Nehemiah 6:11

11 I said, "Why would a man like me run for cover? And why would a man like me use The Temple as a hideout? I won't do it."

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 trying to intimidate us into quitting. They thought, "They'll give up; they'll never finish it." I prayed, "Give me strength."

10 Then I met secretly with Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, at his house. He said: Let's meet at the house of God, inside The Temple; Let's find safety behind locked doors because they're coming to kill you, Yes, coming by night to kill you.

11 I said, "Why would a man like me run for cover? And why would a man like me use The Temple as a hideout? I won't do it."

12 I sensed that God hadn't sent this man. The so-called prophecy he spoke to me was the work of Tobiah and Sanballat; they had hired him.

13 He had been hired to scare me off - trick me - a layman, into desecrating The Temple and ruining my good reputation so they could accuse me.