Nehemiah 4:12 - When the Jews who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”

Generated Verse: Nehemiah 4:12

What does "Nehemiah 4:12" mean?


Nehemiah 4:12 describes a situation where the Jewish people were rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. The verse reports the negative sentiment from fellow Jews, who were scattered throughout the surrounding areas and warned against the rebuilding efforts. Let's break down what it likely means:

"When the Jews who lived by them came...": This refers to Jewish people living near the enemies of the Jews who were rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. These "enemies" were the people mentioned earlier in Nehemiah 4, such as Sanballat, Tobiah, and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites. These Jews living in the surrounding areas would have had firsthand knowledge of the intentions of these enemies.
"...they said to us ten times from all places...": This suggests that warnings were coming frequently and from multiple sources. The phrase "ten times" is a common Hebrew idiom meaning "many times" or "repeatedly." The phrase "from all places" implies that the intelligence was coming from various locations around Jerusalem, giving a sense of the widespread nature of the threat.
"...“Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”": This is the core message. The Jews living near the enemy were warning those rebuilding the wall that the enemy was planning to attack. The phrase "wherever you turn" suggests that the danger was pervasive, and there would be no safe place to work because the enemies were poised to attack from any direction. The use of "us" likely refers to both the Jews rebuilding the wall and the Jews living outside the city walls.

In essence, Nehemiah 4:12 conveys that the Jews rebuilding the wall were receiving frequent and widespread warnings from their fellow countrymen living in the surrounding areas. These warnings indicated that the enemies were planning a coordinated attack, and the threat was imminent and all-encompassing. The verse highlights the fear and pressure that Nehemiah and his people were under as they attempted to rebuild Jerusalem. It sets the stage for the actions Nehemiah takes to prepare for defense while continuing the work on the wall.