And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us [they will be upon you].
And it came to pass, that when the Jews {H3064} which dwelt {H3427} by them {H681} came {H935}, they said {H559} unto us ten {H6235} times {H6471}, From all places {H4725} whence ye shall return {H7725} unto us they will be upon you.
And even the Judeans living near them came and must have said to us ten times, "From every place you must come back to us."
At that time the Jews who lived nearby came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
And it came to pass that, when the Jews that dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times from all places, Ye must return unto us.
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Genesis 31:41
Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times. -
Job 19:3
These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed [that] ye make yourselves strange to me. -
Genesis 31:7
And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me. -
Numbers 14:22
Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;
Historical and Cultural Context
Nehemiah 4:12 is situated during a critical phase of the post-exilic rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls. Under Nehemiah's leadership, the Jewish exiles who had returned were diligently working to restore their city's defenses. However, their efforts faced intense and persistent opposition from surrounding peoples, notably Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arab. These adversaries employed various tactics, including mockery, conspiracy, and threats of armed attack, to demoralize and halt the construction. This particular verse highlights the insidious nature of the opposition, as the fear and intimidation began to seep into the Jewish community itself, primarily through the warnings of those living in outlying areas, closer to the enemy.
Key Themes and Messages
Linguistic Nuance
The phrase "ten times" (Hebrew: עֶשֶׂר פְּעָמִים, 'eser pe'amim) is not necessarily a literal count but an idiomatic expression signifying repeated, insistent, or emphatic communication. It conveys the overwhelming and incessant nature of the warnings, highlighting how the builders were bombarded with messages of impending doom. The KJV's addition of "[they will be upon you]" in brackets clarifies the implied threat, emphasizing that the danger was immediate and inescapable, regardless of where the builders might go.
Practical Application
Nehemiah 4:12 offers valuable insights for believers today. It reminds us that opposition to God's work is often persistent and can manifest not just through direct external attacks, but also through subtle forms of discouragement and fear-mongering, sometimes even from within our own communities or from those who are well-meaning but fearful. This verse calls us to: