Nehemiah 6:5

5 And Sanballat sent to me the fifth time by the former word his servant; and he had in his hand a letter, (And the fifth time, Sanballat sent his servant to me with the same request; and he had a letter in his hand,)

Nehemiah 6:5 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 6:5

Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the
fifth time
In his own name, neither Tobiah nor Geshem joining with him, he being more solicitous and anxious to get him into his hands than any of them; and it may be, as some think, pretending more friendship for him than the rest, and therefore writes alone, as if they knew nothing of his writing:

with an open letter in his hand:
which having in it an intimation of Nehemiah being guilty of treason, anyone that would might read it, and so spread the defamation.

Nehemiah 6:5 In-Context

3 Therefore I sent messengers to them, and I said, I make a great work, and I may not go down therefore (And so I sent messengers to them, and I said, I am doing important work here, and so I cannot go down there), lest peradventure it be done recklessly/lest peradventure it be done negligently, when I come, and go down to you.

4 Soothly they sent to me by this word by four times, and I answered to them by the former word. (And they sent this request to me four times, and each time I answered to them what I had said before.)

5 And Sanballat sent to me the fifth time by the former word his servant; and he had in his hand a letter, (And the fifth time, Sanballat sent his servant to me with the same request; and he had a letter in his hand,)

6 written in this manner; It is heard among heathen men, and Gashmu said, that thou and the Jews think for to rebel, and therefore ye build (again) the wall, and thou wilt raise thee (up as) king on them; (written in this manner; It is heard among the heathen, and Gashmu said, that thou and the Jews plan to rebel, and so ye rebuild the wall, and soon thou wilt raise thyself up as a king over them;)

7 for which cause also thou hast set prophets, which preach of thee in Jerusalem, and say, A king is in Jerusalem; the king shall hear these words; therefore come thou now, that we take counsel together. (for which reason thou hast also set forth prophets, who preach of thee in Jerusalem, and say, There is a new king in Judah; the king shall hear of these words; and so come thou now, so that we can take counsel about this matter together.)