KJV ORIGINAL
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.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was standing next to him, and he said, 'What they're building is so weak that even if a fox climbed up on it, the fox would knock down their stone wall.'
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
Tobiah is mocking the Jewish workers by saying their wall is so poorly built that even a small fox could knock it down.
📚 Historical Context
This takes place around 445 BC when Nehemiah was leading the Jews in rebuilding Jerusalem's walls after their return from Babylonian exile. Tobiah was an Ammonite official who, along with others, opposed the reconstruction project because a fortified Jerusalem would threaten their political influence in the region.
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