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Wednesday, July 16th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

Brenton's Septuagint

Nehemiah 4:9

So we prayed to our God and set watchmen against them day and night, because of them.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   Prayer;   Temptation;   Watchfulness;   Watchman;   Thompson Chain Reference - Co-Operation;   Nehemiah;   Unity-Strife;   Watch, a Guard;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Prayer, Answers to;   Samaria, Modern;   Watchmen;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Samaritans;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Ammon;   Prayer;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Watchfulness;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Sanballat;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Guard;   Nehemiah;   Prayer;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Guard;   Nehemiah;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Jerusalem;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Prayer;   Watch;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for December 12;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard because of them day and night.
Hebrew Names Version
But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
King James Version
Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
English Standard Version
And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.
New Century Version
But we prayed to our God and appointed guards to watch for them day and night.
New English Translation
So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard to protect against them both day and night.
Amplified Bible
But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night.
New American Standard Bible
But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night.
World English Bible
But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The we prayed vnto our God, & set watchmen by them, day and night, because of them.
Legacy Standard Bible
But we prayed to our God, and because of them we stood a guard against them day and night.
Berean Standard Bible
So we prayed to our God and posted a guard against them day and night.
Contemporary English Version
But we kept on praying to our God, and we also stationed guards day and night.
Complete Jewish Bible
When our enemies heard that the plot was known to us, and God had foiled their plans, we all returned to the wall, everyone to his work.
Darby Translation
Then we prayed to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
Easy-to-Read Version
But we prayed to our God. And we put guards on the walls to watch day and night so that we could be ready to meet them.
George Lamsa Translation
Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, that he may set watchmen over us day and night because of them.
Good News Translation
but we prayed to our God and kept men on guard against them day and night.
Lexham English Bible
So we prayed to our God and set up a guard against them day and night.
Literal Translation
But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Neuertheles we made or praier vnto oure God, & set watchme vpo the wall daye & night ouer against them.
American Standard Version
But we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
Bible in Basic English
But we made our prayer to God, and had men on watch against them day and night because of them.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Neuerthelesse, we made our prayer vnto our God, and set watchmen by them day and night, because of them.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And 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.
King James Version (1611)
Neuertheles, we made our prayer vnto our God, and set a watch against them, day and night, because of them.
English Revised Version
But we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And we preieden oure Lord God, and we settiden keperis on the wal bi dai and niyt ayens hem.
Update Bible Version
But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
Webster's Bible Translation
Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
New King James Version
Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.
New Living Translation
But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.
New Life Bible
But we prayed to our God because of them. And we had men watching for them day and night.
New Revised Standard
So we prayed to our God, and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
howbeit we prayed unto our God, - and set a watch against them, day and night, because of them.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And we prayed to our God, and set watchmen upon the wall day and night against them.
Revised Standard Version
And we prayed to our God, and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.
Young's Literal Translation
And we pray unto our God, and appoint a watch against them, by day and by night, because of them.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night.

Contextual Overview

7 But it came to pass, when Sanaballat and Tobia, and the Arabians, and the Ammanites, heard that the building of the walls of Jerusalem was advancing, and that the breaches began to be stopped, that it appeared very grievous to them. 8 And all of them assembled together, to come to fight against Jerusalem, and to destroy it utterly. 9 So we prayed to our God and set watchmen against them day and night, because of them. 10 And Juda said, The strength of the enemies is broken, yet there is much rubbish, and we shall not be able to build the wall. 11 And they that afflicted us said, They shall not know, and they shall not see, until we come into the midst of them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease. 12 And it came to pass, when the Jews who lived near them came, that they said to us, They are coming up against us from every quarter. 13 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. 14 And I looked, and arose, and said to the nobles, and to the captains, and to the rest of the people, Be not afraid of them: remember our great and terrible God, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses. 15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was made known to us, and God had frustrated their counsel, that we all returned to the wall, every man to his work.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Nevertheless: Nehemiah 4:11, Genesis 32:9-12, Genesis 32:28, 2 Kings 19:14-19, Psalms 50:15, Psalms 55:16-22, Luke 6:11, Luke 6:12, Acts 4:24-30

set a watch: Matthew 26:41, Luke 21:36, 1 Peter 5:8

Reciprocal: Ecclesiastes 9:10 - thy hand

Cross-References

Genesis 4:4
And Abel also brought of the first born of his sheep and of his fatlings, and God looked upon Abel and his gifts,
Genesis 4:9
And the Lord God said to Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? and he said, I know not, am I my brother’s keeper?
Genesis 4:11
And now thou art cursed from the earth which has opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand.
Genesis 4:13
And Cain said to the Lord God, My crime is too great for me to be forgiven.
Genesis 4:14
If thou castest me out this day from the face of the earth, and I shall be hidden from thy presence, and I shall be groaning and trembling upon the earth, then it will be that any one that finds me shall slay me.
Genesis 37:32
And they sent the coat of many colours; and they brought it to their father, and said, This have we found; know if it be thy son’s coat or no. And he recognised it, and said, It is my son’s coat, an evil wild beast has devoured him; a wild beast has carried off Joseph.
Psalms 9:12
For he remembered them, in making inquisition for blood: he has not forgotten the supplication of the poor.
Proverbs 28:13
A sluggard when sent on a journey says, There is a lion in the ways, and there are murderers in the streets.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Nevertheless, we made our prayer unto our God,.... Spread their case before him in prayer, entreating direction and help from him:

and set a watch against them day and night, because of them; to give notice of their approach, that they might prepare to defend themselves; though they prayed to God, and trusted in him for deliverance, they did not neglect the use of means.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Because of them - Or, “over against them,” i. e. opposite to the place where they were encamped, probably on the north side of the city.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Nehemiah 4:9. We made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch — The strongest confidence in the protection and favour of God does not preclude the use of all or any of the means of self-preservation and defence which his providence has put in our power. While God works in us to will and to do, we should proceed to willing, through the power he has given us to will; and we should proceed to action, through the power he has given us to act. We cannot will, but through God's power; we cannot act, but through God's strength. The power, and the use of it, are two distinct things. We may have the power to will, and not will; and we may have the power to do, and not act: therefore, says the apostle, seeing God has wrought in you these powers, see that YOU WORK OUT YOUR OWN salvation, with fear and trembling.


 
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