Nehemiah 4:2 Meaning and Explanation
“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?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Sanballat heaps up contemptuous questions before his allies, dismissing the builders as weak and their task as hopeless.
What Does Nehemiah 4:2 Mean?
Sanballat performs his mockery publicly, before his kinsmen and the army of Samaria. His rapid-fire questions are meant to belittle: the builders are feeble, the rubble is dead, the work is laughable, the stones beyond reviving.
Mockery tries to make God's people see themselves through the eyes of scorn. Yet the questions Sanballat asks in derision God can answer in power. What looks like burned and lifeless rubble to the enemy can be raised up by the Lord who brings life out of ruin and gives strength to the weak.
Nehemiah 4:2 in the Original Language
feeble -- the Hebrew amelal (אֲמֵלָל) means languishing or withered, like a plant drained of its sap.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nehemiah 4:2
What does Nehemiah 4:2 mean?
Sanballat heaps up contemptuous questions before his allies, dismissing the builders as weak and their task as hopeless.