Bible Strands
Nehemiah 4:7
When Sanballat and Tobiah, together with the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites, heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they were furious,
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Nehemiah narrates to the returned community at the moment the Jerusalem wall reaches half its height and the workers commit to finishing the task.
The words — שָׁמַ֣ע (sha.Ma') = he heard, marking the precise trigger for the enemies' reaction to the advancing reconstruction.
The thread — The coordinated hostility repeats in Nehemiah 2:10 and Nehemiah 4:1, where Sanballat and Tobiah react to the same project, and aligns with Jeremiah 25:20’s list of regional powers opposing Judah.
Why it lands — It demands recognition that faithful progress naturally provokes organized resistance, requiring immediate strategic preparation rather than passive surprise.
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
King James Version
But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,
Cross-references
- Nehemiah 2:10 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were deeply disturbed that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites.
- Nehemiah 4:1 Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious and filled with indignation. He ridiculed the Jews
- Jeremiah 25:20 all the mixed tribes; all the kings of Uz; all the kings of the Philistines: Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod;
- Amos 1:13 This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of the Ammonites, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to enlarge their territory.
- Acts 4:17 But to keep this message from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in this name.”
- Acts 5:33 When the Council members heard this, they were enraged, and they resolved to put the apostles to death.
- Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea; with great fury the devil has come down to you, knowing he has only a short time.”
- Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was enraged at the woman and went to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.
- Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
- Judges 10:7 So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and Ammonites,