ויאמר לֹא־טֹ֥וב הַדָּבָ֖ר אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֣ם עֹשִׂ֑ים הֲלֹ֞וא בְּיִרְאַ֤ת אֱלֹהֵ֨ינוּ֙ תֵּלֵ֔כוּ מֵחֶרְפַּ֖ת הַגֹּויִ֥ם אֹויְבֵֽינוּ׃
Nehemiah 5:9 is a direct moral rebuke wrapped in rhetorical craftsmanship. When Nehemiah says, הֲלֹ֞וא בְּיִרְאַ֤ת אֱלֹהֵ֨ינוּ֙ תֵּלֵ֔כוּ, he uses a classic Hebrew interrogative structure to confront rather than merely question. The particle הֲלֹא (ha-lō) introduces a rhetorical question expecting a positive answer, designed to intensify the ethical pressure on the listener. In Biblical Hebrew, such rhetorical devices are grammatically simple but emotionally potent.
This article examines how הֲלֹא functions in biblical dialogue and how Nehemiah’s syntax heightens the moral appeal by placing יִרְאַת אֱלֹהֵינוּ at the very center of the question.
Literal Translation
“And he said, ‘The thing you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God, because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?’”
Word-by-Word Morphology
- ויאמר (vayyōmer) –
Root: א־מ־ר;
Form: wayyiqtol 3ms;
Translation: “And he said” - לֹא־טֹוב (lō-ṭov) –
Root: ט־ו־ב;
Form: negative particle + adjective;
Translation: “not good” - הַדָּבָר (haddāvār) –
Root: ד־ב־ר;
Form: noun with definite article;
Translation: “the thing” - אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּם עֹשִׂים (ʾăsher-ʾattem ʿōsīm) –
Root: ע־שׂ־ה;
Form: relative pronoun + pronoun + participle;
Translation: “which you are doing” - הֲלֹא (halōʾ) –
Root: – ;
Form: interrogative particle + negative;
Translation: “Should you not…?”;
Notes: Used rhetorically to expect a “yes” answer. - בְּיִרְאַת אֱלֹהֵינוּ (beyirʾat ʾĕlōhēnū) –
Root: י־ר־א;
Form: preposition + construct noun + possessive;
Translation: “in the fear of our God” - תֵּלֵכוּ (tēlēkū) –
Root: ה־ל־ך;
Form: Qal imperfect 2mp;
Translation: “you should walk” - מֵחֶרְפַּת הַגֹּויִם (mēḥerpat haggôyim) –
Root: ח־ר־פ;
Form: preposition + construct noun + article + plural noun;
Translation: “because of the reproach of the nations” - אֹויְבֵינוּ (ʾōyvênū) –
Root: א־י־ב;
Form: participle with 1cp suffix;
Translation: “our enemies”
Function of הֲלֹא in Biblical Rhetoric
The phrase הֲלֹא תֵלֵכוּ is not asking for information—it’s issuing a challenge. This interrogative construction is common in moral and prophetic contexts, designed to assert what ought to be. Other examples include:
- הֲלֹא אָח הוּא לְךָ – “Is he not your brother?” (Genesis 27:36)
- הֲלֹא יָרֵאתָ מֵאֱלֹהִים – “Do you not fear God?” (Job 15:4)
In each case, the speaker is not seeking knowledge but making a forceful point.
Walking in the Fear of God: A Moral Imperative
The Hebrew idiom לָלֶכֶת בְּיִרְאַת יְהוָה is more than religious conduct—it’s covenantal ethics. To “walk in the fear of God” means to order life according to reverence, justice, and accountability. Nehemiah contrasts this divine order with the shame brought by the nations (חֶרְפַּת הַגּוֹיִם), reinforcing the communal dimension of obedience.
Grammar That Confronts
Nehemiah’s rebuke fuses declarative syntax (“It is not good…”) with rhetorical questioning (“Should you not walk…?”). The shift from third-person description to second-person confrontation marks a shift from analysis to urgency. The grammar mirrors the structure of a courtroom accusation: stating the facts, then demanding an answer.
In Biblical Hebrew, הֲלֹא doesn’t just ask—it calls the soul to account. And in this verse, the answer is not spoken but assumed. The people are guilty not of ignorance, but of failing to walk where fear should have led them.
