The Meaning of Nehemiah 4:2 Explained

Nehemiah 4:2

KJV: 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?

YLT: and saith before his brethren and the force of Samaria, yea, he saith, 'What are the weak Jews doing? are they left to themselves? do they sacrifice? do they complete in a day? do they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish? -- and they burnt!'

Darby: And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? shall they be permitted to go on? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, when they are burned?

ASV: And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What are these feeble Jews doing? 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 rubbish, seeing they are burned?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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? 

What does Nehemiah 4:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 4:1-12 - Braving Ridicule And Treachery
Suspicion, Nehemiah 2:12-20. Sanballat was probably a Moabite, a native of Horonaim; Tobiah had been a slave. There are many descendants of these two men in all our Christian communities today, hindering God's work. This heroic soul met their scorn and the depression of the people by unwavering faith and calm confidence in the good hand of God, Nehemiah 2:7-12. How small do our difficulties seem when brought into the sight of the God of heaven!
Reproach, Nehemiah 4:1-6. Whenever God's work revives, there is sure to be evil-speaking and reproach. It is a mistake to reply. Let us hand over our cause to God, and go on with His work. It matters very little what men say, as long as He is pleased. Had Nehemiah had the message of Christ he would not have prayed as in Nehemiah 2:5. Our Lord taught us to intercede for our enemies, Matthew 5:44. But let us emulate Nehemiah's zeal for the name of God, and let us remember that increased light means increased responsibility, Matthew 11:11.
Active opposition, Nehemiah 2:18. In time of hostility, our friends and allies are apt to grow discouraged and to advise the suspension of our work. "We are not able;" but faith looks to God alone and triumphantly holds on its way. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 4

1  While the enemies scoff, Nehemiah prays and continues the work
7  Understanding the wrath and secrets of the enemy, he sets a watch
13  He arms the laborers
19  and gives military precepts

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 4:2 mean?

And he spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria and said what Jews these feeble are doing will they fortify themselves will they offer sacrifices will they complete it in a day will they revive - the stones from the heaps of rubbish [stones] and they [are] burned
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ׀ לִפְנֵ֣י אֶחָ֗יו וְחֵיל֙ שֹֽׁמְר֔וֹן וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מָ֛ה ؟ הַיְּהוּדִ֥ים הָאֲמֵלָלִ֖ים עֹשִׂ֑ים הֲיַעַזְב֨וּ לָהֶ֤ם ؟ הֲיִזְבָּ֙חוּ֙ הַיְכַלּ֣וּ ؟ בַיּ֔וֹם הַיְחַיּ֧וּ אֶת־ הָאֲבָנִ֛ים מֵעֲרֵמ֥וֹת הֶעָפָ֖ר וְהֵ֥מָּה ؟ שְׂרוּפֽוֹת

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ׀  And  he  spoke 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לִפְנֵ֣י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
אֶחָ֗יו  his  brothers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
וְחֵיל֙  and  the  army 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חֵיל  
Sense: rampart, fortress, wall.
שֹֽׁמְר֔וֹן  of  Samaria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שֹׁמְרֹון  
Sense: the region of northern Palestine associated with the northern kingdom of the 0 tribes of Israel which split from the kingdom after the death of Solomon during the reign of his son Rehoboam and were ruled by Jeroboam.
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
؟ הַיְּהוּדִ֥ים  Jews 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: יְהוּדִי  
Sense: Jew.
הָאֲמֵלָלִ֖ים  these  feeble 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: אֲמֵלָל  
Sense: weak, feeble.
עֹשִׂ֑ים  are  doing 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
הֲיַעַזְב֨וּ  will  they  fortify 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: עָזַב 
Sense: to leave, loose, forsake.
לָהֶ֤ם  themselves 
Parse: Preposition-l, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
؟ הֲיִזְבָּ֙חוּ֙  will  they  offer  sacrifices 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: זָבַח  
Sense: to slaughter, kill, sacrifice, slaughter for sacrifice.
הַיְכַלּ֣וּ  will  they  complete  it 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: כָּלָה  
Sense: to accomplish, cease, consume, determine, end, fail, finish, be complete, be accomplished, be ended, be at an end, be finished, be spent.
؟ בַיּ֔וֹם  in  a  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַיְחַיּ֧וּ  will  they  revive 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָאֲבָנִ֛ים  the  stones 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).
מֵעֲרֵמ֥וֹת  from  the  heaps 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: עֲרֵמָה  
Sense: heap, pile.
הֶעָפָ֖ר  of  rubbish  [stones] 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָפָר  
Sense: dry earth, dust, powder, ashes, earth, ground, mortar, rubbish.
וְהֵ֥מָּה  and  they  [are] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
؟ שְׂרוּפֽוֹת  burned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine plural
Root: שָׂרַף  
Sense: to burn.