Nehemiah 4:11 describes a conspiracy by the enemies of the Jews who were rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. Let's break down what it means:
"Our adversaries said...": This refers to the enemies of the Jews, specifically Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites (mentioned in previous verses). They were threatened by the rebuilding of Jerusalem's wall because it would strengthen the Jewish people and their autonomy, undermining their own influence in the region.
"They will not know or see...": This highlights the element of surprise and secrecy in the adversaries' plan. They intended to launch a sudden, unexpected attack. The phrase suggests that the Jews would be oblivious to the impending danger.
"until we come in among them...": This indicates a direct assault, a physical intrusion into the Jewish community while they were working on the wall.
"and kill them, and cause the work to cease.": This reveals the ultimate goal of the adversaries: to stop the rebuilding of the wall by violence and murder. Killing the workers would create fear, disrupt the project, and ultimately achieve their objective of preventing Jerusalem from becoming a fortified city again.
In essence, the verse describes a plot to launch a surprise attack on the Jewish workers, killing them and stopping the rebuilding of the wall. The enemies believed that by acting suddenly and violently, they could crush the project and maintain their dominance in the region.
Nehemiah 4:11 describes a conspiracy by the enemies of the Jews who were rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. Let's break down what it means:
"Our adversaries said...": This refers to the enemies of the Jews, specifically Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites (mentioned in previous verses). They were threatened by the rebuilding of Jerusalem's wall because it would strengthen the Jewish people and their autonomy, undermining their own influence in the region.
"They will not know or see...": This highlights the element of surprise and secrecy in the adversaries' plan. They intended to launch a sudden, unexpected attack. The phrase suggests that the Jews would be oblivious to the impending danger.
"until we come in among them...": This indicates a direct assault, a physical intrusion into the Jewish community while they were working on the wall.
"and kill them, and cause the work to cease.": This reveals the ultimate goal of the adversaries: to stop the rebuilding of the wall by violence and murder. Killing the workers would create fear, disrupt the project, and ultimately achieve their objective of preventing Jerusalem from becoming a fortified city again.
In essence, the verse describes a plot to launch a surprise attack on the Jewish workers, killing them and stopping the rebuilding of the wall. The enemies believed that by acting suddenly and violently, they could crush the project and maintain their dominance in the region.