And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they finish in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?
All Commentaries on Nehemiah 4:2 Go To Nehemiah 4
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Multitude. Hebrew and Septuagint, "army. "(Calmet)
Silly. Literally, "feeble. "(Haydock)
Sacrifice, at the dedication. (Tirinus)
Day, in so short a time, as their present vigorous proceedings seem to promise, notwithstanding their feeble condition, and the paucity of their numbers. (Haydock)
But no: we shall have time enough to hinder them, (Menochius) if the nature of their materials do it not for us. (Haydock)
Raise. Hebrew, "revive "a word used for reparations of walls (Calmet) (Delrio, adag. 221.)
Septuagint, "heal. "God's providence did not permit the enemy to rage, till the work was greatly advanced; so infidels laugh at the attempts of poor priests to restore religion, which nevertheless flourishes. (Worthington)