Nehemiah 4:17 (YLT)

Passage

The builders on the wall, and the bearers of the burden, those lading, <FI>each<Fi> with one of his hands is working in the business, and one is laying hold of the missile.

Nearby Context

Nehemiah 4:15 And it cometh to pass, when our enemies have heard that it hath been known to us, and God doth frustrate their counsel, and we turn back, all of us, unto the wall, each unto his work;

Nehemiah 4:16 yea, it cometh to pass, from that day, half of my servants are working in the business, and half of them are keeping hold of both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the heads <FI>are<Fi> behind all the house of Judah.

Nehemiah 4:17 The builders on the wall, and the bearers of the burden, those lading, <FI>each<Fi> with one of his hands is working in the business, and one is laying hold of the missile.

Nehemiah 4:18 And the builders <FI>are<Fi> each with his sword, girded on his loins, and building, and he who is blowing with a trumpet <FI>is<Fi> beside me.

Nehemiah 4:19 And I say unto the freemen, and unto the prefects, and unto the rest of the people, `The work is abundant, and large, and we are separated on the wall, far off one from another;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "builders", "wall", "bearers", "burden", "lading", "each", "hands", and "working". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "builders" and "wall", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "yea it cometh to pass from that..." into verse 18's "And the builders FI are Fi each...", so "builders" and "wall" belong inside that flow. In Nehemiah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "builders" and "wall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.