Nehemiah 4:1-6 · Bible study
Nehemiah 4:1-6 Commentary: Building Through Mockery and Prayer
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Scholarly analysis of Sanballat's scorn, Nehemiah's imprecatory prayer, and the people's wholehearted labor. What this reveals about opposition to God's work.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Mockery from opponents meets prayer and wholehearted labor; the wall rises through dependence on God.
- Key words: “Feeble Jews” (contemptuous); “fox/jackal” (symbol of ruin, see Lamentations 5:18); “despised”; “heart to work.”
- Main debate: Whether Nehemiah's imprecatory prayer is a model for believers or something restricted to the Old Testament covenant context.
- Theological theme: God hears the reproach against His people and works through their prayerful persistence.
- Best use: A case study in responding to opposition, pray first, then work wholeheartedly, trusting God with the outcome.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
1Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious and filled with indignation. He ridiculed the Jews
2before his associates and the army of Samaria, saying, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Can they restore the wall by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?”
3Then 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!”
4Hear us, O God, for we are despised. Turn their scorn back upon their own heads, and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity.
5Do not cover up their iniquity or let their sin be blotted out from Your sight, for they have provoked the builders.
6So we rebuilt the wall until all of it was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
WEB World English Bible 2000
1But when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and was very indignant, and mocked the Jews.
2He spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, since they are burned?”
3Now 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.”
4“Hear, our God, for we are despised. Turn back their reproach on their own head. Give them up for a plunder in a land of captivity.
5Don’t cover their iniquity. Don’t let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted the builders.”
6So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
KJV King James Version 1769
1But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
2And 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?
3Now 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.
4Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:
5And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.
6So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1But it came to pass that, when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
2And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What are these feeble Jews doing? 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 rubbish, seeing they are burned?
3Now 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.
4Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn back their reproach upon their own head, and give them up for a spoil in a land of captivity;
5and cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee; for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.
6So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto half the height thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1And it cometh to pass, when Sanballat hath heard that we are building the wall, that it is displeasing to him, and he is very angry and mocketh at the Jews,
2and saith before his brethren and the force of Samaria, yea, he saith, `What are the weak Jews doing? are they left to themselves? do they sacrifice? do they complete in a day? do they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish? --and they burnt!'
3And Tobiah the Ammonite is by him and saith, `Also, that which they are building--if a fox doth go up, then it hath broken down their stone wall.'
4Hear, O our God, for we have been despised; and turn back their reproach on their own head, and give them for a spoil in a land of captivity;
5and do not cover over their iniquity, and their sin from before Thee let not be blotted out, for they have provoked to anger--over-against those building.
6And we build the wall, and all the wall is joined--unto its half, and the people have a heart to work.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1And it came to pass that when Sanballat heard that we built the wall, he was angry and very indignant, and mocked the Jews.
2And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? shall they be permitted to go on? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, when they are burned?
3And Tobijah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox went up, it would break down their stone wall. —
4Hear, our God, for we are despised, and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in a land of captivity!
5And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee; for they have provoked the builders.
6But we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to the half thereof; for the people had a mind to work.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1And it came to pass, that when Sanaballat heard that we were building the wall he was angry: and being moved exceedingly he scoffed at the Jews.
2And said before his brethren, and the multitude of the Samaritans: What are the silly Jews doing? Will the Gentiles let them alone? will they sacrifice and make an end in a day? are they able to raise stones out of the heaps of the rubbish, which are burnt?
3Tobias also the Ammonite who was by him said: Let them build: if a fox go up, he will leap over their stone wall.
4Hear thou our God, for we are despised: turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them to be despised in a land of captivity.
5Cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thy face, because they have mocked thy builders.
6So we built the wall, and joined it all together unto the half thereof: and the heart of the people was excited to work.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Sanballat's anger and mockery represent a concentrated attack on the rebuilding of Jerusalem's wall, an attack that mirrors the broader pattern of opposition to God's redemptive purposes throughout the postexilic period (see Ezra 4:1, 5). Sanballat's taunts, questioning the Jews' strength, their religious resources (‘Will they sacrifice?’), and the quality of their work (a fox could break it), aim to demoralize both the workers and their leaders. Nehemiah's response, as Barnes, Cambridge, and Keil & Delitzsch all observe, is wholly characteristic of his memoir: he turns the matter immediately into prayer. The imprecatory tone of verses 4, 5 has drawn the most comment. Adam Clarke, writing from the Wesleyan tradition, warns that a literal reading is not lawful for Christians, suggesting the Hebrew verbs may be declarative (‘their reproach shall be turned’). John Gill defends the prayer as arising from a public spirit for God's glory rather than private revenge. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown calls it an expression of pious and patriotic zeal. All note that the passage closes with a striking contrast: the wall rises to half its height ‘for the people had a heart to work’, a phrase that links divine enablement with human resolve.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Imprecation as model of covenant justice: The prayer echoes Psalms of vengeance (Psalm 35:15–16; 44:13–14); Nehemiah acts as a theocratic leader whose enemies are God's enemies.
- Imprecation as prophetic declaration: Clarke notes the Hebrew verbs can be read as prophetic perfects, so ‘turn their reproach’ means ‘their reproach shall be turned,’ reducing the precatory element.
What is clear: The people built the wall because they had a heart to work; Nehemiah turned to God in prayer rather than retaliating against the mockers.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Imprecatory prayer | Nehemiah's prayer expresses a genuine appeal for divine justice, rooted in the covenant context where enemy action against Israel is action against God. | Some (e.g., Clarke) argue the Hebrew can be read as prophetic declaration, not a vindictive wish, and caution Christians against direct imitation. Others (e.g., Gill, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) defend it as legitimate zeal for God's glory in a theocratic setting. |
| Nature of Sanballat's opposition | Sanballat's anger is stirred by the rebuilding of the wall, which threatens his political and religious influence. | Some commentators emphasize ethnic rivalry; others see a spiritual opposition to God's covenant promises. The text allows both readings. |
| Meaning of 'heart to work' | The phrase indicates wholehearted engagement, not mere compliance. | Whether this arises from Nehemiah's leadership inspiration or from a sovereign work of God is not resolved; the text simply reports it as a fact. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Sanballat, governor of Samaria, and Tobiah, an Ammonite official, represent the regional powers threatened by a restored Jerusalem. The schism between Jews and Samaritans had festered since the return from exile (Ezra 4:1, 5), and a fortified Jerusalem would shift the balance of influence. The wall was not merely a practical defense; it was a visible symbol of national and religious identity. Rebuilding it after the Babylonian destruction (586 BC) signalled that God had not abandoned His people.
Sanballat's mockery deploys specific cultural weapons. ‘These feeble Jews’ plays on the community's small size and poverty. The question ‘Will they sacrifice?’ raises doubt about whether they even have proper worship, a sensitive point for a people just re-establishing temple life. Tobiah's image of a fox breaking down the stone wall (likely a jackal, as the Cambridge margin notes) ridicules both the builders' skill and the materials they salvage from burned rubble (Nehemiah 4:2). The enemies speak before ‘the army of Samaria,’ turning the occasion into a public rally against the work.
Nehemiah's prayer echoes the lament traditions of the Psalms (e.g., Psalm 44:13, 14; 35:15, 16). His plea that God ‘turn back their reproach on their own head’ and ‘not cover their iniquity’ stands in the Old Testament tradition of imprecation, appeals for divine justice when human recourse is absent. The prayer does not replace action; Nehemiah also sets a watch (Nehemiah 4:9). But it grounds the work in dependence on God. The people's ‘heart to work’, literally ‘the people had a heart to work’ (Gill, Keil & Delitzsch), shows that resolve grows not from ignoring opposition but from meeting it with prayer.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note one significant textual matter: the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) omits verse 6 entirely (Clarke). Some Hebrew manuscripts divide the chapter differently, beginning the fourth chapter at verse 7 (Cambridge). No other variants are discussed in the consulted commentaries. The Hebrew text used by the Masoretes is stable for this passage.
Reception History
From the Reformation onward, Nehemiah's prayer has provoked both imitation and caution. The Geneva Bible notes (1599) treat Nehemiah as a model leader who commits his cause to God. Matthew Henry (1710) highlights the contrast between the enemies' scorn and the people's diligence. In the Wesleyan tradition, Adam Clarke (1826) warned against reading the imprecations as a Christian norm, proposing a declarative reading of the Hebrew verbs. Baptist commentator John Gill (1748) defended the prayer as arising from a public, not private, spirit. Anglican and Lutheran scholars (Cambridge, Keil & Delitzsch) focus on Nehemiah's characteristic habit of turning events into prayer. Across traditions, the phrase ‘the people had a heart to work’ has been treasured as an image of Spirit-empowered perseverance.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The mockery is real and specific. Sanballat and Tobiah do not dismiss the Jews abstractly; they attack their perceived weakness, their religious viability, and the quality of their labor. Ministry that matters will face tailored scorn.
- Prayer is the first resort, not a last ditch. Nehemiah does not send a defense or hold a rally. He talks to God. The imprecatory language calls on God to act as Judge, a theme that runs through Scripture (Psalm 137; Romans 12:19). Christians differ on whether such prayers are models for personal use, but all agree that Nehemiah's instinct is to bring the opposition before God.
- Wholehearted work overcomes contempt. The wall reaches half its height not because the mocking stopped, but because the people had a heart to work. When the labor is fueled by prayer and love for God's purposes, external opposition loses its power.
Five-point outline
- The enemies' strategy: attack with ridicule before resorting to force (vv.1-3).
- The leader's strategy: pour out authentic, even uncomfortable, prayer (vv.4-5).
- The community's response: keep building while praying (v.6a).
- The theological hinge: God hears the despised and vindicates their labor (implied in the continued work).
- The result: visible progress that silences the mockers (v.6b).
Illustration hooks
- The unfinished renovation. A family fixes up a run-down house. Neighbours drive by and laugh: ‘They'll never finish; it's too far gone.’ The family keeps working, not because the criticism stops, but because they believe in the project. Nehemiah's builders know the wall can be rebuilt because God has called them to it.
- Being underestimated at work. A new colleague inherits a messy project. Veteran coworkers roll their eyes: ‘They can't do it; they don't have the resources.’ The new hire just starts making calls, sending emails, moving forward one step at a time. Persistent action is often the best answer to contempt.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I respond when people mock my faith or my service in the church?
- Is it wrong to pray for God to judge those who oppose His work?
- What does it look like to have a “heart to work” when I feel discouraged?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows the normal pattern of opposition that comes when God's people take serious steps to rebuild what is broken. Sanballat's mockery is not just personal insult; it is an attack on the credibility of God's promise. Nehemiah's prayer, raw, specific, and unsettling, flows from a heart that loves God's glory more than his own reputation. The discussion will help your group connect the ancient story with their own experience of doing hard things for God.
Discussion questions
- What do you notice about the way Sanballat and Tobiah express their opposition? What are they actually afraid of?
- Read Nehemiah 4:4-5. Does this prayer sound like something you would pray? Why or why not?
- Adam Clarke suggests these verbs might be read as declarations of what will happen, not curses. How does that change the tone of the prayer for you?
- Verse 6 says the people “had a mind to work.” What gives a community that kind of collective determination?
- Compare Nehemiah's prayer with Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:44. How do you hold these two responses together?
- Think of a time when you faced criticism for pursuing something good. How did you respond, and how might this passage shape your future response?
- What is one “wall” in your life, a project, a relationship, a ministry, that needs rebuilding? How can this group support you?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Ezra 4:1 | Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building a temple to Yahweh, the God of Israel, |
| Ezra 4:5 | They hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. |
| Nehemiah 2:10 | When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly, because a man had come to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. |
| Nehemiah 2:19 | But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite servant, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they ridiculed us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?” |
| Psalms 35:15 | But in my adversity, they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together. The attackers gathered themselves together against me, and I didn’t know it. They tore at me, and didn’t cease. |
| Psalms 35:16 | Like the profane mockers in feasts, they gnashed their teeth at me. |
| Psalms 44:13 | You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and a derision to those who are around us. |
| Psalms 44:14 | You make us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples. |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke interprets Nehemiah's imprecations not as curses but as declarations of future judgment, noting the Hebrew verb form allows that reading. He stresses such prayers were excusable for a Jew under persecution but are not lawful for Christians, who must follow Christ's command to love enemies.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights that Nehemiah's brief, parenthetical prayers scattered through his book are a striking mark of his personal history. Here he notes the first example. He also clarifies that building "unto the half thereof" means reaching only half the intended height.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary focuses on the difficult Hebrew wording behind Sanballat's mocking questions, examining several possible translations of the disputed phrase "will they fortify themselves?" It notes that the original word for "feeble" occurs only once in the Old Testament, and it discusses whether "fox" might actually mean "jackal" in Tobiah's contemptuous remark about the wall.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that Nehemiah answered his enemies' mockery not with arguments but with a direct prayer to God, leaving their reproach in His hands. Meanwhile the people kept working with a willing heart, and the wall was joined together up to half its height in spite of the scorn.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB explains that the Samaritans' ridicule focused on the Jews' poverty, the absurdly ambitious plan to complete the wall in one day, and the poor quality of the ruins used as materials. The harsh imprecations in Nehemiah's prayer come not from personal hatred but from a pious zeal for God's honor and His cause.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch sees Sanballat's mockery as a double attack: he scoffs at the Jews' own poor resources and at their faith that God would help them through sacrifice. The taunt about reviving burned stones draws on the fact that Jerusalem's limestone becomes brittle and useless when fired, making the rebuilding seem impossible.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees Nehemiah's imprecatory prayer not as personal vengeance but as a prophetic anticipation of God's justice, where the spiritual mind perceives faith and holiness at work. Prayer did not slacken the people's energy; it produced redoubled zeal, as they prayed and simultaneously set a watch against their enemies, combining dependence on God with practical vigilance.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Sanballat and Tobiah were enraged because Jerusalem's vulnerability had suited their plans for an easy takeover. A walled city would now be a real threat to them. The strength and protection of God's people are always what vex those who oppose them.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley explains that the enemies mocked the builders' ability to finish the work quickly using only broken, burnt stones from the ruins. He then notes that the prayer "cover not their sin" asks God to punish rather than overlook their wickedness, since they have provoked both the builders and the Lord.