With one of his hands he performed the work while the other held his weapon
Also engaged in the work and its construction, while at the same time laboring to defend himself from his enemies. An expression praising the diligence and determination of the settlers in the land (means weapon, sling, or sword).
("Those who built the wall and those who carried burdens, with one of his hands he performed the work while the other held his weapon"—Nehemiah 4:11. And also: "Only the weaklings and the common folk, who see with a fly’s eye, would dare belittle the image of this ‘book and sword’ generation, a band of brave and determined Torah scholars, whose one hand held the weapon and the other carved in the cliffs and hewed in the rocks." —Bialik, Our Young Poetry, A)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
בְּאַחַת יָדוֹ עֹשֶׂה בַמְּלָאכָה וְאַחַת מַחֲזֶקֶת הַשָּׁלַח
Definition (Hebrew)
עָסוּק בִּמְלָאכָה וּבְנִיָּה, וּבָהּ בָּעֵת עָמֵל לַהֲגַנָּתוֹ מֵאוֹיְבָיו. בִּטּוּי בְּשֶׁבַח חֲרִיצוּתָם וּנְחִישׁוּתָם שֶׁל הַמִּתְיַשְּׁבִים בָּאָרֶץ (שֶׁלַח=נֶשֶׁק, אֶבֶן קָלַע אוֹ חֶרֶב).
("הַבּוֹנִים בַּחוֹמָה וְהַנֹּשְׂאִים בַּסֶּבֶל עֹמְשִׂים בְּאַחַת יָדוֹ עֹשֶׂה בַמְּלָאכָה וְאַחַת מַחֲזֶקֶת הַשָּׁלַח"- נְחֶמְיָה ד יָא, וְכֵן:"רַק הַדַּרְדַּקִּין וְעַמִּי- הָאָרֶץ, שֶׁעֵינָם עַיִן זְבוּב, יָעֵזוּ לְמַעֵט אֶת דְּמוּתוֹ שֶׁל דּוֹר "סִפְרָא וְסֵיפָא" זֶה, חֲבוּרַת "תַּלְמִידֵי-חֲכָמִים" מָרִי לֵב וְעַזֵּי נֶפֶשׁ, שֶׁיָּדָם הָאַחַת הָיְתָה מְחַזֶּקֶת הַשֶּׁלַח וְהַשְּׁנִיָּה חוֹצֶבֶת בנקיקים וְקוֹדֶרֶת בסלעים"-בְּיָאלִיק/ שִׁירָתֵנוּ הַצְּעִירָה, א)