Nehemiah 4:4 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.

◄ Nehemiah 4:4 ►

Parallel Verses

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.

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.

New American Standard Bible
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.

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:

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.

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.

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;

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.

Darby Bible Translation
Hear, our God, for we are despised, and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey 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;

Cross References

Nehemiah 5:9
Also I said, It is not good that you do: ought you not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?

Psalm 79:12
And render to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, with which they have reproached you, O Lord.

Psalm 123:3
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

Psalm 123:4
Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.

Lamentations 1:22
Let all their wickedness come before you; and do to them, as you have done to me for all my transgressions: for my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.

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Commentaries

Matthew Henry's 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.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

4, 5. Hear, O our God; for we are despised—The imprecations invoked here may seem harsh, cruel, and vindictive; but it must be remembered that Nehemiah and his friends regarded those Samaritan leaders as enemies to the cause of God and His people, and therefore as deserving to be visited with heavy judgments. The prayer, therefore, is to be considered as emanating from hearts in which neither hatred, revenge, nor any inferior passion, but a pious and patriotic zeal for the glory of God and the success of His cause, held the ascendant sway.