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Read the Bible

New Century Version

Nehemiah 4:17

who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and carried a weapon with the other.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Prudence;   Thompson Chain Reference - Co-Operation;   Nehemiah;   Unity-Strife;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Jews, the;   Prudence;   Samaria, Modern;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Samaritans;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Nehemiah;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Armor;   Arms;   Jerusalem;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Arms, Armor;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Burden;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Day;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried the loads worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.
Hebrew Names Version
They all built the wall and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands worked in the work, and with the other held his weapon;
King James Version
They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.
English Standard Version
who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other.
New English Translation
who were rebuilding the wall. Those who were carrying loads did so by keeping one hand on the work and the other on their weapon.
Amplified Bible
Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens loaded themselves so that everyone worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.
New American Standard Bible
Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens carried with one hand doing the work, and the other keeping hold of a weapon.
World English Bible
They all built the wall and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands worked in the work, and with the other held his weapon;
Geneva Bible (1587)
They that buylded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, and they that laded, did the worke with one hand, and with the other helde the sworde.
Legacy Standard Bible
Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon.
Berean Standard Bible
who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried materials worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.
Contemporary English Version
who were rebuilding the wall. Everyone who hauled building materials kept one hand free to carry a weapon.
Complete Jewish Bible
I, my kinsmen, my servants and my bodyguards never took off our clothes, and everyone who went to get water took his weapon.
Darby Translation
They that built on the wall, and they that bore burdens, with those that loaded, wrought in the work with one hand, and with the other they held a weapon.
Easy-to-Read Version
The builders and their helpers had their tools in one hand and a weapon in the other hand.
George Lamsa Translation
And those who bore burdens with those who were laden, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.
Good News Translation
who were rebuilding the wall. Even those who carried building materials worked with one hand and kept a weapon in the other,
Lexham English Bible
The ones who were building the wall and the ones who carried the materials were carrying in one hand while doing the task, and with the other hand were grasping a weapon.
Literal Translation
the ones who built on the wall, and the ones who carried a burden; bearing with one of his hands, a worker in the work, and one, a holder of the weapon.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
which buylded on the wall, & bare burthes, from those that laded the. With one hande dyd they ye worke, and with the other helde they the weapen.
American Standard Version
They that builded the wall and they that bare burdens laded themselves; every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other held his weapon;
Bible in Basic English
Those who were building the wall and those who were moving material did their part, everyone working with one hand, with his spear in the other;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
They which buylded on the wall and they that bare burthens, and those that laded them, with one hande did euery one his worke, and with the other helde his weapon.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard that followed me, none of us put off our clothes, every one that went to the water had his weapon.
King James Version (1611)
They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, euery one with one of his hands wrought in the worke, and with the other hand held a weapon.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
even of them that were building the wall:—and those who carried the burdens were under arms: each with one hand wrought his work, and with the other held his dart.
English Revised Version
They that builded the wall and they that bare burdens laded themselves, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other held his weapon;
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
bildynge in the wal, and berynge birthuns, and puttynge on; with her oon hond thei maden werk, and with the tother thei helden swerd.
Update Bible Version
They all built the wall and those that bore burdens loaded themselves; every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other held his weapon;
Webster's Bible Translation
They who built on the wall, and they that bore burdens, with those that laded, [every one] with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other [hand] held a weapon.
New King James Version
Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon.
New Living Translation
who were building the wall. The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon.
New Life Bible
Those who were building the wall and those who carried loads did their work with one hand, and held something to fight with in the other hand.
New Revised Standard
who were building the wall. The burden bearers carried their loads in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and with the other held a weapon.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
They who were building at the wall and they who were carrying burdens, they who were lifting, each man , with his one hand, was working at the work, and, with the other, was grasping the weapon.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Of them that built on the wall and that carried burdens, and that laded: with one of his hands he did the work, and with the other he held a sword.
Revised Standard Version
who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were laden in such a way that each with one hand labored on the work and with the other held his weapon.
Young's Literal Translation
The builders on the wall, and the bearers of the burden, those lading, [each] with one of his hands is working in the business, and one is laying hold of the missile.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon.

Contextual Overview

16 From that day on, half my people worked on the wall. The other half was ready with spears, shields, bows, and armor. The officers stood in back of the people of Judah 17 who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and carried a weapon with the other. 18 Each builder wore his sword at his side as he worked. The man who blew the trumpet to warn the people stayed next to me. 19 Then I said to the important people, the leaders, and everyone else, "This is a very big job. We are spreading out along the wall so that we are far apart. 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, assemble there. Our God will fight for us." 21 So we continued to work with half the men holding spears from sunrise till the stars came out. 22 At that time I also said to the people, "Let every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night. They can be our guards at night and workmen during the day." 23 Neither I, my brothers, my workers, nor the guards with me ever took off our clothes. Each person carried his weapon even when he went for water.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

bare burdens: Nehemiah 4:10

every one: That is, he had his arms at hand; and was as fully prepared to fight as to work. The builders could not possibly have made any progress, if they had literally held a weapon in one of their hands; but the expression is evidently figurative, implying that every man was a much a soldier as a builder.

with one: Daniel 9:25, 1 Corinthians 9:12, 1 Corinthians 16:9, 1 Corinthians 16:13, 2 Corinthians 6:7, Ephesians 6:11-20, Philippians 1:28, 2 Timothy 2:3, 2 Timothy 4:7

Reciprocal: Nehemiah 4:13 - in the lower places Ecclesiastes 9:10 - thy hand Joel 2:8 - sword

Cross-References

Genesis 4:4
Abel brought the best parts from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift,
Genesis 4:11
And now you will be cursed in your work with the ground, the same ground where your brother's blood fell and where your hands killed him.
Genesis 5:18
When Jared was 162 years old, he had a son named Enoch.
Genesis 5:22
After Methuselah was born, Enoch walked with God 300 years more and had other sons and daughters.
Genesis 11:4
Then they said to each other, "Let's build a city and a tower for ourselves, whose top will reach high into the sky. We will become famous. Then we will not be scattered over all the earth."
2 Samuel 18:18
When Absalom was alive, he had set up a pillar for himself in the King's Valley. He said, "I have no son to keep my name alive." So he named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom's Monument even today.
Psalms 49:11
Their graves will always be their homes. They will live there from now on, even though they named places after themselves.
Daniel 4:30
he said, "I have built this great Babylon as my royal home. I built it by my power to show my glory and my majesty."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Ver. 17 They which builded on the wall,.... That laid the mortar and stones upon it, and timber where it was necessary:

and they that bore burdens; that carried the mortar, stones, and timber to the builders, and served them:

with those that laded; which prepared the above for them, and laid them on their shoulders:

everyone with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon; which is not to be understood strictly and literally, for without both hands they could not well perform either of the above works; but proverbially, signifying that they were intent on both working and fighting, and were ready and prepared to do the latter, as well as the former, having weapons lying by them, or girt about them, as is explained in the following verse.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 17. With one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. — That is, he had his arms at hand, and was as fully prepared to fight as to work. So OVID, Epist. xi., Canace Macario, ver. 1: -

Si qua tamen caecis errabunt scripta lituris,

Oblitus a dominae caede libellus erit:

Dextra tenet calamum; strictum tenet altera ferrum:

Et jacet in gremio charta soluta meo.

If streaming blood my fatal letter stain,

Imagine, ere you read, the writer slain.

One hand the sword, and one the pen employs,

And in my lap the ready paper lies. DRYDEN.


By this mode of speech Canace does not intimate to her brother Macarius, that she actually held the sword in one hand while she held the pen in the other, but that she had it ready to slay herself as soon as she had written the epistle.


 
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