Nehemiah 4:19

Neh 4:19 And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work [is] great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.

Ver. 19. And I said unto the nobles, &c. ] Nehemiah, the more a man observeth him the more he shall admire him. Surely he was (as Velleius saith of Cato Major) homo virtuti simillimus, a man as like virtue as might be; he was (as Pliny saith of the same Cato) optimus Orator, optimus Imperator, optimus Senator, omniumque bonarum artium Magister, an excellent orator, an exeellent general, an excellent statesman, a master of all good arts whatsoever. He had cropped off the very tops of all virtues, as Pindarus saith of Jerome ( δρεπων κορνφας αρετων απο πασων ), and as Melancthon saith of Frederick, the elector of Saxony. From the builders here he turneth him to the nobles and rulers, &c., whom he would not have to be carpet knights, fitter for a canopy than a camp, for language than a lance, &c., but active in their orb, and ready pressed to serve in watching, warding, and preparing things necessary for the workmen.

The work is great and large ] The compass of the walls at this time is thought by good writers to be certain miles about; and yet was enlarged as much afterwards by Herod.

And we are separated upon the wall ] According to our divisions, noted Nehemiah 3:1 , &c., and this is a weapon in the hand of our enemies; for dum pugnamus singuli, vincimur universi, being dispersed, we are much disadvantaged.