And our enemies said, “Before they know or see a thing, we will come into their midst, kill them, and put an end to the work.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Our adversaries said, “They will not know or see, until we come in among them and kill them, and cause the work to cease.”
- KJV And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.
- NKJV And our adversaries said, “They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease.”
- NASB And our enemies said, “They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them, and put a stop to the work.”
- NLT Meanwhile, our enemies were saying, “Before they know what’s happening, we will swoop down on them and kill them and end their work.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The enemies plan a stealth attack to kill the builders and halt the work. Their boast reveals a deadly, calculated hostility.
Overview
The adversaries scheme to strike unseen, hoping surprise will paralyze the rebuilding. Their words expose the murderous intent behind the conspiracy. The verse heightens the tension and underscores that the survival of God's covenant community in Jerusalem rested ultimately on the Lord's protection rather than human vigilance alone.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Ps 56:6They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps while they wait to take my life.
- Acts 23:12When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
- Isa 47:11But disaster will come upon you; you will not know how to charm it away. A calamity will befall you that you will be unable to ward off. Devastation will happen to you suddenly and unexpectedly.
- 1 Th 5:2For you are fully aware that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
- Acts 23:21Do not let them persuade you, because more than forty men are waiting to ambush him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him; they are ready now, awaiting your consent.”
- 2 Sam 17:2I will attack him while he is weak and weary; I will throw him into a panic, and all the people with him will flee; I will strike down only the king
- Judg 20:29–48So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah.
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Christ at the center
The rebuilt walls and renewed covenant community foreshadow the greater builder who gathers and secures a people for God, the one who declares 'I will build my church.'
How Nehemiah 4:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.