And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.

NEHEMIAH 4:5KJV
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Nehemiah 4:5 (KJV)

What does Nehemiah 4:5 mean?

Nehemiah 4:5 records Nehemiah’s prayer asking God not to forgive the wrongdoing of his enemies, but instead to remember their sins because they have angered God in front of those rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls. Nehemiah is expressing deep frustration at the opposition and asking God for justice rather than mercy for those who are trying to stop the rebuilding work.

Nehemiah is speaking directly to God, praying about the people who are mocking and threatening the Jewish builders. The situation is tense: outsiders are trying to discourage and frighten those working to restore Jerusalem. Nehemiah’s words show how seriously he takes this opposition, seeing it not just as an attack on the people, but as an offense against God Himself.

The Hebrew behind Nehemiah 4:5

  • "cover" (כָּסָה, kasah): This word often means to conceal or forgive, as in covering over sin. Nehemiah asks God not to cover their iniquity, meaning not to overlook or pardon it.
  • "iniquity" (עָוֹן, avon): This term refers to guilt or wrongdoing, especially moral guilt. Nehemiah is focused on the seriousness of their actions, not just mistakes but deep moral offenses.
  • "sin" (חַטָּאָה, chatta’ah): This is a general word for sin or missing the mark. Nehemiah asks that their sin not be "blotted out," meaning not erased from God’s sight.
  • "out" (מָחָה, machah): This word means to wipe away or erase, like erasing writing from a scroll. Nehemiah is asking God not to erase their record of sin, emphasizing his desire for accountability.
  • "anger" (כָּעַס, ka’as): This word means to provoke or anger. Nehemiah says the enemies have provoked God to anger, showing that their opposition is not just against people but against God’s purposes.

Why Nehemiah 4:5 matters

  • Nehemiah 4:5 shows the emotional and spiritual intensity of the rebuilding effort, highlighting how opposition was seen as a direct challenge to God’s will.
  • The verse clarifies that Nehemiah’s prayer is not just personal frustration but a plea for divine justice, rooted in the belief that the enemies’ actions are morally serious.
  • This verse connects to the larger theme of Nehemiah: the rebuilding of Jerusalem is not just a physical project but a spiritual mission, with real consequences for those who oppose it.

Where else these words appear

“out” Hebrew H4229 · used in 32 verses

  • Genesis 6:7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
  • Deuteronomy 25:19 Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.
  • Psalms 109:13 Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.

“anger” Hebrew H3707 · used in 53 verses

  • Deuteronomy 4:25 When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger:
  • 1 Kings 22:53 For he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.
  • Ecclesiastes 7:9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

“cover” Hebrew H3680 · used in 149 verses

  • Genesis 7:19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.
  • Judges 4:19 And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.
  • Proverbs 24:31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.