Nehemiah 4:16 asv — And it came to pass from that time forth, that half of my servants wrought in the work, and half of them held the spear…

American Standard Version

"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. "

— Nehemiah 4:16, American Standard Version

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Nehemiah 4:16 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “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.”

  • WEB

    “It happened from that time forth, that half of my servants worked 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.”

  • NET

    “From that day forward, half of my men were doing the work and half of them were taking up spears, shields, bows, and body armor. Now the officers were behind all the people of Judah”

  • DRB

    “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.”

  • BBE

    “And from that time, half of my servants were doing their part of the work, and half kept the spears and body-covers and the bows and the metal war-dresses; and the chiefs were at the back of the men of Judah.”

  • KJVA

    “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.”

Nehemiah 4 — Context

13

Therefore set I in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places, I set there the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

14

And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

15

And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.

16

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.

17

They that builded the wall and they that bare burdens laded themselves; every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other held his weapon;

18

and the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.

19

And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another:

Nehemiah 4:16 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Nehemiah 4:16 say?
Nehemiah 4:16 in the American Standard Version reads: “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. ”
Where is Nehemiah 4:16 in the Bible?
Nehemiah 4:16 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Nehemiah, chapter 4, verse 16.
Who wrote Nehemiah?
Nehemiah is traditionally attributed to Nehemiah (largely from his memoirs). It was written c. 445–425 BC.
What is the book of Nehemiah about?
Nehemiah, cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes, leads the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls against fierce opposition. The book combines stirring leadership with covenant renewal, ending with reform of priesthood, sabbath, and intermarriage.
What are the major themes of Nehemiah?
Nehemiah explores themes including Leadership, Prayer, Rebuilding, Opposition, Covenant Renewal. These themes shape the meaning and context of Nehemiah 4:16.
What translation should I read Nehemiah 4:16 in?
Nehemiah 4:16 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Nehemiah 4:16?
Nehemiah 4:16 reads (ASV): “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. ” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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