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Saturday, June 7th, 2025
Eve of Pentacost
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Read the Bible

New Century Version

Nehemiah 4:13

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.

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 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.
Bible in Basic English
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.
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 Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the people from Ashdod were very angry when they heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls were continuing and that the holes in the wall were being closed. 8 So they all made plans to come to Jerusalem and fight and stir up trouble. 9 But we prayed to our God and appointed guards to watch for them day and night. 10 The people of Judah said, "The workers are getting tired. There is so much trash we cannot rebuild the wall." 11 And our enemies said, "The Jews won't know or see anything until we come among them and kill them and stop the work." 12 Then the Jewish people who lived near our enemies came and told us ten times, "Everywhere you turn, the enemy will attack us." 13 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. 14 Then I looked around and stood up and said to the important men, the leaders, and the rest of the people: "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and powerful. Fight for your brothers, your sons and daughters, your wives, and your homes." 15 Then our enemies heard that we knew about their plans and that God had ruined their plans. So we all went back to the wall, each to his own 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
Evil people give up trying to escape from the darkness; it has been decided that they will die by the sword.
Revelation 16:9
They were burned by the great heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these disasters. But the people refused to change their hearts and lives and give glory to God.
Revelation 16:11
They also cursed the God of heaven because of their pain and the sores they had, but they refused to change their hearts and turn away from the evil things they did.
Revelation 16:21
Giant hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds, fell from the sky upon people. People cursed God for the disaster of the hail, because this disaster was so terrible.

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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