Nehemiah 4:3
New International Version
Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!”

New Living Translation
Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!”

English Standard Version
Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Yes, what they are building—if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!”

Berean Standard Bible
Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “If even a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!”

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.”

New American Standard Bible
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him, and he said, “Even what they are building—if a fox were to jump on it, it would break their stone wall down!”

NASB 1995
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, “Even what they are building— if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!”

NASB 1977
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, “Even what they are building—if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!”

Legacy Standard Bible
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, “Even what they are building—if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!”

Amplified Bible
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Even what they are building—if a fox should get up on it, he would break down their stone wall.”

Christian Standard Bible
Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “Indeed, even if a fox climbed up what they are building, he would break down their stone wall! ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “Indeed, even if a fox climbed up what they are building, he would break down their stone wall!”

American Standard Version
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Tubia an Ammonite was standing with him and said: “However they build, I know that a fox may climb and overturn the stones of their wall!”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Tobias the Ammanite came near to him, and said to them, Do they sacrifice or eat in their place? shall not a fox go up and pull down their wall of stones?

Contemporary English Version
Tobiah from Ammon was standing beside Sanballat and said, "Look at the wall they are building! Why, even a fox could knock over this pile of stones."

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

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside Sanballat, said, "Even a fox would make their stone wall collapse if it walked on top of what they're building!"

Good News Translation
Tobiah was standing there beside him, and he added, "What kind of wall could they ever build? Even a fox could knock it down!"

International Standard Version
Tobiah the Ammonite stood to the side, commenting, "If a fox were to jump onto what they're building, it would collapse their stone wall!"

JPS Tanakh 1917
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.'

Literal Standard Version
And Tobiah the Ammonite [is] by him and says, “Also, that which they are building—if a fox goes up, then it has broken down their stone wall.”

Majority Standard Bible
Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “If even a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!”

New American Bible
Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said: “Whatever they are building—if a fox attacks it, it will breach their wall of stones!”

NET Bible
Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was close by, said, "If even a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!"

New Revised Standard Version
Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “That stone wall they are building—any fox going up on it would break it down!”

New Heart 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."

Webster's Bible Translation
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox should go up, he would even break 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.”

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.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Work is Ridiculed
2before his associates and the army of Samaria, saying, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Can they restore the wall by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?” 3Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “If even a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!” 4Hear us, O God, for we are despised. Turn their scorn back upon their own heads, and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 23:3
No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even to the tenth generation.

Lamentations 5:18
because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate, patrolled by foxes.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

Tobiah

Nehemiah 2:10,19
When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel…

Nehemiah 6:1
Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)

1 Kings 20:10,18
And Benhadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me…

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Ammonite Break Broken Build Building Climbed Fox Goes Side Stone Stones Tobiah Tobi'ah Wall
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Ammonite Break Broken Build Building Climbed Fox Goes Side Stone Stones Tobiah Tobi'ah Wall
Nehemiah 4
1. While the enemies scoff, Nehemiah prays and continues the work
7. Understanding the wrath and secrets of the enemy, he sets a watch
13. He arms the laborers
19. and gives military precepts














Verse 3. - Tobiah the Ammonite was by him. The presence of Tobiah on this occasion, before the alliance was made with the Ammonites (ver. 8), is a strong indication that his position was not one of independent authority, but of dependence upon Sanballat. There is nothing to show that he was more than a favourite slave of the Samaritan governor. A fox. Or, "a jackal," which would be more likely than a fox to stray over a ruined wall into a town.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then Tobiah
וְטוֹבִיָּ֥ה (wə·ṭō·w·ḇî·yāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2900: Tobiah -- 'Yah is my good', three Israelites, also an Ammonite

the Ammonite,
הָעַמֹּנִ֖י (hā·‘am·mō·nî)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 5984: Ammonite -- descendants of Ammon

who was beside him,
אֶצְל֑וֹ (’eṣ·lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 681: A joining together, proximity

said,
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“If
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

even
גַּ֚ם (gam)
Conjunction
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

a fox
שׁוּעָ֔ל (šū·‘āl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7776: Fox, perhaps jackal

were to climb up on
יַעֲלֶ֣ה (ya·‘ă·leh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

what
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

they
הֵ֣ם (hêm)
Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

are building,
בּוֹנִ֔ים (bō·w·nîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 1129: To build

it would break down
וּפָרַ֖ץ (ū·p̄ā·raṣ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6555: To break through

their wall
חוֹמַ֥ת (ḥō·w·maṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 2346: A wall of protection

of stones!”
אַבְנֵיהֶֽם׃ (’aḇ·nê·hem)
Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 68: A stone


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OT History: Nehemiah 4:3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him (Neh Ne)
Nehemiah 4:2
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