This paragraph breaks into three sections (parallel to the structure of the previous paragraph). The first describes how the enemies connived together to increase pressure on the Jews through threats of attack and planting subversion within the Jewish community (Nehemiah 4:7–12). The second records Nehemiah’s response to their plotting (Nehemiah 4:13–20). This section in turn breaks down into two parts: first the initial response (Nehemiah 4:13–14) and then, as Nehemiah and his people got used to the new normal, a restructuring of assignments so as to ensure greater productivity (Nehemiah 4:15–20). The final section sums up the atmosphere in which the people of Judah continued the work on the wall (Nehemiah 4:21–23).
7 But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry.