Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Bible in Basic English

Nehemiah 4:13

So in the lowest part of the space at the back of the walls, in the open places, I put the people by families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Archery;   Prudence;   Thompson Chain Reference - Co-Operation;   Nehemiah;   Unity-Strife;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Prudence;   Samaria, Modern;   Spear;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Samaritans;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Nehemiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Armour, Arms;   Nehemiah;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Jerusalem;  

Encyclopedias:

- The Jewish Encyclopedia - Gerusia;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So I stationed people behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows.
Hebrew Names Version
Therefore 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.
King James Version
Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
English Standard Version
So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by their clans, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
New Century Version
So I put people behind the lowest places along the wall—the open places—and I put families together with their swords, spears, and bows.
New English Translation
So I stationed people at the lower places behind the wall in the exposed places. I stationed the people by families, with their swords, spears, and bows.
Amplified Bible
So I stationed armed men behind the wall in the lowest places, at the open positions [where it was least protected]; and I stationed the people in families with their swords, spears, and bows.
New American Standard Bible
then I stationed men in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I stationed the people in families with their swords, spears, and bows.
World English Bible
Therefore 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.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall vpon the toppes of the stones, & placed the people by their families, with their swordes, their speares and their bowes.
Legacy Standard Bible
that I had men stand in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I had the people stand by families with their swords, spears, and bows.
Berean Standard Bible
So I stationed men behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows.
Contemporary English Version
and so I sent people to guard the wall at its lowest places and where there were still holes in it. I placed them according to families, and they stood guard with swords and spears and with bows and arrows.
Complete Jewish Bible
I said to the nobles, the leaders and the rest of the people, "This is a great work, and it is spread out; we are separated on the wall, one far from another.
Darby Translation
I set in the lower places behind the wall in exposed places, I even set the people, according to their families, with their swords, their spears and their bows.
Easy-to-Read Version
So I put some of the people behind the lowest places along the wall, and I put them by the holes in the wall. I put families together, with their swords, spears, and bows.
George Lamsa Translation
And they have already come and are standing behind the wall to fight against you with their arrows; so I divided the force after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
Good News Translation
So I armed the people with swords, spears, and bows, and stationed them by clans behind the wall, wherever it was still unfinished.
Lexham English Bible
I stationed the people behind the deepest part of the wall in the open places according to their families, with their swords, spears, and bows.
Literal Translation
So I stationed from the lowest parts of the place, from the back of the wall, in the higher places; even, I stationed the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
then set I the people after their kynreds with their swerdes, speares & bowes beneth in the lowe places behynde the wall,
American Standard Version
Therefore 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.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Therefore set I the people after their kinredes, with their swordes, speares, and bowes, beneath in the lowe places behinde the wall vpon the toppes of the stones.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people: 'The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another;
King James Version (1611)
Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I euen set the people, after their families, with their swords, their speares, and their bowes.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
So I set men in the lowest part of the place behind the wall in the lurking-places, I even set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
English Revised Version
Therefore set I in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, In the open places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Y ordeynede the puple in ordre, with her swerdis, and speris, and bouwis, in a place bihynde the wal bi cumpas.
Update Bible Version
Therefore I set 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.
Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore I set in the lower places behind the wall, [and] on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
New King James Version
Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
New Living Translation
So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears, and bows.
New Life Bible
So I put men in the lowest parts of the places behind the wall, in the open places. I put the people in place by their families with their swords, spears and bows.
New Revised Standard
So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So I set - on the lower slopes of the place behind the wall in the waste grounds, - yea I set the people, by their families, with their swords, their spears and their bows.
Douay-Rheims Bible
I set the people in the place behind the wall round about in order, with their swords, and spears, and bows.
Revised Standard Version
So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
Young's Literal Translation
And I appoint at the lowest of the places, at the back of the wall, in the clear places, yea, I appoint the people, by their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
THE MESSAGE
So I stationed armed guards at the most vulnerable places of the wall and assigned people by families with their swords, lances, and bows. After looking things over I stood up and spoke to the nobles, officials, and everyone else: "Don't be afraid of them. Put your minds on the Master, great and awesome, and then fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
then I stationed men in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I stationed the people in families with their swords, spears and bows.

Contextual Overview

7 But when it came to the ears of Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabians and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites, that the building of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and the broken places were being made good, they were full of wrath; 8 And they made designs, all of them together, to come and make an attack on Jerusalem, causing trouble there. 9 But we made our prayer to God, and had men on watch against them day and night because of them. 10 And Judah said, The strength of the workmen is giving way, and there is much waste material; it is impossible for us to put up the wall. 11 And those who were against us said, Without their knowledge and without their seeing us, we will come among them and put them to death, causing the work to come to a stop. 12 And it came about that when the Jews who were living near them came, they said to us ten times, From all directions they are coming against us. 13 So in the lowest part of the space at the back of the walls, in the open places, I put the people by families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. 14 And 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. 15 And when it came to the ears of those who were against us, that we had knowledge of their designs and that God had made their purpose come to nothing, we all went back to the wall, everyone to his work

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Therefore: Genesis 32:13-20, 2 Chronicles 32:2-8, Psalms 112:5, Matthew 10:16, 1 Corinthians 14:20

in the lower places: Heb. from the lower parts of the place, etc. their swords. Nehemiah 4:17, Nehemiah 4:18, Song of Solomon 3:7, Song of Solomon 3:8, Ephesians 6:11-20

Cross-References

Job 15:22
He has no hope of coming safe out of the dark, and his fate will be the sword;
Revelation 16:9
And men were burned with great heat: and they said evil things against the name of the God who has authority over these punishments; and they were not turned from their evil ways to give him glory.
Revelation 16:11
And they said evil things against the God of heaven because of their pain and their wounds; and they were not turned from their evil works.
Revelation 16:21
And great drops of ice, every one about the weight of a talent, came down out of heaven on men: and men said evil things against God because of the punishment of the ice-drops; for it is very great.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall,.... Where the wall was lowest, and the enemy could more easily break it down, or get over it:

and on the higher places; where the wall was higher; or rather on the towers upon the walls, as the word signifies the tops of rocks, which are dry and smooth, see Ezekiel 24:2.

I even set the people after their families; according to their rank, number, strength, and valour:

with their swords, their spears, and their bows; with weapons they could use both near, and at a distance.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The lower places - The places where those within the walls had the least advantage of elevation, the naturally weak places, where an enemy was likely to make his attack.


 
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