King James Version

Nehemiah 4:21

So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Nehemiah 4:15.

וַאֲנַ֖חְנוּvaanachnvand weאֲנַחְנוּconjunction, pronoun, personal, 1st person, common, plural — “and we”H587weourselves, us, we.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…בַּמְּלָאכָ֑הbamlakhahin 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…בָּֽרְמָחִ֔יםbaremachimin bucklerרֹמַחpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “in buckler”, the ordinary formH7420a lance (as thrown); especially the iron pointbuckler, javelin, lancet, spear.מֵעֲל֣וֹתmealotfrom ascend upעָלָהpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “from ascend up”, the to-form of the verbH5927to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurativearise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, [phrase] shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make t…הַשַּׁ֔חַרhashacharthe earlyשַׁחַרdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the early”, the ordinary formH7837dawn (literal, figurative or adverbial)day(-spring), early, light, morning, whence riseth.עַ֖דadevenעַדpreposition — “even”H5704as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)against, and, as, at, before, by (that), even (to), for(-asmuch as), (hither-) to, [phrase] how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that, till, toward, until, when, while, ([phrase] as) yet.צֵ֥אתtsetbring forthיָצָאverb, qal, infinitive construct — “bring forth”, the to-form of the verbH3318to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.[idiom] after, appear, [idiom] assuredly, bear out, [idiom] begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), [phrase] be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail…הַכּוֹכָבִֽיםhakokhavimthe starכּוֹכָבdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the star”, the ordinary formH3556a star (as round or as shining); figuratively, a princestar(-gazer).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(4-15) So we wrought in the work; and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

So we wrought in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.

Young’s Literal Translation

And we are working in the business, and half of them are keeping hold of the spears, from the going up of the dawn till the coming forth of the stars.

World English Bible

So we did the work. Half of the people held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.

Darby Translation

And we laboured in the work; and half of them held the spears from the rising of the dawn till the stars appeared.

Douay-Rheims

And let us do the work: and let one half of us hold our spears from the rising of the morning, till the stars appear.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)