127 toward the wilderness H4057 unto the rock H5553 of Rimmon: H7417 and they gleaned H5953 of them in the highways H4546 five H2568 thousand H505 men; H376 and pursued H1692 hard after H310 them unto Gidom, H1440 and slew H5221 two thousand H505 men H376 of them. So that all which fell H5307 that day H3117 of Benjamin H1144 were twenty H6242 and five H2568 thousand H505 men H376 that drew H8025 the sword; H2719 all these were men H582 of valour. H2428 But six H8337 hundred H3967 men H376 turned H6437 and fled H5127 to the wilderness H4057 unto the rock H5553 Rimmon, H7417 and abode H3427 in the rock H5553 Rimmon H7417 four H702 months. H2320 And the men H376 of Israel H3478 turned again H7725 upon the children H1121 of Benjamin, H1144 and smote H5221 them with the edge H6310 of the sword, H2719 as well the men H4974 of every city, H5892 as H5704 the beast, H929 and all that came to hand: H4672 also they set H7971 on fire H784 all the cities H5892 that they came to. H4672
Therefore shall evil H7451 come H935 upon thee; thou shalt not know H3045 from whence it riseth: H7837 and mischief H1943 shall fall H5307 upon thee; thou shalt not be able H3201 to put it off: H3722 and desolation H7722 shall come H935 upon thee suddenly, H6597 which thou shalt not know. H3045
And G1161 when it was G1096 day, G2250 certain G5100 of the Jews G2453 banded together, G4160 G4963 and bound G332 themselves G1438 under a curse, G332 saying G3004 that they would G5315 neither G3383 eat G5315 nor G3383 drink G4095 till G2193 G3757 they had killed G615 Paul. G3972
But G3767 do G3982 not G3361 thou G4771 yield G3982 unto them: G846 for G1063 there lie in wait for G1748 him G846 of G1537 them G846 more than G4119 forty G5062 men, G435 which G3748 have bound G332 themselves G1438 with an oath, G332 that they will G5315 neither G3383 eat G5315 nor G3383 drink G4095 till G2193 G3739 they have killed G337 him: G846 and G2532 now G3568 are they G1526 ready, G2092 looking for G4327 a promise G1860 from G575 thee. G4675
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Nehemiah 4
Commentary on Nehemiah 4 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 4
Ne 4:1-6. While the Enemies Scoff, Nehemiah Prays to God, and Continues the Work.
1. when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth—The Samaritan faction showed their bitter animosity to the Jews on discovering the systematic design of refortifying Jerusalem. Their opposition was confined at first to scoffs and insults, in heaping which the governors made themselves conspicuous, and circulated all sorts of disparaging reflections that might increase the feelings of hatred and contempt for them in their own party. The weakness of the Jews in respect of wealth and numbers, the absurdity of their purpose apparently to reconstruct the walls and celebrate the feast of dedication in one day, the idea of raising the walls on their old foundations, as well as using the charred and mouldering debris of the ruins as the materials for the restored buildings, and the hope of such a parapet as they could raise being capable of serving as a fortress of defense—these all afforded fertile subjects of hostile ridicule.
3. if a fox go up—The foxes were mentioned because they were known to infest in great numbers the ruined and desolate places in the mount and city of Zion (La 5:18).
4, 5. Hear, O our God; for we are despised—The imprecations invoked here may seem harsh, cruel, and vindictive; but it must be remembered that Nehemiah and his friends regarded those Samaritan leaders as enemies to the cause of God and His people, and therefore as deserving to be visited with heavy judgments. The prayer, therefore, is to be considered as emanating from hearts in which neither hatred, revenge, nor any inferior passion, but a pious and patriotic zeal for the glory of God and the success of His cause, held the ascendant sway.
6. all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof—The whole circuit of the wall had been distributed in sections to various companies of the people, and was completed to the half of the intended height.
Ne 4:7-23. He Sets a Watch.
7-21. 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 measures for ensuring the common safety, as well as the uninterrupted building of the walls. Hitherto the governor, for the sake of despatch, had set all his attendants and guards on the work—now half of them were withdrawn to be constantly in arms. The workmen labored with a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other; and as, in so large a circuit, they were far removed from each other, Nehemiah (who was night and day on the spot, and, by his pious exhortations and example, animated the minds of his people) kept a trumpeter by his side, so that, on any intelligence of a surprise being brought to him, an alarm might be immediately sounded, and assistance rendered to the most distant detachment of their brethren. By these vigilant precautions, the counsels of the enemy were defeated, and the work was carried on apace. God, when He has important public work to do, never fails to raise up instruments for accomplishing it, and in the person of Nehemiah, who, to great natural acuteness and energy added fervent piety and heroic devotion, He provided a leader, whose high qualities fitted him for the demands of the crisis. Nehemiah's vigilance anticipated every difficulty, his prudent measures defeated every obstruction, and with astonishing rapidity this Jerusalem was made again "a city fortified."