Nehemiah 4:13

So I stationed men behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Nehemiah addresses the nobles, officials, and the rest of the people during a period of repeated warnings that the wall-building would be attacked (Nehemiah 4:12). He personally positions armed men to guard the construction site.

The words — וַאֲעִֽיד (va.'a.'a.Mid) translates literally as "and I stationed," while צְחִיחִים (tze.chi.chi.yim) denotes "open places" or vulnerable gaps in the wall.

The thread — The text places these armed laborers in the same defensive posture as those who rebuild while holding weapons in one hand (Nehemiah 4:17), and it parallels the instruction to prepare for spiritual conflict (Ephesians 6:11).

Why it lands — The passage records a concrete command to organize families for physical defense, requiring readers to implement practical vigilance and shared responsibility when facing threat.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וָֽאַעֲמִ֞ידva./'a.'a.Midand/ I stationed מִֽתַּחְתִּיּ֧וֹתmi./tach.ti.Yotfrom/ [the] lower parts לַמָּק֛וֹםla./ma.Komof the/ place מֵאַחֲרֵ֥יme./'a.cha.Reifrom/ behind לַחוֹמָ֖הla./cho.Mahof the/ wall בַּצְּחִיחִ֑יםba./tze.chi.chi.yimin the/ open places וָֽאַעֲמִ֤ידva./'a.'a.Midand/ I stationed אֶת־'et-<obj.>הָעָם֙ha./'Amthe/ people לְמִשְׁפָּח֔וֹתle./mish.pa.Chotto/ clans עִם־'im-with חַרְבֹתֵיהֶ֛םchar.vo.tei./Hemswords/ their רָמְחֵיהֶ֖םra.me.chei./Hemspears/ their וְקַשְּׁתֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ve./ka.she.to.tei./Hemand/ bows/ their

King James Version

Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

Cross-references

Nehemiah 4:17 who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried materials worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes.
Genesis 32:13 Jacob spent the night there, and from what he had brought with him, he selected a gift for his brother Esau:
2 Chronicles 32:2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come to make war against Jerusalem,
Psalms 112:5 It is well with the man who is generous and lends freely, whose affairs are guided by justice.
Song of Solomon 3:7 Behold, it is Solomon’s carriage, escorted by sixty of the mightiest men of Israel.
Matthew 10:16 Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
1 Corinthians 14:20 Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.