Nehemiah 4:11

Neh 4:11 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.

Ver. 11. And our adversaries said] But their plot was some way discovered, and so prevented. Detexit facinus fatuus et non implevit, saith Tacitus of one in his time. So the gunpowder traitors betrayed themselves; and all came to light, though they had dug as low as hell to hide their counsels from the Lord.

They shall not know, neither see] But what shall he do who is omniscient and ολοφθαλμος, all-eye? whose providence is like a well drawn picture that vieweth all that comes into a room.

Till we come in the midst among them] Either in the night undiscerned; or by day, but unarmed, and not as enemies: for the Florentine secretary, though not yet (nor of many ages later) born into the world; yet the good of this world was as great a master then as afterwards.

And slay them, and cause the work to cease] The craft of the Church’s adversaries is never but accompanied with cruelty; and their cruelty is seldom without craft. The devil lends them his seven heads to plot, and his ten horns to push; but in the thing wherein they deal proudly, God is above these cruel crafties.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Neh_4:11

And our adversaries said, They shall not know.

The craft and cruelty of the Churchs adversaries

I. A strong combination against the church of god.

II. A wicked design they were combined in.

III. A bloody means propounded.

IV. A subtle way projected for the affecting of this. (Matthew Newcomen.)

Satanic subtlety

I. In this serpentine, crafty, and malicious dealing of these wicked men appeareth the old serpentine nature and malice of Satan.

II. The next property of the serpent that appeareth in them is that they mercilessly would murder them when they had once thus suddenly invaded them.

III. The last property of Satan appeareth here in these wicked men, in that they would gladly overthrow this building of Jerusalem, that it should never be thought of any more. (Bp. Pilkington.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Neh 4:11. Our adversaries said, They shall not know, &c. — Their enemies resolved not to appear with an army before Jerusalem, but to march so secretly that the Jews should have no notice of their approach till they saw them in the city, armed and prepared to attack them suddenly, and put them to the sword.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4:11 The relentless psychological attack of Israel’s enemies was having a negative effect on morale.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(11) They shall not know.—As to the adversaries, their plan was evidently to watch and surprise, instead of making the threatened attack.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

11. our adversaries said] ‘adversaries,’ cf. Ezr_4:1. After mentioning the source of weakness within the walls, Nehemiah describes the danger from without. ‘Said.’ He gives, as if in their own words, their secret project of a surprise attack upon Jerusalem, either reporting the information brought by spies or describing by imagination what the intentions of the enemy were.

in the midst among them] R.V. Into the midst of them.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And our adversaries said, they shall not know,.... Our designs upon them:

neither see; or perceive what we are about to do:

till we come in the midst of them; with an army suddenly, at an unawares, and unexpected:

and slay them; they being unarmed, and not prepared to defend themselves:

and cause the work to cease; as it must in course, the builders being slain.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

We will come secretly and unexpectedly upon them so as they shall neither foresee their danger, nor be able to prevent it.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

11. They shall not know — They plotted a secret assault, aiming to surprise the Jews in the midst of their work.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Their discouragement was increased by the words of their enemies, who said: They (the Jews) shall not know nor see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

The builders of the wall, etc. Those who were building the wall and those who were loading and carrying the loads were working with one hand, and carrying weapons with the other.

the sword Heb. הַשָּׁלַח, an implement of war, like (Job 33:18): “...from perishing by the sword (מֵעֲבֹר בַּשָּׁלַח). And so did Menahem associate it (Machbereth Menahem p. 174).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.