Nehemiah 6:8-18

8 Then I sent a message to him saying, "Such things as you are saying have not been done, but you are 1inventing them in your own mind."
9 For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, "They will become * discouraged * with the work and it will not be done." But now, 2O God, strengthen my hands.
10 When I entered the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, 3who was confined at home, he said, "Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you, and they are coming to kill you at night."
11 But I said, "4Should a man like me flee? And could one such as I go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in."
12 Then I perceived that surely God had not sent him, but he uttered his prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13 He was hired for this reason, 5that I might become frightened and act accordingly and sin, so that they might have an evil report in order that they could reproach me.
14 6Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these works of theirs, and also Noadiah 7the prophetess and the rest of the prophets who were trying to frighten me.

The Wall Is Finished

15 So 8the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth * of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.
16 9When all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence; for 10they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help * of our God.
17 Also in those days many letters went from the nobles of Judah to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters came to them.
18 For many in Judah were bound by oath to him because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.

Nehemiah 6:8-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NEHEMIAH 6

Sanballat and his brethren, hearing the wall was finished, sent to Nehemiah, to have a meeting with him at a place named, which he refused, Ne 6:1,2, then they sent him a terrifying letter, suggesting that he, and the Jews with him, would be treated as rebels, since their intention, as reported, was to make him king, which letter he regarded not, Ne 6:3-9, then they employed some that pretended to be prophets to advise him to flee to the temple for safety, which he rejected, Ne 6:10-14 and so the work went on and was finished, though there was a secret correspondence carried on between their enemies and some false brethren among themselves, Ne 6:15-19.

Cross References 10

Footnotes 8

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