King James Version

Nehemiah 4:2

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?

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Nehemiah 3:34.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “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…לִפְנֵ֣יlifneto a- foreפָּנִיםpreposition, noun, common, both genders, plural, construct — “to a- fore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…אֶחָ֗יוechayvbrother ; kindredאָחnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “brother ; kindred”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH251a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like father))another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other. Compare also the proper names beginning with 'Ah-' or 'Ahi-'.וְחֵיל֙vecheyland armyחֵילconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “and army”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2426an army; also (by analogy,) an intrenchmentarmy, bulwark, host, [phrase] poor, rampart, trench, wall.שֹֽׁמְר֔וֹןshomeronSamariaשֹׁמְרוֹןnoun, proper name — “Samaria”H8111Shomeron, a place in PalestineSamaria.וַיֹּ֕אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “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…מָ֛הmahhowמָהparticle, 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.הַיְּהוּדִ֥יםhayhudimthe Jewיְהוּדִיdefinite article, noun, gentilic, masculine, plural, absolute — “the Jew”, the ordinary formH3064a Jehudite (i.e. Judaite or Jew), or descendant of Jehudah (i.e. Judah)Jew.הָאֲמֵלָלִ֖יםhaamelalimthe feebleאֲמֵלָלdefinite article, adjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “the feeble”, the ordinary formH537languidfeeble.עֹשִׂ֑יםosimdoעָשָׂהverb, 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…הֲיַעַזְב֨וּhayaazvvcommit selfעָזַבparticle, interrogative, verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “commit self”, an unfinished actionH5800to loosen, i.e. relinquish, permit, etc.commit self, fail, forsake, fortify, help, leave (destitute, off), refuse, [idiom] surely.לָהֶ֤םlahemtoלָהֶ֤םpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “to”toהֲיִזְבָּ֨חוּ֙hayizbachvsacrificeזָבַחparticle, interrogative, verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “sacrifice”, an unfinished actionH2076to slaughter an animal (usually in sacrifice)kill, offer, (do) sacrifice, slay.הַיְכַלּ֣וּhaykhalvthe ceaseכָּלָהparticle, interrogative, verb, piel, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “the cease”, an unfinished actionH3615to end, whether intransitive (to cease, be finished, perish) or transitived (to complete, prepare, consume)accomplish, cease, consume (away), determine, destroy (utterly), be (when... were) done, (be an) end (of), expire, (cause to) fail, faint, finish, fulfil, [idiom] fully, [idiom] have, leave (off), long, bring to pass, wholly reap, make cle…בַיּ֔וֹםvayomin as long asיוֹםpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in 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…הַיְחַיּ֧וּhaychayvthe liveחָיָהparticle, interrogative, verb, piel, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “the live”, an unfinished actionH2421to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revivekeep (leave, make) alive, [idiom] certainly, give (promise) life, (let, suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken, recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, ([idiom] God) save (alive, life, lives), [idiom] surely, be whole.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).הָאֲבָנִ֛יםhaavanimthe stoneאֶבֶןdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, plural, absolute — “the stone”, the ordinary formH68a stone[phrase] carbuncle, [phrase] mason, [phrase] plummet, (chalk-, hail-, head-, sling-) stone(-ny), (divers) weight(-s).מֵעֲרֵמ֥וֹתmearemotfrom sheafעָרֵםpreposition, noun, common, feminine, plural, construct — “from sheaf”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6194a heap; specifically, a sheafheap (of corn), sheaf.הֶעָפָ֖רheafarthe dustעָפָרdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the dust”, the ordinary formH6083dust (as powdered or gray); hence, clay, earth, mudashes, dust, earth, ground, morter, powder, rubbish.וְהֵ֥מָּהvehemahand theyהֵםconjunction, pronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and they”H1992they (only used when emphatic)it, like, [idiom] (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, [idiom] so, [idiom] such, their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.שְׂרוּפֽוֹתserufotburn , up) kindleשָׂרַףverb, qal, passive participle, absolute — “burn , up) kindle”, a verb used as a describing wordH8313to be (causatively, set) on fire(cause to, make a) burn((-ing), up) kindle, [idiom] utterly.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(3-34) And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said: 'What do these feeble Jews? will they restore at will? will they sacrifice? will they make an end this day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, seeing they are burned?'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

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?

Young’s Literal Translation

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!'

World English Bible

He spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, since they are burned?”

Darby Translation

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?

Douay-Rheims

And said before his brethren, and the multitude of the Samaritans: What are the silly Jews doing? Will the Gentiles let them alone? will they sacrifice and make an end in a day? are they able to raise stones out of the heaps of the rubbish, which are burnt?

American Standard Version (1901)

Young’s Literal Translation

World English Bible

Darby Translation

Douay-Rheims

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

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