Nehemiah’s account of what happened in Jerusalem thus far in relation to the rebuilding of the city’s broken wall suggests considerable harmony among the population. With the present phrase, Nehemiah tells us that a riot had been occurring behind the scenes, which now spilled into the open. The term outcry
denotes a public cry for help, a wail of distress. The term great
communicates that the outcry was widespread among the population.
1 Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers.