And our enemies said, “They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The enemies aren't just planning an attack; they're plotting a surprise attack, counting on their enemies' ignorance and inability to see their approach. Their entire strategy hinges on catching the builders completely off guard, believing the element of complete surprise will guarantee their victory.
And our enemies said, “They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The enemies of Jerusalem, enraged by the progress of the wall repairs, aren't just grumbling; they're actively plotting a surprise attack. This verse reveals their secret plan: to infiltrate the city unnoticed and kill the builders, effectively halting all construction. Nehemiah, informed of this threat, is about to implement defensive measures, organizing both workers and guards to face this imminent danger.
Imagine you're working hard on a project, feeling a sense of progress, when suddenly you hear whispers of a hidden plot. That's the tension Nehemiah faced.
The adversaries weren't just angry; they were cunning. Their plan, revealed in verse 11, was to strike without warning.
The Goal:
This wasn't an open declaration of war but a secret conspiracy. They intended to exploit any perceived weakness, striking when the builders were most vulnerable and unaware.
When faced with such a sinister plot, what's the wisest course of action? Nehemiah's response was a powerful blend of faith and practical action.
The immediate threat prompted Nehemiah to rally his people, not just with words, but with a concrete plan.
A Two-Pronged Defense:
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This combination shows us that faith and action are not opposites, but partners in overcoming adversity.
Understand the original words
tsarar · Hebrew Noun
Opponents or adversaries who oppose God's people or His purposes. In Scripture, this often represents those who stand against the divine will, requiring vigilance and trust in the Lord for deliverance.
melakah · Hebrew Noun
The general labor, service, or business commanded by God or undertaken in His name. It signifies both human effort and divine mandate, emphasizing stewardship and obedience in fulfilling one's calling.
This verse highlights a critical moment of escalating threat during the wall reconstruction, revealing the enemy's desperate and violent intentions to halt God's work through a surprise attack.
c. 457 BC
Ezra's Reforms and Return
Ezra leads a group of Jewish exiles back to Jerusalem, focusing on religious reform and the restoration of worship.
c. 445 BC
Nehemiah Appointed Governor
King Artaxerxes I of Persia appoints Nehemiah, a Jewish cupbearer, as governor of Judah, empowering him to rebuild Jerusalem's walls.
c. 445 BC
Rebuilding of Jerusalem's Walls Begins
Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem and, despite initial opposition, rallies the people to begin the urgent task of rebuilding the city walls.
c. 445 BC— this verse
Concerted Opposition Arises
Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and others express anger and begin plotting to disrupt and halt the wall construction.
c. 445 BC
Enemy Plot to Attack Revealed
Nehemiah learns of a plot where enemies planned to infiltrate Jerusalem secretly, kill the builders, and stop the work entirely.
c. 445 BC
Vigilance and Defense Measures
Nehemiah organizes a defensive strategy, stationing guards and having builders work with weapons at hand, ready to fight.
This passage describes the rulers of the earth conspiring against the Lord and His anointed, mirroring the secret plot of Nehemiah's enemies who sought to destroy the work of God and silence His people.
Psalm 35:4The psalmist prays for his enemies to be confounded and put to shame, which directly relates to the hidden, malevolent intentions of Nehemiah's adversaries who wished for the people's destruction and the work's cessation.
Matthew 13:25In Jesus' parable of the sower, the enemy comes at night to sow weeds among the wheat, illustrating the tactic of secret, destructive action against a good work, much like Nehemiah's enemies planned to surprise and harm the builders.
1 Thessalonians 5:2-3This passage speaks of the Day of the Lord coming like a thief in the night, a concept that echoes the surprise attack planned by Nehemiah's enemies who intended to strike when the people were unaware and vulnerable.
ellicottNehemiah 4:11: "And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease."
(11) They shall not know. —As to the adversaries, their plan was evidently to watch and surprise, instead of making the threatened attack.
cambridgeNehemiah 4:11: "And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease."
11 . our adversaries said ] ‘adversaries,’ cf. Ezra 4:1 . After mentioning the source of weakness within the walls, Nehemiah describes the danger from without. ‘Said.’ He gives, as if in their own words, their secret project of a surprise attack upon Jerusalem, either reporting the information brought by spies or describing by imagination…
The enemies aren't just planning an attack; they're plotting a surprise attack, counting on their enemies' ignorance and inability to see their approach. Their entire strategy hinges on catching the builders completely off guard, believing the element of complete surprise will guarantee their victory.
The enemies of Jerusalem, enraged by the progress of the wall repairs, aren't just grumbling; they're actively plotting a surprise attack. This verse reveals their secret plan: to infiltrate the city unnoticed and kill the builders, effectively halting all construction. Nehemiah, informed of this threat, is about to implement defensive measures, organizing both workers and guards to face this imminent danger.
The enemies of Jerusalem, enraged by the progress of the wall repairs, aren't just grumbling; they're actively plotting a surprise attack. This verse reveals their secret plan: to infiltrate the city unnoticed and kill the builders, effectively halting all construction. Nehemiah, informed of this threat, is about to implement defensive measures, organizing both workers and guards to face this imminent danger.
"And our enemies said, “They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.”" — The enemies aren't just planning an attack; they're plotting a surprise attack, counting on their enemies' ignorance and inability to see their approach. Their entire strategy hinges on catching th…
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Last reviewed October 2026