Nehemiah 4:10 - Forerunner Commentary

Nehemiah 4:10

8 and all of them ^aconspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion.

9 Nevertheless ^awe made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.

10 Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.”

11 And our adversaries said, “They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease.”

12 So it was, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they told us ten times, “From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us.”

13 Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

14 And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, ^a“Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, ^bgreat and awesome, and ^cfight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”

15 And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and ^athat God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.

16 So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders¹ were behind all the house of Judah.

Verse Comparison: Nehemiah 4:10

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American Standard Version
And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.

Amplified® Bible
And [the leaders of] Judah said, The strength of the burden bearers is weakening, and there is much rubbish; we are not able to work on the wall.

Contemporary English Version
Meanwhile, the people of Judah were singing a sorrowful song: "So much rubble for us to haul! Worn out and weary, will we ever finish this wall?"

Darby English Version
And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens faileth, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build at the wall.

Good News Bible
The people of Judah had a song they sang: "We grow weak carrying burdens; There's so much rubble to take away. How can we build the wall today?"

King James Version
And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.

New American Standard Bible
Thus in Judah it was said, "The strength of the burden bearers is failing, Yet there is much rubbish; And we ourselves are unable To rebuild the wall."

New International Version
Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, "The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall."

New King James Version
Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.”

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
Thus in Judah people said, "The strength of the burden bearers has failed Yet much rubbish abounds; And we ourselves feel unable To rebuild the wall."

Revised Standard Version
But Judah said, "The strength of the burden-bearers is failing, and there is much rubbish; we are not able to work on the wall."

Young's Literal Translation
And Judah saith, `The power of the burden-bearers hath become feeble, and the rubbish `is' abundant, and we are not able to build on the wall.'

New English Translation
Then those in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers¹ has failed! The debris is so great that we are unable to rebuild the wall.”

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