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 4:19KJV
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Nehemiah 4:19 (KJV)

What does Nehemiah 4:19 mean?

Nehemiah 4:19 records Nehemiah telling the leaders and people that the rebuilding work on Jerusalem’s wall is a huge task, and because the workers are spread out along the wall, they are far apart from each other. Nehemiah is highlighting the challenge of keeping everyone safe and coordinated while they work at a distance.

Nehemiah is speaking to the nobles, rulers, and the rest of the people as they rebuild Jerusalem’s wall under threat from enemies. The verse shows Nehemiah’s awareness of the practical difficulties: the wall is long, the work is demanding, and the people are scattered, making it harder to defend themselves if attacked. This sets up the need for careful communication and vigilance among the workers.

The Hebrew behind Nehemiah 4:19

  • "Great" (רַב, rav): This word means "large" or "numerous." Nehemiah uses it to stress the scale of the project, showing that rebuilding the wall is not a small or simple job.
  • "Large" (רָחָב, rachav): This word means "broad" or "spacious." It emphasizes that the wall covers a wide area, which increases the difficulty of keeping everyone connected and protected.
  • "Separated" (פָּרַד, parad): This word means "divided" or "spread apart." Nehemiah uses it to explain that the workers are not clustered together but are stationed at intervals, making unity and defense more challenging.

Why Nehemiah 4:19 matters

  • Nehemiah 4:19 helps readers understand the real, physical challenges the builders faced, not just spiritual or moral ones.
  • The verse shows Nehemiah’s leadership in recognizing risks and communicating clearly with the people, which is a key theme in the book.
  • By highlighting the separation of the workers, Nehemiah prepares the people for the instructions he gives in the next verses about how to respond if danger arises.

Where else these words appear

“nobles” Hebrew H2715 · used in 13 verses

  • 1 Kings 21:8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth.
  • Nehemiah 5:7 Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.
  • Ecclesiastes 10:17 Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

“rulers” Hebrew H5461 · used in 16 verses

  • Ezra 9:2 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.
  • Nehemiah 7:5 And my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first, and found written therein,
  • Jeremiah 51:28 Prepare against her the nations with the kings of the Medes, the captains thereof, and all the rulers thereof, and all the land of his dominion.

“large” Hebrew H7342 · used in 21 verses

  • Genesis 34:21 These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein; for the land, behold, it is large enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters.
  • Nehemiah 9:35 For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works.
  • Psalms 119:96 I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad.

“separated” Hebrew H6504 · used in 26 verses

  • Genesis 2:10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.
  • Deuteronomy 32:8 When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.
  • Psalms 22:14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.