Nehemiah 4 3

Nehemiah 4:3 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.

Nehemiah 4:3 nkjv

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, "Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall."

Nehemiah 4:3 niv

Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, "What they are building?even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!"

Nehemiah 4:3 esv

Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, "Yes, what they are building ? if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!"

Nehemiah 4:3 nlt

Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, "That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!"

Nehemiah 4 verses

Nehemiah 4 3 Meaning

Nehemiah 4:3 conveys the profound contempt and ridicule expressed by Tobiah the Ammonite towards the efforts of the returning exiles to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. His words suggest that the Jewish builders' work is utterly flimsy and futile, so weak that even a small, seemingly harmless animal like a fox could demolish it by merely walking upon it. This sarcastic dismissal aimed to demoralize the builders and undermine their faith in God's ability to help them, echoing a pervasive attitude among adversaries that the work of God's people is inherently pathetic and destined to fail.

Nehemiah 4 3 Context

Nehemiah 4:3 occurs amidst intense opposition to the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls under Nehemiah's leadership. Chapters 1-2 establish Nehemiah's burden, prayer, and King Artaxerxes's commission. Chapter 3 details the concerted efforts of the Jewish people, each family taking responsibility for a section of the wall. This dedicated and organized labor posed a direct threat to the regional dominance of surrounding leaders like Sanballat, the governor of Samaria, and Tobiah, an Ammonite official.

Sanballat initiated the mockery in Nehemiah 4:1-2, questioning the Jews' capability and the revival of stones from burnt rubble. Tobiah, as his close associate, intensifies the scorn with his specific, derisive remark in verse 3. Their primary goal was to demoralize the builders, sowing doubt about their strength, their resources, and ultimately, God's backing, hoping the project would fail due to despair and inaction rather than direct military confrontation. The immediate context of their words is psychological warfare aimed at stifling the work of God's people through contempt and humiliation.

Nehemiah 4 3 Word analysis

• Now Tobiah (וְטוֹבִיָּה, wəṭôḇîyâ): The "and" (וְ) connects him closely to Sanballat's previous scoffing. Tôḇîyâ (Tobiah) means "Yah is my good" or "My good is the Lord," an ironic name for a consistent adversary of God's people and His work.
• the Ammonite (הָעַמֹּנִי, hāʻammōnî): Identifies his ethnicity, significant as Ammonites were long-standing enemies of Israel, forbidden from entering the assembly of the Lord (Dt 23:3). This highlights inherent animosity and suggests a religiously and politically motivated opposition. His being an official amplifies his influence.
• was beside him (אֶצְלוֹ, ʼetslōw): Indicates close proximity to Sanballat, showing their collaborative opposition. It's a unified front of malice against Nehemiah and the Jews.
• and he said (וַיֹּאמֶר, wayyōmer): Introduces direct speech, indicating Tobiah's active and public participation in the ridicule.
• “What they are building (אֲשֶׁר־הֵם בּוֹנִים, ʼasher-hēm bônîm): This phrase itself conveys contempt. Instead of "the wall" or "the great work," it's dismissive, implying the worthlessness and amateur nature of their efforts.
• if a fox (אִם־יַעֲלֶה שׁוּעָל, ʼim-yaʻaleh shûʻāl): The term shuʻal (שׁוּעָל) can refer to a fox or a jackal, creatures known for cunning, stealth, and their tendency to spoil vineyards (Song 2:15) or inhabit ruins. The selection of such a small animal is an ultimate insult, minimizing the effort of the builders to an extreme.
• goes up on it (יַעֲלֶה, yaʻaleh): Means "ascends" or "climbs upon." This implies a challenge to the wall's very structural integrity from the weight of even a small creature.
• it will break down (יֶהֶרְסֶנָּה, yehersénnâ): From haras (הָרַס), "to break down, demolish, tear down." Suggests collapse, self-destruction. The wall will not stand under minimal pressure.
• their wall of stones (חוֹמַת אֲבָנֵיהֶם, ḥômat ʼaḇānêhem): Tobiah doesn't acknowledge it as a strong city wall but as a collection of mere "stones." This underlines his contempt for the quality of their labor and materials. It's just a loose pile, not a fortification.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said": This portrays Tobiah as Sanballat's loyal and equally malicious accomplice. His voice joins the chorus of opposition, solidifying the external threat. His identity as an Ammonite is crucial; it invokes a long history of enmity against Israel, adding depth to his scorn.
• "What they are building—if a fox goes up on it": This is a deliberate, cutting sarcasm. It implies that the wall is so shoddy and flimsy that even a small, relatively weak animal, whose usual behavior isn't about wall-toppling, could cause its collapse. The hyperbole highlights the immense disrespect and dismissal of the Jewish people's endeavors.
• "it will break down their wall of stones!": This is the direct pronouncement of failure and humiliation. The use of "their wall of stones" rather than "Jerusalem's wall" highlights ownership by the despised group and ridicules the materials they are using, suggesting they are simply weak and poorly joined rocks. The predicted outcome of instant collapse aims to sap any remaining motivation.

Nehemiah 4 3 Bonus section

Tobiah was not just any random opponent but likely held significant political influence, potentially as a Tobiad chief, controlling areas of Transjordan and being married into Jewish priestly families (Neh 13:4, 28). This deep-seated intermingling made his opposition particularly insidious and a betrayal from within a sense. His "prophecy" of collapse, born of malicious intent, directly contradicts God's promise to build up His people. The phrase "wall of stones" implies not merely weakness but a haphazard collection, an intentional downgrade from the biblical emphasis on Jerusalem's strength. Historically, jackals (often identified with "foxes" in ancient Hebrew) were associated with desolation and ruin (Isa 34:13, Jer 9:11), ironically foreshadowing the fate of Tobiah's opposition, not the wall. This verse also implicitly warns against measuring God's work by human or animalistic standards, as Tobiah did, since God's power is manifest in perceived weakness.

Nehemiah 4 3 Commentary

Tobiah's mocking declaration in Nehemiah 4:3 serves as a classic example of spiritual opposition manifesting as derision and contempt. It's more than mere criticism; it's a deep-seated scorn aimed at demoralizing the builders by diminishing their efforts and, by extension, challenging the power of their God. By using the image of a fox, a seemingly insignificant creature, Tobiah exaggerates the supposed weakness of the wall, implying the futility of any human effort lacking divine blessing and strength.

This mockery targets the confidence of the builders, intending to make them believe that their labor is wasted, their resources insufficient, and their God incapable. It's a form of psychological warfare, hoping to achieve through discouragement what physical force might not easily accomplish. Nehemiah, however, consistently responds to such contempt with prayer and persistent action, understanding that the work is not merely human, but God's. This verse therefore sets up a profound spiritual conflict: human scorn and perceived weakness against divine strength and steadfast faith, emphasizing that genuine faith pushes through outward ridicule by relying on the God who cannot be mocked.

Examples:

• A Christian seeking to serve in a demanding field being told, "Your faith won't get you through the practical challenges."
• A church undertaking a challenging ministry project facing sneering remarks like, "That's a nice idea, but it will never amount to anything."
• An individual trying to live righteously amidst worldly pressures, and peers mockingly question, "Do you really think being so strict will change anything?"