Nehemiah 4:22
What does Nehemiah 4:22 mean?
A plain-English look at Nehemiah 4:22 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Nehemiah 4:22 means
Nehemiah instructs that everyone, with his servant, stay inside Jerusalem overnight. This concentrates manpower for night defense and ensures early morning readiness for labor. The city becomes both worksite and barracks. The command also reduces exposure for those who might otherwise travel back and forth through dangerous territory. By ordering lodging within the walls, Nehemiah tightens security, shortens response time, and builds solidarity. The verse shows practical care for the people’s safety and the project’s continuity, recognizing that rest and vigilance must be arranged wisely in times of threat.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in the day.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in the day.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And at the same time I said to the people, Let everyone with his servant come inside Jerusalem for the night, so that at night they may keep watch for us, and go on working by day.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862Also, at that time I said to the people, `Let each with his servant lodge in the midst of Jerusalem, and they have been to us by night a guard, and by day <FI>for<Fi> the work:'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752At that time also I said to the people: Let every one with his servant stay in the midst of Jerusalem, and let us take our turns in the night, and by day, to work.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Likewise at the same time I said to the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and [be for] labour in the day.
Context
After describing the long guarding hours in verse 21, this verse addresses nighttime arrangements. Nehemiah’s directive aims to create a constant protective presence within the city and to streamline the daily cycle of defense and construction. The next verse (23) will emphasize how far this vigilance extended, noting the leaders’ personal example of constant readiness. The sequence reveals a community reorganized around mission and security, willing to accept inconvenience for the sake of the work.
v.21So we wrought in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
v.22This passage
v.23So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard that followed me, none of us put off our clothes, every one went with his weapon to the water.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Nehemiah 11:1
And the princes of the people dwelt in Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts in theothercities.
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