Nehemiah 4 · Verse 3

Nehemiah 4:3

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.
Nehemiah 4:3, King James Version

Nehemiah 4:3 in other translations

BSBThen 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!”
WEBNow Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, “What they are building, if a fox climbed up it, he would break down their stone wall.”
ASVNow Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they are building, if a fox go up, he shall break down their stone wall.
YLTAnd Tobiah the Ammonite is by him and saith, ‘Also, that which they are building--if a fox doth go up, then it hath broken down their stone wall.'
DARBYAnd Tobijah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox went up, it would break down their stone wall. —
BBENow Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Such is their building that if a fox goes up it, their stone wall will be broken down.
WebsterNow Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox should go up, he would even break down their stone wall.

What does Nehemiah 4:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. if a fox go up--The foxes were mentioned because they were known to infest in great numbers the ruined and desolate places in the mount and city of Zion (La 5:18).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Nehemiah 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…

Read the full comment on Nehemiah 4:1-6 →

Nehemiah 4:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְטוֹבִיָּ֥הve.toi.Yahand TobiahH2900
הָעַמֹּנִ֖יha.'a.mo.Nithe AmmoniteH5984
אֶצְל֑וֹ'etz.Lo[was] beside himH681
וַיֹּ֗אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
גַּ֚םgamalsoH1571
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-[that] whichH834
הֵ֣םhemtheyH1992
בּוֹנִ֔יםbo.Nim[are] buildingH1129
אִם\־'im-ifH518
יַעֲלֶ֣הya.'a.Lehit will go upH5927
שׁוּעָ֔לshu.'Ala foxH7776
וּפָרַ֖ץu.fa.Ratzand it will break downH6555
חוֹמַ֥תcho.Mat[the] wall ofH2346
אַבְנֵיהֶֽם\׃\ \פ'av.nei.Hemstones theirH68

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Nehemiah 4:3

  • Nehemiah 2:19

    But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?

  • Nehemiah 2:10

    When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.

  • 1 Kings 20:10

    And Ben–hadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.

  • 1 Kings 20:18

    And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive.

  • 2 Kings 18:23

    Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.

  • Nehemiah 6:1

    Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)

  • Lamentations 5:18

    Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Tobiah.
2:10,19; 6:1; 1Ki 20:10,18; 2Ki 18:23

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Nehemiah 4:2

    And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?

  • Nehemiah 4:3

    Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.

  • Nehemiah 4:4

    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:

Read all of Nehemiah 4

Nehemiah 4:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y estaba junto á él Tobías Ammonita, el cual dijo: Aun lo que ellos edifican, si subiere una zorra derribará su muro de piedra.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et nous avons prié notre Dieu, et nous avons établi une garde contre eux, jour et nuit, à cause d’eux.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Tobija, der Ammoniter, stand neben ihm und sprach: Was sie auch bauen; wenn ein Fuchs hinaufstiege, so würde er ihre steinerne Mauer auseinander reißen! -
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Sed et Tobias Ammanites, proximus ejus, ait: Ædificent: si ascenderit vulpes, transiliet murum eorum lapideum.