King James Version

Nehemiah 2:19

But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?

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Hebrew

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וַיִּשְׁמַע֩vayishmaand hearשָׁמַעconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and hear”, the next action in the storyH8085to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)[idiom] attentively, call (gather) together, [idiom] carefully, [idiom] certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, [idiom] diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), [idiom] indeed, listen, make (a) n…סַנְבַלַּ֨טsanvalatSanballatסַנְבַלַּטnoun, proper name — “Sanballat”H5571Sanballat, a Persian satrap of SamariaSanballat.הַחֹרֹנִ֜יhachoronithe Horoniteחֹרֹנִיdefinite article, noun, gentilic, masculine, singular, absolute — “the Horonite”, the ordinary formH2772a Choronite or inhabitant of ChoronaimHoronite.וְטֹבִיָּ֣הvetoviyahand Tobijahטוֹבִיָּהconjunction, noun, proper name — “and Tobijah”H2900Tobijah, the name of three Israelites and of one SamaritanTobiah, Tobijah.הָעֶ֣בֶדhaevedthe servantעֶבֶדdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the servant”, the ordinary formH5650a servant[idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.הָֽעַמּוֹנִ֗יhaamonithe Ammoniteעַמּוֹנִיdefinite article, noun, gentilic, masculine, singular, absolute — “the Ammonite”, the ordinary formH5984an Ammonite or (the adjective) AmmonitishAmmonite(-s).וְגֶ֨שֶׁם֙vegeshemand Geshemגֶּשֶׁםconjunction, noun, proper name — “and Geshem”H1654Geshem or Gashmu, an ArabianGeshem, Gashmu.הָֽעַרְבִ֔יhaarvithe Arabianעֲרָבִיdefinite article, noun, gentilic, masculine, singular, absolute — “the Arabian”, the ordinary formH6163an Arabian or inhabitant of Arab (i.e. Arabia)Arabian.וַיַּלְעִ֣גוּvayaligvand have in derisionלָעַגconjunction, verb, hiphil, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and have in derision”, the next action in the storyH3932to deride; by implication (as if imitating a foreigner) to speak unintelligiblyhave in derision, laugh (to scorn), mock (on), stammering.לָ֔נוּlanvtoלָ֔נוּpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “to”toוַיִּבְז֖וּvayivzvand despiseבָּזָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and despise”, the next action in the storyH959to disesteemdespise, disdain, contemn(-ptible), [phrase] think to scorn, vile person.עָלֵ֑ינוּaleynvaboveעַלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…וַיֹּאמְר֗וּvayomrvand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…מָֽהmahhowמָהparticle, interrogative — “how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.הַדָּבָ֤רhadavarthe causeדָּבָרdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the cause”, the ordinary formH1697a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a causeact, advice, affair, answer, [idiom] any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, [phrase] chronicles, commandment, [idiom] commune(-ication), [phrase] concern(-ing), [phrase] confer, counsel, [phrase] dea…הַזֶּה֙hazehthe the one...the otherזֶהdefinite article, pronoun, demonstrative, masculine, singular — “the the one...the other”H2088the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or thathe, [idiom] hence, [idiom] here, it(-self), [idiom] now, [idiom] of him, the one...the other, [idiom] than the other, ([idiom] out of) the (self) same, such (a one) that, these, this (hath, man), on this side...on that side, [idiom] thus,…אֲשֶׁ֣רasherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, relative — “because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…אַתֶּ֣םatemtheeאַתָּהpronoun, personal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “thee”H859thou and thee, or (plural) ye and youthee, thou, ye, you.עֹשִׂ֔יםosimdoעָשָׂהverb, qal, participle, absolute — “do”, a verb used as a describing wordH6213to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest applicationaccomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, f…הַעַ֥לhaalaboveעַלparticle, interrogative, preposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…הַמֶּ֖לֶךְhamelekhthe kingמֶלֶךְdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the king”, the ordinary formH4428a kingking, royal.אַתֶּ֥םatemtheeאַתָּהpronoun, personal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “thee”H859thou and thee, or (plural) ye and youthee, thou, ye, you.מֹרְדִֽיםmoredimrebelמָרַדverb, qal, participle, absolute — “rebel”, a verb used as a describing wordH4775to rebelrebel(-lious).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said: 'What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?

Young’s Literal Translation

And Sanballat the Horonite heareth, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, and they mock at us, and despise us, and say, 'What [is] this thing that ye are doing? against the king are ye rebelling?'

World English Bible

But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite servant, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they ridiculed us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?”

Darby Translation

And Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobijah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it; and they mocked us and despised us, and said, What is this thing which ye do? will ye rebel against the king?

Douay-Rheims

But Sanaballat the Horonite, and Tobias the servant, the Ammonite, and Gossem the Arabian heard of it, and they scoffed at us, and despised us, and said: What is this thing that you do? are you going to rebel against the king?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And Sanaballat the Aronite, and Tobia the servant, the Ammonite, and Gesam the Arabian, heard it , and they laughed us to scorn, and came to us, and said, What is this thing that ye are doing? are ye revolting against the king?