Nehemiah 2:19

Complete Jewish Bible

When Sanvalat the Horoni, Toviyah the servant, the ‘Amoni, and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they began mocking us and jeering, "What is this you are doing? Are you going to rebel against the king?"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked and despised us, and said, “What is this you’re doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”

Hebrew Names Version
But when Sanvallat the Horonite, and Toviyah the servant, the `Ammonite, and Geshem the `Arvian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that you do? will you rebel against the king?

King James Version
But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?

English Standard Version
But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, "What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?"

New Century Version
But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite officer, and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they made fun of us and laughed at us. They said, "What are you doing? Are you turning against the king?"

New English Translation
But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard all this, they derided us and expressed contempt toward us. They said, "What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?"

Amplified Bible
But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked us and regarded us with contempt and said, "What is this thing you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?"

New American Standard Bible
But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked us and despised us, and said, "What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?"

World English Bible
But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that you do? will you rebel against the king?

Geneva Bible (1587)
But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the seruant an Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian heard it, they mocked vs and despised vs, and said, What a thing is this that ye doe? Will ye rebell against the King?

Legacy Standard Bible
But Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard it. And they mocked us and despised us and said, "What is this thing you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?"

Berean Standard Bible
When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked us and ridiculed us, saying, "What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?"

Contemporary English Version
When Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab heard about our plans, they started insulting us and saying, "Just look at you! Do you plan to rebuild the walls of the city and rebel against the king?"

Darby Translation
And Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobijah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it; and they mocked us and despised us, and said, What is this thing which ye do? will ye rebel against the king?

Easy-to-Read Version
But Sanballat from Horon, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard that we were building again. They made fun of us in a very ugly way. They said, "What are you doing? Are you turning against the king?"

George Lamsa Translation
But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and mocked us, saying, What is this thing that you do? Perhaps you are rebelling against the king?

Good News Translation
When Sanballat, Tobiah, and an Arab named Geshem heard what we were planning to do, they laughed at us and said, "What do you think you're doing? Are you going to rebel against the emperor?"

Lexham English Bible
But Sanballat the Horonite, the Ammonite servant Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab heard it, and they mocked and despised us, saying, "What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?"

Literal Translation
But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard, then they mocked us and despised us. And they said, What is this that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But whan Saneballat ye Horonite, and Tobias the seruaunt of ye Ammonites, & Gosem the Arabian herde it, they laughed vs to scorne, and despised vs, & sayde: What is this that ye do? Wyll ye fall awaye agayne from the kynge?

American Standard Version
But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?

Bible in Basic English
But Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, hearing of it, made sport of us, laughing at us and saying, What are you doing? will you go against the king?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But when Sanaballat the Horonite, and Tobia the seruaunt an Ammonite, and Gesem the Arabian hearde it, they laughed vs to scorne, & despised vs, and sayde: What is this that ye do? Will ye fall away from the king?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said: 'What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?'

King James Version (1611)
But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the seruant the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian heard it, they laughed vs to scorne, and despised vs, and said, What is this thing that yee doe? will ye rebell against the king?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Sanaballat the Aronite, and Tobia the servant, the Ammonite, and Gesam the Arabian, heard it, and they laughed us to scorn, and came to us, and said, What is this thing that ye are doing? are ye revolting against the king?

English Revised Version
But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe Sanballath Oronytes, and Tobie, the seruaunt Amanytes, and Gosem Arabs, herden, and scorneden vs, and dispisiden; and seiden, What is this thing, which ye doon? whether ye rebellen ayens the kyng?

Update Bible Version
But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the slave, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that you do? will you rebel against the king?

Webster's Bible Translation
But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard [it], they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What [is] this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?

New King James Version
But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, "What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?"

New Living Translation
But when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab heard of our plan, they scoffed contemptuously. "What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king?" they asked.

New Life Bible
But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite servant, and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they made fun of us and hated us. They said, "What is this thing you are doing? Are you turning against the king?"

New Revised Standard
But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they mocked and ridiculed us, saying, "What is this that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed at us, and poured contempt upon us, - and said, What is this thing which ye would do? against the king, would ye rebel?

Douay-Rheims Bible
But Sanaballat the Horonite, and Tobias the servant, the Ammonite, and Gossem the Arabian heard of it, and they scoffed at us, and despised us, and said: What is this thing that you do? are you going to rebel against the king?

Revised Standard Version
But when Sanbal'lat the Hor'onite and Tobi'ah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they derided us and despised us and said, "What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?"

Young's Literal Translation
And Sanballat the Horonite heareth, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, and they mock at us, and despise us, and say, `What [is] this thing that ye are doing? against the king are ye rebelling?'

THE MESSAGE
When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they laughed at us, mocking, "Ha! What do you think you're doing? Do you think you can cross the king?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard it, they mocked us and despised us and said, "What is this thing you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?"

Contextual Overview

⁹ I went to the governors of the territory beyond the River and gave them the king's letters. The king had sent with me an escort of army captains and cavalry. ¹⁰ When Sanvalat the Horoni and Toviyah the servant, the ‘Amoni, heard about this, they were very displeased that someone had come to promote the welfare of the people of Isra'el. ¹¹ So I reached Yerushalayim. After I had been there for three days, ¹² I got up during the night, I and a few men with me. I hadn't told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Yerushalayim; and I didn't take any animal with me except the animal on which I was riding. ¹³ I went out by night through the Valley Gate, to the Dragon's Well and the Dung Gate, and inspected the places where the walls of Yerushalayim were broken down and where its gates had been burned down. ¹⁴ Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was no room for the animal under me to pass. ¹⁵ So I went up the valley in the dark and went on inspecting the wall; then I turned back, entered through the Valley Gate and returned, ¹⁶ without the officials' knowing where I had gone or what I had done. Till then, I hadn't said anything about this to the Judeans, cohanim, nobles, officials or anyone who would be responsible for the work. ¹⁷ Afterwards, I said to them, "You see what a sad state we are in, how Yerushalayim lies in ruins, with it gates burned up. Come, let's rebuild the wall of Yerushalayim, so that we won't continue in disgrace." ¹⁸ I also told them of the gracious hand of my God that had been on me, also what the king had said to me. They said, "Let's start building at once," and energetically set out to do this good work.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Sanballat: Nehemiah 2:10, Nehemiah 6:1, Nehemiah 6:2

Geshem: Nehemiah 6:9, Gashmu

they: Job 30:1, Psalms 44:13, Psalms 44:14, Psalms 79:4, Psalms 80:6, Jeremiah 20:8, Mark 5:40, Hebrews 11:36

will ye rebel: Nehemiah 6:6, Ezra 4:15, Ezra 4:16, Luke 23:2, John 19:12, Acts 24:5

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 17:10 - I defy 2 Chronicles 30:10 - they laughed Nehemiah 4:1 - Sanballat Nehemiah 4:3 - Tobiah Nehemiah 4:7 - Sanballat Nehemiah 13:1 - Moabite Nehemiah 13:28 - Sanballat Isaiah 36:5 - that Jeremiah 41:10 - to the Jeremiah 49:1 - their king Lamentations 5:8 - Servants Amos 1:13 - and for

Cross-References

Genesis 1:28
God blessed them: God said to them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air and every living creature that crawls on the earth."

Genesis 2:4
(A: iv, S: ii) Here is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created. On the day when Adonai , God, made earth and heaven,

Genesis 2:8
Adonai , God, planted a garden toward the east, in ‘Eden, and there he put the person whom he had formed.

Genesis 2:20
(S: iii) So the person gave names to all the livestock, to the birds in the air and to every wild animal. But for Adam there was not found a companion suitable for helping him.

Genesis 2:22
The rib which Adonai , God, had taken from the person, he made a woman-person; and he brought her to the man-person.

Genesis 2:23
The man-person said, "At last! This is bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh. She is to be called Woman , because she was taken out of Man ."

Genesis 6:20
Of each kind of bird, each kind of livestock, and each kind of animal creeping on the ground, two are to come to you, so that they can be kept alive.

Genesis 9:2
The fear and dread of you will be upon every wild animal, every bird in the air, every creature populating the ground, and all the fish in the sea; they have been handed over to you.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian,.... This third man might be both an Arabian by birth, and governor of some part of Arabia near Judea:

heard it; of their beginning to build:

they laughed us to scorn, and despised us; as very silly people, that undertook what they could never perform:

and said; adding threatenings to their scoffs:

what is this thing that ye do? do ye know what ye are about? have ye any authority to do it? it is unlawful, you will certainly suffer for it:

will ye rebel against the king? the king of Persia; it will be deemed rebellion and treason, and you will be taken up and treated as rebels and traitors; take care what you do, be it at your peril if you proceed.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Geshem the Arabian - The discovery that Sargon populated Samaria in part with an Arab colony explains why Arabs should have opposed the fortification of Jerusalem.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 19. Geshem the Arabian — Some chief of the Arabs contiguous to Samaria, who had joined with Sanballat and Tobiah to distress the Jews, and hinder their work.

Will ye rebel against the king? — This they said in order to raise jealousies in the king's mind, and induce him to recall his ordinance.