Nehemiah 6:8

8 And I sent to them, and said, It is not done by these words which thou speakest; for (out) of thine own heart thou makest these things (up).

Nehemiah 6:8 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 6:8

Then I sent unto him
Whether a letter, or a messenger, is not said:

saying there are no such things done as thou sayest;
that there was any scheme formed to rebel, and make him king, or that prophets were appointed to declare him such:

but thou feignest them out of thine own heart;
in short, that they were no other than lies of his own inventing.

Nehemiah 6:8 In-Context

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.)
8 And I sent to them, and said, It is not done by these words which thou speakest; for (out) of thine own heart thou makest these things (up).
9 All these men made us afeared, and thought that our hands should cease from our works, and that we should rest from building; for which cause I strengthened more mine hand thereto (and for this reason I applied myself even more strongly to the task at hand).
10 And I entered privily into the house of Shemaiah, the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabeel, which said to me, (Re)Treat we there with ourselves in(to) the house of God, in(to) the midst of the temple, and close we the gates of the house; for they shall come to slay thee, yea, by (the) night they shall come to slay thee. (And I entered into the house of Shemaiah, the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabeel, who was enclosed, or confined, there, and he said to me, Let us go to the House of God, into the middle of the Temple, and lock all the doors of the House; for they shall come to kill thee, yea, in the night they shall come to kill thee.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.