Nehemiah 4:1
◄  Nehemiah 4:1  ►
New International Version (©2011)
When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews,

New Living Translation (©2007)
Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews,

English Standard Version (©2001)
Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews.

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.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious. He mocked the Jews

International Standard Version (©2012)
When Sanballat heard that we were reconstructing the wall, he flew into a rage, became indignant, and mocked the Jews.

NET Bible (©2006)
Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall he became angry and was quite upset. He derided the Jews,

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
When Sanballat heard we were rebuilding the wall, he became enraged and made fun of the Jews.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we built the wall, he was angry, and felt great indignation, and mocked the Jews.

American King James Version
But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we built the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.

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.

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.

Darby Bible 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.

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.

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.

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.

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,

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

4:1-6 Many a good work has been looked upon with contempt by proud and haughty scorners. Those who disagree in almost every thing, will unite in persecution. Nehemiah did not answer these fools according to their folly, but looked up to God by prayer. God's people have often been a despised people, but he hears all the slights that are put upon them, and it is their comfort that he does so. Nehemiah had reason to think that the hearts of those sinners were desperately hardened, else he would not have prayed that their sins might never be blotted out. Good work goes on well, when people have a mind to it. The reproaches of enemies should quicken us to our duty, not drive us from it.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire 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.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 4

Ne 4:1-6. While the Enemies Scoff, Nehemiah Prays to God, and Continues the Work.

1. when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth—The Samaritan faction showed their bitter animosity to the Jews on discovering the systematic design of refortifying Jerusalem. Their opposition was confined at first to scoffs and insults, in heaping which the governors made themselves conspicuous, and circulated all sorts of disparaging reflections that might increase the feelings of hatred and contempt for them in their own party. The weakness of the Jews in respect of wealth and numbers, the absurdity of their purpose apparently to reconstruct the walls and celebrate the feast of dedication in one day, the idea of raising the walls on their old foundations, as well as using the charred and mouldering debris of the ruins as the materials for the restored buildings, and the hope of such a parapet as they could raise being capable of serving as a fortress of defense—these all afforded fertile subjects of hostile ridicule.

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The Work is Ridiculed
1But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we built the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. 2And he spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? 3Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall. …

Matthew 2:16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.
Nehemiah 2:10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.
Nehemiah 2:19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. "What is this you are doing?" they asked. "Are you rebelling against the king?"
Nehemiah 6:15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.
Nehemiah 6:16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.
Nehemiah 13:28 One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. And I drove him away from me.
Jeremiah 38:19 King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Babylonians, for the Babylonians may hand me over to them and they will mistreat me."