Threats can't stop the work
When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work.
16 From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah 17 who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, 18 and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.
After the enemies had revealed their cowardice and called off their attack, Nehemiah and his people could leave their battle stations and return to work. But because of the treachery of the enemy, they had to stay on permanent alert to guard against a sneak attack.
Nehemiah took a number of security precautions. Half the workforce was put on guard duty. Other workers carried weapons as they worked. A trumpeter was to sound the alarm in case there was an attack.