Nehemiah 4:3

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, “What they are building, if a fox climbed up it, he would break down their stone wall.”

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, “What they are building, if a fox climbed up it, he would break down their stone wall.”

BSB

Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “If even a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!”

KJV

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.

ASV

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they are building, if a fox go up, he shall break down their stone wall.

BBE

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Such is their building that if a fox goes up it, their stone wall will be broken down.

Original Hebrew

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וְטוֹבִיָּה ve·toi·yah and Tobiah H2900 הָעַמֹּנִי ha·'a·mo·ni the Ammonite H5984 אֶצְלוֹ 'etz·lo [was] beside him H681 וַיֹּאמֶר vai·yo·mer and he said H559 גַּם gam also H1571 אֲשֶׁר־ 'a·sher- [that] which H834 הֵם hem they H1992 בּוֹנִים bo·nim [are] building H1129 אִם־ 'im- if H518 יַעֲלֶה ya·'a·leh it will go up H5927 שׁוּעָל shu·'al a fox H7776 וּפָרַץ u·fa·ratz and it will break down H6555 חוֹמַת cho·mat [the] wall of H2346 אַבְנֵיהֶם פ 'av·nei·hem stones their H68

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 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 according to their folly, but looked up to God by prayer. God's people have often been a despised people, but he hears all the slights that are put upon them, and it is their comfort that he does so. Nehemiah had reason to think that the hearts of those sinners were desperately hardened, else he would not have prayed that their sins might never be blotted out. Good work goes on well, when people have a mind to it. The reproaches of enemies should quicken us to our duty, not drive us from it.

Read Matthew Henry on Nehemiah 4 →

Cross-references

7

People & places

Tobiah

Topics

StonesSarcasmTobiahFox

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.