King James Version

Nehemiah 4:3

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.

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In the Hebrew text this line is Nehemiah 3:35.

וְטוֹבִיָּ֥הvetoviyahand Tobijahטוֹבִיָּהconjunction, noun, proper name — “and Tobijah”H2900Tobijah, the name of three Israelites and of one SamaritanTobiah, Tobijah.הָעַמֹּנִ֖יhaamonithe Ammoniteעַמּוֹנִיdefinite article, noun, gentilic, masculine, singular, absolute — “the Ammonite”, the ordinary formH5984an Ammonite or (the adjective) AmmonitishAmmonite(-s).אֶצְל֑וֹetslvonearאֵצֶלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “near”H681a side; (as a preposition) nearat, (hard) by, (from) (beside), near (unto), toward, with. See also H1018 (בֵּית הָאֵצֶל).וַיֹּ֗אמֶרvayomerand 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…גַּ֚םgamalsoגַּםparticle, affirmation — “also”H1571properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...andagain, alike, also, (so much) as (soon), both (so)...and, but, either...or, even, for all, (in) likewise (manner), moreover, nay...neither, one, then(-refore), though, what, with, yea.אֲשֶׁרasherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, 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,…הֵ֣םhemtheyהֵםpronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “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.בּוֹנִ֔יםbonimbuildבָּנָהverb, qal, participle, absolute — “build”, a verb used as a describing wordH1129to build (literally and figuratively)(begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make, repair, set (up), [idiom] surely.אִםimoh thatאִםconjunction — “oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…יַעֲלֶ֣הyaalehascend upעָלָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “ascend up”, an unfinished actionH5927to 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…שׁוּעָ֔לshualfoxשׁוּעָלnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “fox”, the ordinary formH7776a jackal (as a burrower)fox.וּפָרַ֖ץufaratsand breakפָּרַץconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and break”, a completed action in a sequenceH6555to break out (in many applications, direct and indirect, literal and figurative)[idiom] abroad, (make a) breach, break (away, down, -er, forth, in, up), burst out, come (spread) abroad, compel, disperse, grow, increase, open, press, scatter, urge.חוֹמַ֥תchomatwallחוֹמָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “wall”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2346a wall of protectionwall, walled.אַבְנֵיהֶֽםavneyhemstoneאֶבֶןnoun, common, feminine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “stone”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH68a stone[phrase] carbuncle, [phrase] mason, [phrase] plummet, (chalk-, hail-, head-, sling-) stone(-ny), (divers) weight(-s).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(3-35) Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said: 'Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall break down their stone wall.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they are building, if a fox go up, he shall break down their stone wall.

Young’s Literal Translation

And Tobiah the Ammonite [is] by him and saith, 'Also, that which they are building — if a fox doth go up, then it hath broken down their stone wall.'

World English Bible

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, “What they are building, if a fox climbed up it, he would break down their stone wall.”

Darby Translation

And Tobijah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox went up, it would break down their stone wall. —

Douay-Rheims

Tobias also the Ammonite who was by him said: Let them build: if a fox go up, he will leap over their stone wall.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)