Nehemiah 6:11

11 But I asked, "Should a man like me run away? Would a man like me go into the temple to save his life? I won't go."

Nehemiah 6:11 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 6:11

And I said, should such a man as I flee?
&c.] The king's commissioner, who had the conducting and management of the whole affair of building the wall of Jerusalem, on whom it wholly depended; for, should he absent himself, the people would depart and leave their work, and the city and wall be left defenceless, which was what was hoped for from this scheme; and who had expressed such confidence in God, and had had such success:

and who is there, that, being as I am;
in such a post, and in such circumstances, and on whom so much depended:

would go into the temple to save his life?
or where there was little reason to believe it would be preserved long, should he take such a step as that:

I will not go in;
as being neither lawful, nor honourable, nor safe.

Nehemiah 6:11 In-Context

9 They were all trying to intimidate us. They thought we would give up and not finish the work. But God made me strong.

10 [One day] I went to the home of Shemaiah, son of Delaiah and grandson of Mehetabel. Shemaiah who was confined to his house, said, "Let's meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and close the temple doors. Some men are coming at night to kill you."

11 But I asked, "Should a man like me run away? Would a man like me go into the temple to save his life? I won't go."

12 Then I realized that God hadn't sent him. Instead, Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him to prophesy against me.

13 He was hired to intimidate me into doing this so that I would sin. Then they could give me a bad reputation in order to discredit me.