Nehemiah 4:4
New International Version
Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity.

New Living Translation
Then I prayed, “Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land!

English Standard Version
Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives.

Berean Standard Bible
Hear us, O God, for we are despised. Turn their scorn back upon their own heads, and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity.

King James Bible
Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:

New King James Version
Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity!

New American Standard Bible
Hear, O our God, how we are an object of contempt! Return their taunting on their own heads, and turn them into plunder in a land of captivity.

NASB 1995
Hear, O our God, how we are despised! Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity.

NASB 1977
Hear, O our God, how we are despised! Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity.

Legacy Standard Bible
Hear, O our God, for we are despised! Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity.

Amplified Bible
[And Nehemiah prayed] Hear, O our God, how we are despised! Return their taunts on their own heads. Give them up as prey in a land of captivity.

Christian Standard Bible
Listen, our God, for we are despised. Make their insults return on their own heads and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Listen, our God, for we are despised. Make their insults return on their own heads and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity.

American Standard Version
Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn back their reproach upon their own head, and give them up for a spoil in a land of captivity;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“Hear our God, for we are a laughing stock, and return their shame to their heads, and give them as prey in the land of their captivity.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Hear, O our God, for we have become a scorn; and return thou their reproach upon their head, and make them a scorn in a land of captivity,

Contemporary English Version
But I prayed, "Our God, these people hate us and have wished horrible things for us. Please answer our prayers and make their insults fall on them! Let them be the ones to be dragged away as prisoners of war.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Hear thou our God, for we are despised: turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them to be despised in a land of captivity.

English Revised Version
Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn back their reproach upon their own head, and give them up to spoiling in a land of captivity:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
[Nehemiah prayed,] "Our God, hear us. We are despised. Turn their insults back on them, and let them be robbed in the land where they are prisoners.

Good News Translation
I prayed, "Hear how they make fun of us, O God! Let their ridicule fall on their own heads. Let them be robbed of everything they have, and let them be taken as prisoners to a foreign land.

International Standard Version
"Listen, our God, because we are being mocked. Let their insults fall back on them, and let them be dragged away as captives into exile.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Hear, O our God; for we are despised; and turn back their reproach upon their own head, and give them up to spoiling in a land of captivity;

Literal Standard Version
Hear, O our God, for we have been despised; and return their reproach on their own head, and give them for a spoil in a land of captivity;

Majority Standard Bible
Hear us, O God, for we are despised. Turn their scorn back upon their own heads, and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity.

New American Bible
Hear, our God, how we were mocked! Turn back their reproach upon their own heads and deliver them up as plunder in a land of captivity!

NET Bible
Hear, O our God, for we are despised! Return their reproach on their own head! Reduce them to plunder in a land of exile!

New Revised Standard Version
Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their taunt back on their own heads, and give them over as plunder in a land of captivity.

New Heart English Bible
"Hear, our God; for we are despised; and turn back their insults on their own head, give them up for a spoil in a land of captivity;

Webster's Bible Translation
Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:

World English Bible
“Hear, our God, for we are despised. Turn back their reproach on their own head. Give them up for a plunder in a land of captivity.

Young's Literal Translation
Hear, O our God, for we have been despised; and turn back their reproach on their own head, and give them for a spoil in a land of captivity;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Work is Ridiculed
3Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “If even a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!” 4Hear us, O God, for we are despised. Turn their scorn back upon their own heads, and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. 5Do not cover up their iniquity or let their sin be blotted out from Your sight, for they have provoked the builders.…

Cross References
Nehemiah 5:9
So I continued, "What you are doing is not right. Shouldn't you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our foreign enemies?

Psalm 79:12
Pay back into the laps of our neighbors sevenfold the reproach they hurled at You, O Lord.

Psalm 123:3
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy, for we have endured much contempt.

Psalm 123:4
We have endured much scorn from the arrogant, much contempt from the proud.

Lamentations 1:22
Let all their wickedness come before You, and deal with them as You have dealt with me because of all my transgressions. For my groans are many, and my heart is faint.


Treasury of Scripture

Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach on their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:

Hear

Psalm 123:3,4
Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt…

despised.

1 Samuel 17:26
And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

Psalm 79:12
And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.

Proverbs 3:34
Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.

Jump to Previous
Captives Captivity Despised Ear Head Heads Hear Insults Plunder Plundered Prey Prisoners Reproach Shame Spoil Spoiling Taunt Themselves Turn Turned Wasting Words
Jump to Next
Captives Captivity Despised Ear Head Heads Hear Insults Plunder Plundered Prey Prisoners Reproach Shame Spoil Spoiling Taunt Themselves Turn Turned Wasting Words
Nehemiah 4
1. While the enemies scoff, Nehemiah prays and continues the work
7. Understanding the wrath and secrets of the enemy, he sets a watch
13. He arms the laborers
19. and gives military precepts














(4) Hear, O our God.--The habit of Nehemiah is to turn everything to devotion as he goes on. This prayer is full of an angry jealousy for the honour of a jealous God.

They have provoked thee.--The tone of its holy revenge pervades the Old Testament, and has not altogether departed in the New.

Verse 4. - Hear, O our God. Compare Ezra's parenthetic burst of thanksgiving (Ezra 7:27, 28). That which in Ezra was a sudden impulse has become a settled habit with Nehemiah (comp. Nehemiah 5:19; Nehemiah 6:9, 14; Nehemiah 13:14, 22, 29, 31). Turn their reproach upon their own head. The imprecations of Nehemiah are no pattern to Christians, any more than are those of the Psalmists (Psalm 69:22-28; Psalm 79:12; Psalm 109:6-20, etc.); but it cannot be denied that they are imprecations. Before men were taught to "love their enemies," and "bless those that cursed them" (Matthew 5:44), they gave vent to their natural feelings of anger and indignation by the utterance of maledictions. Nehemiah's spirit was hot and hasty; and as he records of himself (Nehemiah 13:25) that he "cursed" certain Jews who had taken foreign wives, so it is not to be wondered at that he uttered imprecations against his persistent enemies.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Hear us,
שְׁמַ֤ע (šə·ma‘)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

O God,
אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ (’ĕ·lō·hê·nū)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

for
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

we are
הָיִ֣ינוּ (hā·yî·nū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

despised.
בוּזָ֔ה (ḇū·zāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 939: Something scorned, an object of contempt

Turn
וְהָשֵׁ֥ב (wə·hā·šêḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

their scorn
חֶרְפָּתָ֖ם (ḥer·pā·ṯām)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 2781: Contumely, disgrace, the pudenda

back upon
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

their own heads,
רֹאשָׁ֑ם (rō·šām)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7218: The head

and let them be taken
וּתְנֵ֥ם (ū·ṯə·nêm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

as plunder
לְבִזָּ֖ה (lə·ḇiz·zāh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 961: Spoil, booty

to a land
בְּאֶ֥רֶץ (bə·’e·reṣ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776: Earth, land

of captivity.
שִׁבְיָֽה׃ (šiḇ·yāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7633: Captivity, captives


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OT History: Nehemiah 4:4 Hear our God (Neh Ne)
Nehemiah 4:3
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