Nehemiah 6 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Nehemiah 6

Conspiracy Against Nehemiah

6:1 Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. 3 And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” 4 And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner. 5 In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. 6 In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem¹ also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king. 7 And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, ‘There is a king in Judah.’ And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together.” 8 Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.” 9 For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God,² strengthen my hands.

10 Now when I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home, he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night.” 11 But I said, “Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live?³ I will not go in.” 12 And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt me. 14 Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.

The Wall Is Finished

15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. 17 Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters 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 taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah as his wife. 19 Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid.

Footnotes

[1] 6:6 Hebrew Gashmu
[2] 6:9 Hebrew lacks O God
[3] 6:11 Or would go into the temple to save his life

Commentary

v1-2: A personal attack on Nehemiah. Sanballat and Tobiah offered to meet with him, but Nehemiah discerned their real intention, "they were scheming to do me harm."

The enemies of the Jewish people rightly identified Nehemiah as the key leader; had they been successful in killing him, then the progress of the work would have doubtless suffered.

v3: Nehemiah's reply; he remained committed to the work; he was single-minded. He recognised the importance of the work, and his own role in it. No false humility here.

To leave the work and to meet with the enemies would have been a step "down", as in Luke 10.30; we are not unaware of the enemy's schemes (2 Cor 2.11).

v4: Repeated attacks must be repeatedly resisted; just as Joseph resisted "day by day" (Gen 39.10).

v5-7: Sanballat sent an open letter, designed to generate prejudice against the Jews in general, and against Nehemiah in particular.

"It is reported among the nations - and Gashmu (not Geshem) knows", i.e; 'everybody knows!' This was an attempt to give credibility to lies.

The letter was designed to make Nehemiah appear self-seeking, and that he would rebel against the emperor. A similar accusation occurred in Ezra 4.13-16, which proved successful in delaying building work. We would call this slander.

v8-9: Nehemiah's response, in prayer and action.

His letter of reply was brief, and carefully measured; we are not to spend lots of time casting pearls before swine; a long reply here would have been unnecessary; contrast Jephthah's words in Judg 11. Nehemiah recognised Sanballat's deceit, "You are just making it up out of your head." He saw the real motive, was to see the building of the wall stopped.

Nehemiah's prayer indicated a continuing trust in God.

v10: The personal attack from outside was followed by another attack from within. Shemaiah invited Nehemiah to hide in the temple to save his life. Beware inner rooms of secret, Matt 24.26.

The exact timing of this temptation is not clear, but it must have happened before the wall was completed. The writer is not concerned with a detailed chronology, but with exposing the various attacks upon Nehemiah, and showing how he remained victorious and faithful.

v11: Nehemiah was not afraid of any threats.

v12: Nehemiah perceived the reality, that Shemaiah was in the pay of Sanballat and Tobiah. As in v2, here is spiritual discernment in Nehemiah, seeing deceitful motives behind fine-sounding words.

v13: Shemaiah had 'prophesied' against Nehemiah to lead him into sin, and thus spoil his testimony and godly reputation.

v14: These words, in prayer to God, imply that there were a number of false prophets. Nehemiah doubtless faced numerous trials, and only some are recorded for us. How important it is to have discernment.

v15: The actual building of the wall took only 52 days, less time than Nehemiah's personal preparation; it seems God is more interested in us, than in what we do.

v16: See Matt 5.16; their light shone before men.

v17-19: Further attacks on Nehemiah. Many in Judah were loyal to Tobiah, and some were allied through marriage, as in 13.28. These people could only report Nehemiah's good deeds. Like Daniel, he maintained a testimony of integrity.