John Trapp on Nehemiah 4:14

Verſe 14. And I looked, and roſe up) Et vidi, & ſurrexi, & dixi, ſo the original runs. He ſaw the enemy a coming, he ſtarted up; and he made this excellent exhortation: which puts me in minde of that which one once ſaid of Julius Caeſar, Si acta ejus penitus ignoraſſes, per linguam tauen militem eſſe diceres. If you had never known him to have been a ſouldier; yet hear him but ſpeak only, and you will conclude him to be one.

And ſaid unto the Nobles] In a ſhort, but pithy Oration: ſuch as was that of Joab, 2 Sam. 10.12. (of which Pellican ſaith, Non potuit vox duce dignior cogitari, as brave a ſpeech as a man could make) Or that of Hunniades about to joyne battel with the Turks (ſee Turk. Hiſt. fol. 272.) Or laſtly, that of the Prince of Orange at the battel of Newport; where they had the Sea on one ſide, and the Spaniards on the other. If, ſaid he, you will live, you muſt either eate up theſe Spaniards, or drink up this Sea. So here, Either you muſt fight luſtily, or all you have is forfeited aſſuredly.

Be not ye afraid of them] Away with that cowardly paſſion, which unmans a man, & rectam tollit de cardine mentem, robs him of all power and policy.

Remember the Lord] Whom he that feareth needs fear none elſe: The name of the Lord is a ſtrong tower, &c.

Who is great and terrible] For the defence of his people, and offence of his enemies. The Lord is a man of war; Exod. 15.3. Yea, he alone is a whole army of men, Van and Reare both, Eſay 52.12. And may better ſay to his ſouldiers then Antigonus did to his, when they were afraid of the enemies numbers, How many do ye reckon me for?

And fight for your brethren] Whether by Race, or Religion.

Your ſonnes and your daughters] Thoſe [non-Latin text not transcribed], as the Greeks call them, Chariſſimi; as the Latines; deareſt pledges.

Your wives and your houſes] In the laſt Commandment houſes are ſet firſt before wives, becauſe a houſe is to be firſt provided; neither will a wiſe man take a wife before he hath an houſe. Here wives are ſet before houſes; becauſe far more precious, and a maine part of a mans ſelf, Epheſ. 5.28. Houſe and riches are the inheritance of the fathers, but a prudent wife is of the Lord, Prov. 19.14. She was on of the firſt real and royal gifts beſtowed by God upon Adam. By the way note, that if men may fight for their civil right to their houſes and lands, have they not as good warrant to fight for their Religion, eſpecially ſince they have the Lawes of the Land for it; and beſides, a civil right at leaſt to the outward peaceable profeſſion and practiſe of it? The Athenians themſelves (though their Religion was no better then ſuperſtition, Acts 17.22.) Yet they bound themſelves by a publike and ſolemne oath, to defend it to the utmoſt. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. The words of the oath were theſe; I will fight for the Temples and holy rites, both alone, and with others.