1 Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, H5571 and Tobiah, H2900 and Geshem H1654 the Arabian, H6163 and the rest H3499 of our enemies, H341 heard H8085 that I had builded H1129 the wall, H2346 and that there was no breach H6556 left H3498 therein; (though H1571 H5704 at that time H6256 I had not set up H5975 the doors H1817 upon the gates;) H8179
2 That Sanballat H5571 and Geshem H1654 sent H7971 unto me, saying, H559 Come, H3212 let us meet H3259 together H3162 in some one of the villages H3715 in the plain H1237 of Ono. H207 But they thought H2803 to do H6213 me mischief. H7451
3 And I sent H7971 messengers H4397 unto them, saying, H559 I am doing H6213 a great H1419 work, H4399 so that I cannot H3201 come down: H3381 why should the work H4399 cease, H7673 whilst H834 I leave H7503 it, and come down H3381 to you?
4 Yet they sent H7971 unto me four H702 times H6471 after this sort; H1697 and I answered H7725 them after the same manner. H1697
5 Then sent H7971 Sanballat H5571 his servant H5288 unto me in like manner H1697 the fifth H2549 time H6471 with an open H6605 letter H107 in his hand; H3027
6 Wherein was written, H3789 It is reported H8085 among the heathen, H1471 and Gashmu H1654 saith H559 it, that thou and the Jews H3064 think H2803 to rebel: H4775 for which cause H3651 thou buildest H1129 the wall, H2346 that thou mayest be H1933 their king, H4428 according to these words. H1697
7 And thou hast also appointed H5975 prophets H5030 to preach H7121 of thee at Jerusalem, H3389 saying, H559 There is a king H4428 in Judah: H3063 and now shall it be reported H8085 to the king H4428 according to these words. H1697 Come H3212 now therefore, and let us take counsel H3289 together. H3162
8 Then I sent H7971 unto him, saying, H559 There are H1961 no such things H1697 done H1961 as thou sayest, H559 but thou feignest H908 them out of thine own heart. H3820
9 For they all made us afraid, H3372 saying, H559 Their hands H3027 shall be weakened H7503 from the work, H4399 that it be not done. H6213 Now therefore, O God, strengthen H2388 my hands. H3027
10 Afterward I came H935 unto the house H1004 of Shemaiah H8098 the son H1121 of Delaiah H1806 the son H1121 of Mehetabeel, H4105 who was shut up; H6113 and he said, H559 Let us meet together H3259 in the house H1004 of God, H430 within H8432 the temple, H1964 and let us shut H5462 the doors H1817 of the temple: H1964 for they will come H935 to slay H2026 thee; yea, in the night H3915 will they come H935 to slay H2026 thee.
11 And I said, H559 Should such H3644 a man H376 as I flee? H1272 and who is there, that, being as I am, would go H935 into the temple H1964 to save his life? H2425 I will not go in. H935
12 And, lo, I perceived H5234 that God H430 had not sent H7971 him; but that he pronounced H1696 this prophecy H5016 against me: for Tobiah H2900 and Sanballat H5571 had hired H7936 him.
13 Therefore was he hired, H7936 that I should be afraid, H3372 and do so, H6213 and sin, H2398 and that they might have matter for an evil H7451 report, H8034 that they might reproach H2778 me.
14 My God, H430 think H2142 thou upon Tobiah H2900 and Sanballat H5571 according to these their works, H4639 and on the prophetess H5031 Noadiah, H5129 and the rest H3499 of the prophets, H5030 that would have put me in fear. H3372
15 So the wall H2346 was finished H7999 in the twenty H6242 and fifth H2568 day of the month Elul, H435 in fifty H2572 and two H8147 days. H3117
16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies H341 heard H8085 thereof, and all the heathen H1471 that were about us H5439 saw H7200 these things, they were much H3966 cast down H5307 in their own eyes: H5869 for they perceived H3045 that this work H4399 was wrought H6213 of our God. H430
17 Moreover in those days H3117 the nobles H2715 of Judah H3063 sent H1980 many H7235 letters H107 unto Tobiah, H2900 and the letters of Tobiah H2900 came H935 unto them.
18 For there were many H7227 in Judah H3063 sworn H1167 H7621 unto him, because he was the son in law H2860 of Shechaniah H7935 the son H1121 of Arah; H733 and his son H1121 Johanan H3076 had taken H3947 the daughter H1323 of Meshullam H4918 the son H1121 of Berechiah. H1296
19 Also they reported H559 his good deeds H2896 before H6440 me, and uttered H3318 my words H1697 to him. And Tobiah H2900 sent H7971 letters H107 to put me in fear. H3372
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Nehemiah 6
Commentary on Nehemiah 6 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 6
Ne 6:1-19. Sanballat Practises against Nehemiah by Insidious Attempts.
2-4. Then Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me—The Samaritan leaders, convinced that they could not overcome Nehemiah by open arms, resolved to gain advantage over him by deceit and stratagem. With this in view, under pretext of terminating their differences in an amicable manner, they invited him to a conference. The place of rendezvous was fixed "in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono." "In the villages" is, Hebrew, "in Cephirim," or "Chephirah," the name of a town in the territory of Benjamin (Jos 9:17; 18:26). Nehemiah, however, apprehensive of some intended mischief, prudently declined the invitation. Though it was repeated four times, [Nehemiah's] uniform answer was that his presence could not be dispensed with from the important work in which he was engaged. This was one, though not the only, reason. The principal ground of his refusal was that his seizure or death at their hands would certainly put a stop to the further progress of the fortifications.
5-9. Then sent Sanballat his servant … the fifth time with an open letter in his hand—In Western Asia, letters, after being rolled up like a map, are flattened to the breadth of an inch; and instead of being sealed, they are pasted at the ends. In Eastern Asia, the Persians make up their letters in the form of a roll about six inches long, and a bit of paper is fastened round it with gum, and sealed with an impression of ink, which resembles our printers' ink, but it is not so thick. Letters were, and are still, sent to persons of distinction in a bag or purse, and even to equals they are enclosed—the tie being made with a colored ribbon. But to inferiors, or persons who are to be treated contemptuously, the letters were sent open—that is, not enclosed in a bag. Nehemiah, accustomed to the punctillious ceremonial of the Persian court, would at once notice the want of the usual formality and know that it was from designed disrespect. The strain of the letter was equally insolent. It was to this effect: The fortifications with which he was so busy were intended to strengthen his position in the view of a meditated revolt: he had engaged prophets to incite the people to enter into his design and support his claim to be their native king; and, to stop the circulation of such reports, which would soon reach the court, he was earnestly besought to come to the wished-for conference. Nehemiah, strong in the consciousness of his own integrity, and penetrating the purpose of this shallow artifice, replied that there were no rumors of the kind described, that the idea of a revolt and the stimulating addresses of hired demagogues were stories of the writer's own invention, and that he declined now, as formerly, to leave his work.
10-14. Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah, &c.—This man was the son of a priest, who was an intimate and confidential friend of Nehemiah. The young man claimed to be endowed with the gift of prophecy. Having been secretly bribed by Sanballat, he, in his pretended capacity of prophet, told Nehemiah that his enemies were that night to make an attempt upon his life. He advised him, at the same time, to consult his safety by concealing himself in the sanctuary, a crypt which, from its sanctity, was strong and secure. But the noble-minded governor determined at all hazards to remain at his post, and not bring discredit on the cause of God and religion by his unworthy cowardice in leaving the temple and city unprotected. This plot, together with a secret collusion between the enemy and the nobles of Judah who were favorably disposed towards the bad Samaritan in consequence of his Jewish connections (Ne 6:18), the undaunted courage and vigilance of Nehemiah were enabled, with the blessing of God, to defeat, and the erection of the walls thus built in troublous times (Da 9:25) was happily completed (Ne 6:15) in the brief space of fifty-two days. So rapid execution, even supposing some parts of the old wall standing, cannot be sufficiently accounted for, except by the consideration that the builders labored with the ardor of religious zeal, as men employed in the work of God.