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Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/nehemiah/4.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />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!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/nehemiah/4.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/nehemiah/4.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/nehemiah/4.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />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:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/nehemiah/4.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />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!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/nehemiah/4.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />Hear, O our God, how we are <i>an object of</i> contempt! Return their taunting on their own heads, and turn them into plunder in a land of captivity.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/nehemiah/4.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/nehemiah/4.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/nehemiah/4.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/nehemiah/4.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />[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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/nehemiah/4.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/nehemiah/4.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />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. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/nehemiah/4.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />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;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/nehemiah/4.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />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. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/nehemiah/4.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />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:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/nehemiah/4.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />[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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/nehemiah/4.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />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. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/nehemiah/4.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />"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. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/nehemiah/4.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/nehemiah/4.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />Hear, O our God, for we are despised! Return their reproach on their own head! Reduce them to plunder in a land of exile!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/nehemiah/4.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />"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;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/nehemiah/4.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />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:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/nehemiah/4.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />“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. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/nehemiah/4.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />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;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/nehemiah/4.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> 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;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/nehemiah/4.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />Hear, O our God; for we were despised: and turn back their reproach upon their head, and wilt thou give them for plunder in the land of captivity?<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/nehemiah/4.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />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. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/nehemiah/4.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />Listen, O our God, for we have become an object of contempt. Turn their reproach upon their own head, and grant that they may be despised in a land of captivity.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/nehemiah/4.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />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!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/nehemiah/4.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />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.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/nehemiah/4.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />Hear, O our God, for we have become ridiculed; and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of their captivity:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/nehemiah/4.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />“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.<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/nehemiah/4.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />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;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/nehemiah/4.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />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,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/nehemiah/4-4.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZsQrw7rBvgc?start=806" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/nehemiah/4.htm">The Work is Ridiculed</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">3</span>Then 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!” <span class="reftext">4</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/8085.htm" title="8085: šə·ma‘ (V-Qal-Imp-ms) -- To hear. A primitive root; to hear intelligently.">Hear us,</a> <a href="/hebrew/430.htm" title="430: ’ĕ·lō·hê·nū (N-mpc:: 1cp) -- Plural of 'elowahh; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used of the supreme God">O God,</a> <a href="/hebrew/3588.htm" title="3588: kî- (Conj) -- That, for, when. ">for</a> <a href="/hebrew/1961.htm" title="1961: hā·yî·nū (V-Qal-Perf-1cp) -- To fall out, come to pass, become, be. A primitive root; to exist, i.e. Be or become, come to pass.">we are</a> <a href="/hebrew/939.htm" title="939: ḇū·zāh (N-fs) -- Contempt. Feminine passive participle of buwz; something scorned; an object of contempt.">despised.</a> <a href="/hebrew/7725.htm" title="7725: wə·hā·šêḇ (Conj-w:: V-Hifil-Imp-ms) -- A primitive root; to turn back transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively; generally to retreat; often adverbial, again.">Turn</a> <a href="/hebrew/2781.htm" title="2781: ḥer·pā·ṯām (N-fsc:: 3mp) -- A reproach. From charaph. contumely, disgrace, the pudenda.">their scorn</a> <a href="/hebrew/413.htm" title="413: ’el- (Prep) -- To, into, towards. ">back upon</a> <a href="/hebrew/7218.htm" title="7218: rō·šām (N-msc:: 3mp) -- Head. From an unused root apparently meaning to shake; the head, whether literal or figurative.">their own heads,</a> <a href="/hebrew/5414.htm" title="5414: ū·ṯə·nêm (Conj-w:: V-Qal-Imp-ms:: 3mp) -- To give, put, set. A primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application.">and let them be taken</a> <a href="/hebrew/961.htm" title="961: lə·ḇiz·zāh (Prep-l:: N-fs) -- Spoil, booty. Feminine of baz; booty.">as plunder</a> <a href="/hebrew/776.htm" title="776: bə·’e·reṣ (Prep-b:: N-fsc) -- Earth, land. From an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth.">to a land</a> <a href="/hebrew/7633.htm" title="7633: šiḇ·yāh (N-fs) -- Captivity, captives. Feminine of shbiy; exile.">of captivity.</a> </span><span class="reftext">5</span>Do not cover up their iniquity or let their sin be blotted out from Your sight, for they have provoked the builders.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/123-3.htm">Psalm 123:3-4</a></span><br />Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy, for we have endured much contempt. / We have endured much scorn from the arrogant, much contempt from the proud.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/79-12.htm">Psalm 79:12</a></span><br />Pay back into the laps of our neighbors sevenfold the reproach they hurled at You, O Lord.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/44-13.htm">Psalm 44:13-14</a></span><br />You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, a mockery and derision to those around us. / You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/69-19.htm">Psalm 69:19-20</a></span><br />You know my reproach, my shame and disgrace. All my adversaries are before You. / Insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found no one.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/74-22.htm">Psalm 74:22-23</a></span><br />Rise up, O God; defend Your cause! Remember how the fool mocks You all day long. / Do not disregard the clamor of Your adversaries, the uproar of Your enemies that ascends continually.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/89-50.htm">Psalm 89:50-51</a></span><br />Remember, O Lord, the reproach of Your servants, which I bear in my heart from so many people— / how Your enemies have taunted, O LORD, and have mocked every step of Your anointed one!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/37-16.htm">Isaiah 37:16-20</a></span><br />“O LORD of Hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth. / Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see. Listen to all the words that Sennacherib has sent to defy the living God. / Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all these countries and their lands. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/18-19.htm">Jeremiah 18:19-23</a></span><br />Attend to me, O LORD. Hear what my accusers are saying! / Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You to speak good on their behalf, to turn Your wrath from them. / Therefore, hand their children over to famine; pour out the power of the sword upon them. Let their wives become childless and widowed; let their husbands be slain by disease, their young men struck down by the sword in battle. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/lamentations/3-61.htm">Lamentations 3:61-64</a></span><br />O LORD, You have heard their insults, all their plots against me— / the slander and murmuring of my assailants against me all day long. / When they sit and when they rise, see how they mock me in song. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_kings/19-16.htm">2 Kings 19:16-19</a></span><br />Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see. Listen to the words that Sennacherib has sent to defy the living God. / Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste these nations and their lands. / They have cast their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods, but only wood and stone—the work of human hands. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/4-29.htm">Acts 4:29-30</a></span><br />And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness, / as You stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/5-11.htm">Matthew 5:11-12</a></span><br />Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. / Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/12-19.htm">Romans 12:19-21</a></span><br />Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” / On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.” / Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_peter/4-14.htm">1 Peter 4:14</a></span><br />If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_thessalonians/1-6.htm">2 Thessalonians 1:6-7</a></span><br />After all, it is only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, / and to grant relief to you who are oppressed and to us as well. This will take place when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">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:</p><p class="hdg">Hear</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/123-3.htm">Psalm 123:3,4</a></b></br> Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt… </p><p class="hdg">despised.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/1_samuel/17-26.htm">1 Samuel 17:26</a></b></br> 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 <i>is</i> this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/79-12.htm">Psalm 79:12</a></b></br> And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/proverbs/3-34.htm">Proverbs 3:34</a></b></br> Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/2_chronicles/28-17.htm">Captives</a> <a href="/nehemiah/1-3.htm">Captivity</a> <a href="/nehemiah/2-19.htm">Despised</a> <a href="/nehemiah/1-11.htm">Ear</a> <a href="/nehemiah/3-19.htm">Head</a> <a href="/nehemiah/2-9.htm">Heads</a> <a href="/nehemiah/1-6.htm">Hear</a> <a href="/1_peter/2-23.htm">Insults</a> <a href="/ezra/9-7.htm">Plunder</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/14-14.htm">Plundered</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/28-14.htm">Prey</a> <a href="/nehemiah/1-2.htm">Prisoners</a> <a href="/nehemiah/2-17.htm">Reproach</a> <a href="/nehemiah/1-3.htm">Shame</a> <a href="/ezra/9-7.htm">Spoil</a> <a href="/ezra/9-7.htm">Spoiling</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/32-17.htm">Taunt</a> <a href="/nehemiah/4-2.htm">Themselves</a> <a href="/nehemiah/2-15.htm">Turn</a> <a href="/nehemiah/2-15.htm">Turned</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/32-24.htm">Wasting</a> <a href="/nehemiah/2-18.htm">Words</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/esther/2-6.htm">Captives</a> <a href="/nehemiah/7-6.htm">Captivity</a> <a href="/job/12-5.htm">Despised</a> <a href="/nehemiah/9-27.htm">Ear</a> <a href="/nehemiah/6-8.htm">Head</a> <a href="/nehemiah/7-70.htm">Heads</a> <a href="/nehemiah/4-20.htm">Hear</a> <a href="/nehemiah/4-5.htm">Insults</a> <a href="/esther/3-13.htm">Plunder</a> <a href="/psalms/7-4.htm">Plundered</a> <a href="/esther/3-13.htm">Prey</a> <a href="/nehemiah/13-21.htm">Prisoners</a> <a href="/nehemiah/5-9.htm">Reproach</a> <a href="/nehemiah/5-9.htm">Shame</a> <a href="/esther/3-13.htm">Spoil</a> <a href="/psalms/35-12.htm">Spoiling</a> <a href="/nehemiah/6-13.htm">Taunt</a> <a href="/nehemiah/4-17.htm">Themselves</a> <a href="/nehemiah/4-12.htm">Turn</a> <a href="/nehemiah/9-35.htm">Turned</a> <a href="/esther/8-14.htm">Wasting</a> <a href="/nehemiah/5-6.htm">Words</a><div class="vheading2">Nehemiah 4</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/nehemiah/4-1.htm">While the enemies scoff, Nehemiah prays and continues the work</a></span><br><span class="reftext">7. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/nehemiah/4-7.htm">Understanding the wrath and secrets of the enemy, he sets a watch</a></span><br><span class="reftext">13. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/nehemiah/4-13.htm">He arms the laborers</a></span><br><span class="reftext">19. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/nehemiah/4-19.htm">and gives military precepts</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/nehemiah/4.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/nehemiah/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/nehemiah/4.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>Hear us, O God</b><br>This phrase reflects Nehemiah's immediate turn to prayer in response to opposition. It demonstrates the importance of seeking divine intervention in times of distress. The act of calling upon God is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, seen in Psalms (<a href="/psalms/4.htm">Psalm 4:1</a>) and the prophets (<a href="/jeremiah/33-3.htm">Jeremiah 33:3</a>), emphasizing reliance on God's power rather than human strength.<p><b>for we are despised</b><br>The Jews faced ridicule and contempt from their enemies, particularly Sanballat and Tobiah, who mocked their efforts to rebuild Jerusalem's walls. This scorn is reminiscent of the Israelites' experiences in Egypt and Babylon, where they were also despised and oppressed. The theme of God's people facing derision is echoed in the New Testament, where believers are warned they will face persecution (<a href="/john/15-18.htm">John 15:18-19</a>).<p><b>Turn their scorn back upon their own heads</b><br>This imprecatory prayer seeks justice, asking God to reverse the insults and plans of the enemies. It aligns with the principle of divine retribution found in the Old Testament, where God often turns the schemes of the wicked back on themselves (<a href="/psalms/7-15.htm">Psalm 7:15-16</a>). This reflects a trust in God's justice and sovereignty.<p><b>and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity</b><br>This request for the enemies to experience the same fate they wish upon the Jews is a call for poetic justice. It echoes the historical context of the Babylonian exile, where the Jews themselves were taken captive. The phrase also foreshadows the ultimate judgment and reversal of fortunes seen in prophetic literature, such as in the book of Revelation, where the oppressors of God's people face divine judgment.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/n/nehemiah.htm">Nehemiah</a></b><br>The central figure in the book, Nehemiah is a Jewish leader who is instrumental in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. He is known for his strong leadership and deep faith in God.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/j/jerusalem.htm">Jerusalem</a></b><br>The city where the events take place. At this time, Jerusalem's walls are in ruins, and the city is vulnerable to attack and ridicule from surrounding enemies.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/s/sanballat_and_tobiah.htm">Sanballat and Tobiah</a></b><br>These are adversaries of Nehemiah and the Jewish people. They mock and attempt to thwart the rebuilding efforts, representing opposition to God's work.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_jewish_people.htm">The Jewish People</a></b><br>The community working under Nehemiah's leadership to rebuild the walls. They face external threats and internal discouragement.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/g/god.htm">God</a></b><br>The ultimate protector and provider for Nehemiah and the Jewish people. Nehemiah's prayer reflects his reliance on God for justice and protection.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/p/prayer_as_a_first_response.htm">Prayer as a First Response</a></b><br>Nehemiah immediately turns to God in prayer when faced with opposition. This teaches us to prioritize prayer in our own challenges.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/trust_in_god's_justice.htm">Trust in God's Justice</a></b><br>Nehemiah's prayer reflects a deep trust in God's ability to handle his enemies. We are reminded to trust God to right wrongs rather than seeking personal revenge.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/f/facing_opposition_with_faith.htm">Facing Opposition with Faith</a></b><br>The ridicule from Sanballat and Tobiah did not deter Nehemiah. We can learn to stand firm in our faith and mission despite external pressures.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/c/community_in_action.htm">Community in Action</a></b><br>Nehemiah's leadership and the people's collective effort highlight the importance of community in achieving God's purposes.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_sovereignty.htm">God's Sovereignty</a></b><br>The prayer acknowledges God's control over all situations, encouraging us to recognize His sovereignty in our lives.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_nehemiah_4.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Nehemiah 4</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_would_god_allow_curses,_not_forgiveness.htm">Nehemiah 4:4–5: Why would a just and merciful God sanction curses against enemies, conflicting with later teachings of forgiveness? </a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_is_1_tim_4_4_true_despite_nature's_harm.htm">How does 1 Timothy 4:4 align with observable harmful aspects of the natural world if 'everything created by God is good'?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_is_god_the_only_savior_in_hosea_13_4.htm">Hosea 13:4: How can God declare 'there is no Savior besides Me' while other passages depict human saviors or mediators, seeming to contradict this exclusivity?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/can_james_4_8_be_scientifically_tested.htm">James 4:8 promises closeness with God if people draw near to Him--how can this be tested or verified scientifically or historically?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/nehemiah/4.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(4) <span class= "bld">Hear, O our God.</span>--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.<p><span class= "bld">They have provoked thee.</span>--The tone of its holy revenge pervades the Old Testament, and has not altogether departed in the New.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/nehemiah/4.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 4.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">Hear, O our God</span>. Compare Ezra's parenthetic burst of thanksgiving (<a href="/ezra/7-27.htm">Ezra 7:27, 28</a>). That which in Ezra was a sudden impulse has become a settled habit with Nehemiah (comp. <a href="/nehemiah/5-19.htm">Nehemiah 5:19</a>; <a href="/nehemiah/6-9.htm">Nehemiah 6:9, 14</a>; <a href="/nehemiah/13-14.htm">Nehemiah 13:14, 22, 29, 31</a>). <span class="cmt_word">Turn their reproach upon their own head</span>. The imprecations of Nehemiah are no pattern to Christians, any more than are those of the Psalmists (<a href="/psalms/69-22.htm">Psalm 69:22-28</a>; <a href="/psalms/79-12.htm">Psalm 79:12</a>; <a href="/psalms/109-6.htm">Psalm 109:6-20</a>, etc.); but it cannot be denied that they are imprecations. Before men were taught to "love their enemies," and "bless those that cursed them" (<a href="/matthew/5-44.htm">Matthew 5:44</a>), 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 (<a href="/nehemiah/13-25.htm">Nehemiah 13:25</a>) 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. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/nehemiah/4-4.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">Hear us,</span><br /><span class="heb">שְׁמַ֤ע</span> <span class="translit">(šə·ma‘)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_8085.htm">Strong's 8085: </a> </span><span class="str2">To hear intelligently</span><br /><br /><span class="word">O God,</span><br /><span class="heb">אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙</span> <span class="translit">(’ĕ·lō·hê·nū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_430.htm">Strong's 430: </a> </span><span class="str2">gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative</span><br /><br /><span class="word">for</span><br /><span class="heb">כִּֽי־</span> <span class="translit">(kî-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunction<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3588.htm">Strong's 3588: </a> </span><span class="str2">A relative conjunction</span><br /><br /><span class="word">we are</span><br /><span class="heb">הָיִ֣ינוּ</span> <span class="translit">(hā·yî·nū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1961.htm">Strong's 1961: </a> </span><span class="str2">To fall out, come to pass, become, be</span><br /><br /><span class="word">despised.</span><br /><span class="heb">בוּזָ֔ה</span> <span class="translit">(ḇū·zāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_939.htm">Strong's 939: </a> </span><span class="str2">Something scorned, an object of contempt</span><br /><br /><span class="word">Turn</span><br /><span class="heb">וְהָשֵׁ֥ב</span> <span class="translit">(wə·hā·šêḇ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7725.htm">Strong's 7725: </a> </span><span class="str2">To turn back, in, to retreat, again</span><br /><br /><span class="word">their scorn</span><br /><span class="heb">חֶרְפָּתָ֖ם</span> <span class="translit">(ḥer·pā·ṯām)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2781.htm">Strong's 2781: </a> </span><span class="str2">Contumely, disgrace, the pudenda</span><br /><br /><span class="word">back upon</span><br /><span class="heb">אֶל־</span> <span class="translit">(’el-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_413.htm">Strong's 413: </a> </span><span class="str2">Near, with, among, to</span><br /><br /><span class="word">their own heads,</span><br /><span class="heb">רֹאשָׁ֑ם</span> <span class="translit">(rō·šām)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7218.htm">Strong's 7218: </a> </span><span class="str2">The head</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and let them be taken</span><br /><span class="heb">וּתְנֵ֥ם</span> <span class="translit">(ū·ṯə·nêm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5414.htm">Strong's 5414: </a> </span><span class="str2">To give, put, set</span><br /><br /><span class="word">as plunder</span><br /><span class="heb">לְבִזָּ֖ה</span> <span class="translit">(lə·ḇiz·zāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_961.htm">Strong's 961: </a> </span><span class="str2">Spoil, booty</span><br /><br /><span class="word">to a land</span><br /><span class="heb">בְּאֶ֥רֶץ</span> <span class="translit">(bə·’e·reṣ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_776.htm">Strong's 776: </a> </span><span class="str2">Earth, land</span><br /><br /><span class="word">of captivity.</span><br /><span class="heb">שִׁבְיָֽה׃</span> <span class="translit">(šiḇ·yāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7633.htm">Strong's 7633: </a> </span><span class="str2">Captivity, captives</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/nehemiah/4-4.htm">Nehemiah 4:4 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/nehemiah/4-4.htm">Nehemiah 4:4 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/nehemiah/4-4.htm">Nehemiah 4:4 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/nehemiah/4-4.htm">Nehemiah 4:4 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/nehemiah/4-4.htm">Nehemiah 4:4 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/nehemiah/4-4.htm">Nehemiah 4:4 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/nehemiah/4-4.htm">Nehemiah 4:4 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/nehemiah/4-4.htm">Nehemiah 4:4 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/nehemiah/4-4.htm">Nehemiah 4:4 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/nehemiah/4-4.htm">Nehemiah 4:4 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/nehemiah/4-4.htm">OT History: Nehemiah 4:4 Hear our God (Neh Ne) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/nehemiah/4-3.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Nehemiah 4:3"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Nehemiah 4:3" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/nehemiah/4-5.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Nehemiah 4:5"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Nehemiah 4:5" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>