Nehemiah 4:8
What does Nehemiah 4:8 mean?
A plain-English look at Nehemiah 4:8 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Nehemiah 4:8 means
Opponents move from insult to strategy, conspiring to fight against Jerusalem and sow confusion. Their plan targets both safety and morale; chaos can halt a project even without outright victory. The verse exposes the enemies’ intent: to undo order, scatter workers, and stop the rebuilding by fear and surprise. This is spiritual and civic sabotage. Yet the narrative hints their unity is fragile, built on anger rather than righteousness. The conspiracy acknowledges the work’s significance; they would not gather to crush what does not matter. The threat is real, but it will be met by prayerful planning, showing that faith does not deny danger; it meets it wisely.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000and they conspired all of them together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion therein.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901and they conspired all of them together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion therein.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And they made designs, all of them together, to come and make an attack on Jerusalem, causing trouble there.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and they conspire, all of them together, to come in to fight against Jerusalem, and to do to it injury.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And they all assembled themselves together, to come, and to fight against Jerusalem, and to prepare ambushes.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890and conspired all of them together to come to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
Context
After the widening anger of verse 7, verse 8 states the concrete plan: coordinated attack and confusion. The pressure peaks here, prompting a decisive response. The very next verse (verse 9) provides the pattern Nehemiah follows throughout: pray and set a watch. The reader should feel the tension—Jerusalem is still vulnerable, the wall only half-high, workers spread out. The story now turns from verbal hostility to warlike readiness, advancing the theme of building and guarding together.
v.7But it came to pass that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth;
v.8This passage
v.9But we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Jeremiah 20:10
For I have heard the defaming of many, terror on every side. Denounce, and we will denounce him, say all my familiar friends, they that watch for my fall; peradventure he will be persuaded, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.
- Acts 23:12
And when it was day, the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
- Psalms 2:1
Why do the nations rage, And the peoples meditate a vain thing?
- Isaiah 8:9
Make an uproar, O ye peoples, and be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces.
- Psalms 83:3
They take crafty counsel against thy people, And consult together against thy hidden ones.
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