Nehemiah 4:14
What does Nehemiah 4:14 mean?
A plain-English look at Nehemiah 4:14 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Nehemiah 4:14 means
Nehemiah surveys the situation, rises, and speaks courage into the leaders and people: do not fear; remember the Lord, great and awesome; fight for your families and homes. He anchors courage in theology—God’s character—then ties it to responsibility toward loved ones. Fear is natural, but memory of God’s greatness reframes it. The call to fight is not aggression but protection of what God has entrusted. This verse encapsulates Nehemiah’s leadership: God-centered, realistic, and motivational. It weaves worship and warfare, recalling that the Lord’s honor and the people’s households are bound together in this rebuilding.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And after looking, I got up and said to the great ones and to the chiefs and to the rest of the people, Have no fear of them: keep in mind the Lord who is great and greatly to be feared, and take up arms for your brothers, your sons, and your daughters, your wives and your houses.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And I see, and rise up, and say unto the freemen, and unto the prefects, and unto the rest of the people, `Be not afraid of them; the Lord, the great and the fearful, remember ye, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And I looked and rose up: and I said to the chief men and the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: be not afraid of them. Remember the Lord who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, and your wives, and your houses.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not afraid of them: remember the Lord who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your houses.
Context
After arranging defenses in verse 13, Nehemiah provides the spiritual and moral rallying point in verse 14. This exhortation is the heart of the chapter’s response to fear. The immediate effect will be seen in verse 15, as the enemies’ counsel is frustrated and the people return to work. The flow demonstrates that courage flows from remembering God and embracing one’s calling. The chapter will now blend labor and guard-duty, showing what it looks like to keep building in a dangerous world.
v.13Therefore set I in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places, I set there the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
v.14This passage
v.15And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Joshua 1:9
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not affrighted, neither be thou dismayed: for Jehovah thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
- Deuteronomy 1:21
Behold, Jehovah thy God hath set the land before thee: go up, take possession, as Jehovah, the God of thy fathers, hath spoken unto thee; fear not, neither be dismayed.
- Isaiah 64:1
Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might quake at thy presence,
- Psalms 66:5
Come, and see the works of God; He is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.
- Deuteronomy 10:17
For Jehovah your God, he is God of gods, and Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty, and the terrible, who regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward.
- Deuteronomy 20:3
and shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye draw nigh this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint; fear not, nor tremble, neither be ye affrighted at them;
Related questions readers ask
Keep reading
Want to dig deeper? Explore Nehemiah 4
Hand-picked devotionals, topical studies, and pastoral answers that draw on Nehemiah 4.
Topics that quote it
Topic
Bible Verses About Confession of Sin
Confession of sin is an essential step in drawing near to God and receiving His forgiveness and cleansing.
Topic
Bible Verses About Fasting
Fasting in the Bible is a spiritual discipline involving abstinence from food for a period, often coupled with prayer and repentance.
What the Bible says about…