And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.

Cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thy face, because they have mocked thy builders.

And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee; for they have provoked the builders.

and do not cover over their iniquity, and their sin from before Thee let not be blotted out, for they have provoked to anger, over-against those building.

Let not their wrongdoing be covered or their sin washed away from before you: for they have made you angry before the builders.

and cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before Thee; for they have vexed Thee before the builders.

May you not conceal their iniquity, and may their sin not be wiped away, before your face, for they have ridiculed those who are building.

Let not their sin be blotted out - These are the most terrible imprecations; but probably we should understand them as declaratory, for the same form of the verb, in the Hebrew, is used as precative and imperative. Turn their reproach - Their reproach shall be turned. Give them for a prey - They shall be given for a prey. Cover not their iniquity - Their iniquity shall not be covered. Let not their sin be blotted out - Their sin shall not be blotted out. All who know the genius of the Hebrew language, know that the future tense is used to express all these senses. Besides, we may rest assured that Nehemiah's curses, or declaration of God's judgments, had respect only to their bodies, and to their life: not to their souls and the world to come. And then they amount to no more than this: What a man soweth that he shall reap.

And cover not their (e) iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked [thee] to anger before the builders.
(e) Let the plagues declare to the world that they set themselves against you and your Church: that he prays only having respect for God's glory and not for any private affection, or grudge.

And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee,.... Let it not go unpunished, and even let it not be pardoned; which is spoken, not from a private spirit of revenge, but from a public spirit for the glory of God, and his justice; and not as a mere imprecation, but as a prophecy of what would be the case, in like manner as many of David's petitions in the Psalm; and for this there was a good foundation, since God had threatened the Moabites and Ammonites with utter destruction:
for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders; by despising his people, and mocking at the work the Lord had called them to; and this they did publicly, and on purpose to discourage the workmen.

Cover not - Let their wickedness be in thy sight, so as to bring down judgments upon them, that either they may be reformed, or others may be warned by their example. God is said to cover or hide sin when he forbears to punish it. Provoked thee - They have not only provoked us builders, but thee also.