King James Version

Nehemiah 4:16

And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Nehemiah 4:10.

וַיְהִ֣יvayhiand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and be”, the next action in the storyH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.מִןminfromמִןpreposition — “from”H4480properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many sensesabove, after, among, at, because of, by (reason of), from (among), in, [idiom] neither, [idiom] nor, (out) of, over, since, [idiom] then, through, [idiom] whether, with.הַיּ֣וֹםhayomthe as long asיוֹםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the as long as”, the ordinary formH3117a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) lon…הַה֗וּאhahuthe as for herהוּאdefinite article, pronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “the as for her”H1931he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or arehe, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.חֲצִ֣יchatsihalfחֵצִיnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “half”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2677the half or middlehalf, middle, mid(-night), midst, part, two parts.נְעָרַי֮nearayboyנַעַרnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “boy”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5288(concretely) a boy (as active), from the age of infancy to adolescence; by implication, a servant; also (by interch. of sex), a girl (of similar latitude in age)babe, boy, child, damsel (from the margin), lad, servant, young (man).עֹשִׂ֣יםosimdoעָשָׂהverb, 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…בַּמְּלָאכָה֒bamlakhahin work , -manshipמְלָאכָהpreposition, with the article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “in work , -manship”, the ordinary formH4399properly, deputyship, i.e. ministry; generally, employment (never servile) or work (abstractly or concretely); also property (as the result of labor)business, [phrase] cattle, [phrase] industrious, occupation, ([phrase] -pied), [phrase] officer, thing (made), use, (manner of) work((-man), -manship).וְחֶצְיָ֗םvechetsyamand halfחֵצִיconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and half”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2677the half or middlehalf, middle, mid(-night), midst, part, two parts.מַחֲזִיקִים֙machaziqimbe constantחָזַקverb, hiphil, participle, absolute — “be constant”, a verb used as a describing wordH2388to fasten upon; hence, to seize, be strong (figuratively, courageous, causatively strengthen, cure, help, repair, fortify), obstinate; to bind, restrain, conqueraid, amend, [idiom] calker, catch, cleave, confirm, be constant, constrain, continue, be of good (take) courage(-ous, -ly), encourage (self), be established, fasten, force, fortify, make hard, harden, help, (lay) hold (fast), lean, maintai…וְהָרְמָחִ֣יםveharemachimand the bucklerרֹמַחconjunction, definite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “and the buckler”, the ordinary formH7420a lance (as thrown); especially the iron pointbuckler, javelin, lancet, spear.הַמָּגִנִּ֔יםhamaginimthe bucklerמָגֵןdefinite article, noun, common, both genders, plural, absolute — “the buckler”, the ordinary formH4043a shield (i.e. the small one or buckler); figuratively, a protector; also the scaly hide of the crocodile[idiom] armed, buckler, defence, ruler, [phrase] scale, shield.וְהַקְּשָׁת֖וֹתvehaqshatotand the bowקֶשֶׁתconjunction, definite article, noun, common, feminine, plural, absolute — “and the bow”, the ordinary formH7198a bow, forshooting (hence, figuratively, strength) or the iris[idiom] arch(-er), [phrase] arrow, bow(-man, -shot).וְהַשִּׁרְיֹנִ֑יםvehashiryonimand the breastplateשִׁרְיוֹןconjunction, definite article, noun, common, both genders, plural, absolute — “and the breastplate”, the ordinary formH8302a corslet (as if twisted)breastplate, coat of mail, habergeon, harness. See H5630 (סִרְיֹן).וְהַ֨שָּׂרִ֔יםvehasarimand the captainשַׂרconjunction, definite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “and the captain”, the ordinary formH8269a head person (of any rank or class)captain (that had rule), chief (captain), general, governor, keeper, lord,(-task-)master, prince(-ipal), ruler, steward.אַחֲרֵ֖יachareafterאַחַרpreposition — “after”H310properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, [phrase] out (over) live, [phrase] persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, the…כָּלkalallכֹּלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).בֵּ֥יתbeytfamilyבַּיִתnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “family”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1004a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web,…יְהוּדָֽהyehudahJudahיְהוּדָהnoun, proper name — “Judah”H3063Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territoryJudah.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(4-10) And it came to pass from that time forth, that half of my servants wrought in the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

And it came to pass from that time forth, that half of my servants wrought in the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.

Young’s Literal Translation

yea, it cometh to pass, from that day, half of my servants are working in the business, and half of them are keeping hold of both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the heads [are] behind all the house of Judah.

World English Bible

From that time forth, half of my servants did the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.

Darby Translation

And from that time forth the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held the spears, and the shields, and the bows, and the corslets; and the captains were behind all the house of Judah.

Douay-Rheims

And it came to pass from that day forward, that half of their young men did the work, and half were ready for to fight, with spears, and shields, and bows, and coats of mail, and the rulers were behind them in all the house of Juda.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And Juda said, The strength of the enemies is broken, yet there is much rubbish, and we shall not be able to build the wall.