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Tuesday, July 29th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

Christian Standard Bible ®

Nehemiah 4:1

When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious. He mocked the Jews

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Scoffing;   Thompson Chain Reference - Co-Operation;   Mocking;   Ridicule;   Sanballat;   Unity-Strife;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Jews, the;   Samaria, Modern;   Scorning and Mocking;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Samaritans;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Moabite;   Sanballat;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Moab;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Nehemiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Sanballat;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Sanballat ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Sanballat;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Dispersion, the;   Mock;   Sanballat;   Take;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Arabia;   Ashdod;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
But it happened that when Sanvallat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and took great indignation, and mocked the Yehudim.
King James Version
But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
English Standard Version
Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews.
New Century Version
When Sanballat heard we were rebuilding the wall, he was very angry, even furious. He made fun of the Jewish people.
New English Translation
Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall he became angry and was quite upset. He derided the Jews,
Amplified Bible
But when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious, completely enraged, and he ridiculed the Jews.
New American Standard Bible
Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry, and he mocked the Jews.
World English Bible
But it happened that when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Bvt when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, then was he wroth and sore grieued, and mocked the Iewes,
Legacy Standard Bible
Now it happened that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and very vexed and mocked the Jews.
Berean Standard Bible
Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and was filled with indignation. He ridiculed the Jews
Contemporary English Version
When Sanballat, the governor of Samaria, heard that we were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, he became angry and started insulting our people.
Complete Jewish Bible
But when Sanvalat, Toviyah, the Arabs, the ‘Amonim and the Ashdodim heard that the repairs on the walls of Yerushalayim were going forward, and the breaks were being filled in, they became very angry.
Darby Translation
And it came to pass that when Sanballat heard that we built the wall, he was angry and very indignant, and mocked the Jews.
Easy-to-Read Version
When Sanballat heard that we were building the wall of Jerusalem, he was very angry and upset. He started making fun of the Jews.
George Lamsa Translation
BUT when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was grieved and very angry, and he mocked the Jews.
Good News Translation
When Sanballat heard that we Jews had begun rebuilding the wall, he became furious and began to ridicule us.
Lexham English Bible
Now it happened when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he became angry and greatly provoked, and he mocked the Jews.
Literal Translation
And it happened, when Sanballat heard that we built the wall, he was angry, and it was greatly enraging to him, and he mocked the Jews.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Bvt whan Saneballat herde that we builded ye wall, he was wroth, & toke greate indignacio & mocked ye Iewes
American Standard Version
But it came to pass that, when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
Bible in Basic English
Now, Sanballat, hearing that we were building the wall, was very angry, and in his wrath made sport of the Jews.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But when Sanaballat hearde that we buylded the wall, he was wroth in him selfe, and toke great indignation, and mocked the Iewes:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
But 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;
King James Version (1611)
But it came to passe, that when Sanballat heard, that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and tooke great indignation, and mocked the Iewes.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Now it came to pass, when Sanaballat heard that we were building the wall, that it was grievous to him, and he was very angry, and railed against the Jews.
English Revised Version
But it came to pass that, when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe it was doon, whanne Sanaballath hadde herd, that we bildiden the wal, he was ful wrooth, and he was stirid greetli, and scornede the Jewis.
Update Bible Version
But it came to pass that, when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
Webster's Bible Translation
But it came to pass that when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
New King James Version
But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews.
New Living Translation
Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews,
New Life Bible
When Sanballat heard that we were building the wall again, he became very angry. He was filled with anger and he made fun of the Jews.
New Revised Standard
Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he mocked the Jews.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But it came to pass, when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, it angered him, and he was greatly displeased, - and mocked the Jews;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And it came to pass, that when Sanaballat heard that we were building the wall he was angry: and being moved exceedingly he scoffed at the Jews.
Revised Standard Version
Now when Sanbal'lat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he ridiculed the Jews.
Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, when Sanballat hath heard that we are building the wall, that it is displeasing to him, and he is very angry and mocketh at the Jews,
THE MESSAGE
When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall he exploded in anger, vilifying the Jews. In the company of his Samaritan cronies and military he let loose: "What are these miserable Jews doing? Do they think they can get everything back to normal overnight? Make building stones out of make-believe?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews.

Contextual Overview

1When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious. He mocked the Jews 2before his colleagues and the powerful men of Samaria, and said, “What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?” 3Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “Indeed, even if a fox climbed up what they are building, he would break down their stone wall!” 4Listen, our God, for we are despised. Make their insults return on their own heads and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. 5Do not cover their guilt or let their sin be erased from your sight, because they have angered the builders. 6So we rebuilt the wall until the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had the will to keep working.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Sanballat: Nehemiah 2:10, Nehemiah 2:19, Ezra 4:1-5, Acts 5:17

mocked: Psalms 35:15, Psalms 35:16, Psalms 44:13, Psalms 44:14, Matthew 27:29, Hebrews 11:36

Reciprocal: Genesis 21:9 - mocking 1 Kings 9:7 - and Israel 2 Chronicles 7:20 - a proverb Nehemiah 4:7 - Sanballat Nehemiah 6:1 - when Sanballat Nehemiah 6:15 - fifty Nehemiah 6:16 - when all our enemies Psalms 79:4 - scorn Proverbs 22:10 - General Isaiah 58:12 - build Jeremiah 30:17 - they John 4:9 - for

Cross-References

Genesis 3:15
I will put hostility between you and the woman,and between your offspring and her offspring.He will strike your head,and you will strike his heel.
Genesis 4:25
Adam was intimate with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, for she said, “God has given me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”
Genesis 5:29
And he named him Noah, saying, “This one will bring us relief from the agonizing labor of our hands, caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.”
Numbers 31:17
So now, kill every male among the dependents and kill every woman who has gone to bed with a man,
1 John 3:12
unlike Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall,.... Or were building it; for as yet it was not finished, see Nehemiah 4:6,

he was wroth, and took great indignation; inwardly, though outwardly he pretended to treat the work with contempt, as if it never would be accomplished, which yet he feared:

and mocked the Jews; as a set of foolish builders, and unable to finish what they had begun.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER IV

Sanballat and Tobiah mock the Jews, and endeavour to prevent

the completing of the wall, 1-3.

Nehemiah prays against them, and the people complete one half of

the wall, 4-6.

The Arabians, Ammonites, and Ashdodites, conspire together, and

come to fight against the Jews, 7, 8.

The Jews commend themselves to God, and determine to fight for

their lives and liberties; on hearing of which their enemies are

disheartened, 9-16.

The Jews divide themselves into two bands; one half working, and

the other standing ready armed to meet their enemies. Even the

workmen are obliged to arm themselves, while employed in

building, for fear of their enemies, 17, 18.

Nehemiah uses all precautions to prevent a surprise; and all

labour with great fervour in the work, 19-22.

NOTES ON CHAP. IV


 
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