Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025
the Fourth Week of Advent
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Good News Translation

Nehemiah 4:9

but we prayed to our God and kept men on guard against them day and night.

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.
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.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
So we prayed to our God and set watchmen 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 Sanballat, Tobiah, and the people of Arabia, Ammon, and Ashdod heard that we were making progress in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem and that the gaps in the wall were being closed, and they became very angry. 8 So they all plotted together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion, 9 but we prayed to our God and kept men on guard against them day and night. 10 The people of Judah had a song they sang: "We grow weak carrying burdens; There's so much rubble to take away. How can we build the wall today?" 11 Our enemies thought we would not see them or know what was happening until they were already upon us, killing us and putting an end to our work. 12 But time after time Jews who were living among our enemies came to warn us of the plans our enemies were making against us. 13 So I armed the people with swords, spears, and bows, and stationed them by clans behind the wall, wherever it was still unfinished. 14 I saw that the people were worried, so I said to them and to their leaders and officials, "Don't be afraid of our enemies. Remember how great and terrifying the Lord is, and fight for your relatives, your children, your wives, and your homes." 15 Our enemies heard that we had found out what they were plotting, and they realized that God had defeated their plans. Then all of us went back to rebuilding the wall.

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
Then Abel brought the first lamb born to one of his sheep, killed it, and gave the best parts of it as an offering. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering,
Genesis 4:9
The Lord asked Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" He answered, "I don't know. Am I supposed to take care of my brother?"
Genesis 4:11
You are placed under a curse and can no longer farm the soil. It has soaked up your brother's blood as if it had opened its mouth to receive it when you killed him.
Genesis 4:13
And Cain said to the Lord , "This punishment is too hard for me to bear.
Genesis 4:14
You are driving me off the land and away from your presence. I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me."
Genesis 37:32
They took the robe to their father and said, "We found this. Does it belong to your son?"
Psalms 9:12
God remembers those who suffer; he does not forget their cry, and he punishes those who wrong them.
Proverbs 28:13
You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up; then God will show mercy to you.
John 8:44
You are the children of your father, the Devil, and you want to follow your father's desires. From the very beginning he was a murderer and has never been on the side of truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is only doing what is natural to him, because he is a liar and the father of all lies.

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.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile