Nehemiah 4 2

Nehemiah 4:2 kjv

And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?

Nehemiah 4:2 nkjv

And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish?stones that are burned?"

Nehemiah 4:2 niv

and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, "What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble?burned as they are?"

Nehemiah 4:2 esv

And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?"

Nehemiah 4:2 nlt

saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, "What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they're doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap ? and charred ones at that?"

Nehemiah 4 verses

Nehemiah 4 2 Meaning

Nehemiah 4:2 captures the mocking words of Sanballat, the governor of Samaria, aimed at undermining the efforts of the returning Jewish exiles to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. His contemptuous questions challenge their capability, resources, faith, and the very possibility of completing such a formidable task, especially given the extensive destruction. It highlights the spiritual and psychological warfare waged against God's people engaged in His work, expressing disdain for their perceived weakness and the monumental challenges before them.

Nehemiah 4 2 Context

Nehemiah 4 describes the intense opposition faced by the Jews as they diligently rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. Following the return from Babylonian exile, Judah was a small, vulnerable province. Nehemiah, with God's guidance, had inspired the people to begin the monumental task of reconstruction, which represented not just a physical wall but the restoration of their national identity and religious life. Sanballat the Horonite, the governor of Samaria, along with his allies Tobiah the Ammonite and Geshem the Arab, viewed Jerusalem's restoration as a direct threat to their regional influence and sought to halt the work through ridicule, threats, and ultimately, military aggression. Verse 2 specifically captures Sanballat's public verbal assault, intended to demoralize the builders by ridiculing their perceived weakness and the futility of their efforts.

Nehemiah 4 2 Word analysis

• He said before his colleagues and the army of Samaria: This highlights the public and official nature of Sanballat's scorn. It was designed for maximum psychological impact, not just a private gripe, aimed at shaming Nehemiah and intimidating the Jewish people. It reveals Sanballat's attempt to consolidate opposition and undermine the builders' morale through communal ridicule.
• "What are those feeble Jews doing?":
  • feeble: Hebrew miskênîm (מִסְכְּנִים), meaning poor, weak, miserable, downtrodden. It conveys Sanballat's profound contempt, viewing the returning exiles as pathetic, insignificant, and utterly incapable, lacking the strength, resources, or authority for such a task. This derisive term aimed to strip them of dignity and confidence.
  • Jews: Emphasizes their identity as God's chosen people, though used here contemptuously to dismiss their divine commission and potential. Sanballat frames their ethnicity as a weakness.
  • doing: Implying aimless or pointless activity, rather than significant work.
• "Will they restore their wall?":
  • restore: Hebrew bichrûh (בִּרְרֻ֣הַ), meaning to strengthen, rebuild, purify, complete, or make sound. Sanballat mocks the idea that they, so weak, could possibly complete a fortified wall that once stood majestic and strong. He questions their capacity to rectify past destruction.
• "Will they offer sacrifices?": This is deeply sarcastic.
  • offer sacrifices: This refers to the consecration or dedication of a completed work. Sanballat implies that the project is so futile and beyond their scope that they will never reach the point of dedicating it, nor do they possess the religious authority or divine favor to warrant such an act. It ridicules their spiritual aspirations and faith, suggesting their God is either unable or unwilling to help them.
• "Will they finish it in a day?": A hyperbole of derision.
  • in a day: Exaggerates the impossibility, suggesting the task is so enormous and they are so inefficient that they couldn't even achieve a visible fraction of progress in a single day, let alone complete the entire massive wall. It underscores Sanballat's conviction that the task is overwhelming and interminable for them.
• "Can they bring stones back to life from those heaps of rubbish—burned as they are?": This is the height of his mockery, utilizing an exaggerated metaphor of impossibility.
  • bring stones back to life: A sardonic question, drawing a parallel to a resurrection or a miraculous feat. The original stones were utterly destroyed, implying they were dead and useless. Sanballat suggests that only a divine act of recreation could make them usable again, something he clearly believes the "feeble Jews" and their God are incapable of.
  • heaps of rubbish: Hebrew ʻapār (עָפָר), literally "dust" or "earth," often referring to rubble or debris. This emphasizes the extreme devastation and perceived worthlessness of the remaining material.
  • burned as they are: Highlights the thorough destruction by fire from the Babylonian conquest. This fire made the stones brittle, crumbling, and practically useless for rebuilding. It amplifies the physical hopelessness of their task, as they lacked good, usable building materials.

Nehemiah 4 2 Bonus section

The type of mockery displayed by Sanballat is a common tactic of opposition in the biblical narrative. It reflects the worldly view that disregards God's enabling power for His people, focusing only on human limitations and perceived weaknesses. Sanballat and his allies underestimated the spiritual dimension of the rebuilding project – it was God's work through His chosen instruments. The verbal assault was a precursor to more direct threats (Neh 4:7-8), indicating that the enemies' ultimate goal was to prevent Jerusalem's resurgence as a spiritual and political center. This struggle foreshadows the continuous opposition faced by believers engaged in God's mission, reminding them that true victory comes not by human might or power, but by the Spirit of the Lord. The irony of Sanballat's questions is that God indeed could "bring stones back to life" and enable the feeble to accomplish the impossible, which they ultimately did.

Nehemiah 4 2 Commentary

Sanballat’s taunts in Nehemiah 4:2 were a calculated psychological attack. He understood that demoralization could be as effective as physical assault in stopping a great work. By publicly questioning the Jews' competence, mocking their physical weakness, dismissing their religious hopes, and exaggerating the insurmountable nature of their task, he sought to sow seeds of doubt and despair. His specific focus on the "burned" stones emphasizes the perceived permanence of their desolation, asserting that nothing significant could rise from such thorough destruction. This spiritual warfare tested the faith and resolve of God's people, urging them to remember that their strength and success did not depend on their own power, but on God's divine provision against all odds. It served to refine their dependence on God.