Where the world comes to study the Bible

Report Inappropriate Ad

Nehemiah 6



Conspiracy Against Nehemiah   Plots Against Nehemiah The Intrigues of Nehemiah's Enemies, the Wall is Finished
6:1-9a 6:1-9 6:1-3 6:1-9
6:10-13 6:10-14 6:10 6:10
    6:11 6:11-13
6:14   6:14 6:14
The Wall Completed   The Conclusion of the Work  
6:15-16 6:15-7:4 6:15-16 6:15-16
6:17-7:3   6:17-7:3 6:17-7:3





1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.




6:1 The enemies have been listed earlier in 1:10 (Sanballat and Tobiah); 2:19 (Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem); 4:1,3 (Sanballat and Tobiah); 4:7 (Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites) and here (Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem, and "the rest of our enemies").

▣ "Gershem the Arab" His name is spelled differently in v. 6 (BDB 177 I), based on the difference between Arabic grammar and Hebrew pronunciation.. Tradition says that he was the king of Kedar (province of northwest Arabia, cf. R. K. Harrison, Old Testament Times, p. 284) or the southern Arabian area. He was a very powerful political person in the Persian empire. For a good brief discussion see NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp. 675-676.

▣ "although at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates" This seems to be out of chronological order to 3:1,3,6,13. Chapter 3 is the summary of the entire period, while chapters 4 - 6 are special accounts which fit in into this overall summary.

6:2 "Come, let us meet" The first VERB is a Qal IMPERATIVE and the second a Niphal COHORTATIVE (same patters of VERBS in v. 7). The enemies were trying to manipulate Nehemiah.

TEV, NIV"one of the villages"

The inhabitants of this city were part of the conspiracy of the Gibeonites in tricking Joshua into a peace treaty (cf. Josh. 9:17). They were Hivites (cf. Josh. 9:7). This city was included in the tribal allocation of Benjamin (cf. Josh. 18:26). People from this city are mentioned as returning from Babylonian exile with Zerubbabel and Joshua (cf. Ezra 2:25; Neh. 7:29).

It is PLURAL in this verse, and because the same three Hebrew letters kpr (BDB 499) means "village," some English translations translate it as such (NKJV, NRSV, TEV). It is also possible that the term means "young lion" (BDB 498), which may be literal or figurative for fierce warriors (e.g., Jer. 2:15; 4:7; 50:17).

▣ "in the plain of Ono" This Benjaminite city was the new home for Lod, Hadid, and Ono (cf. Ezra 2:33; Neh. 7:37), who returned with Zerubbabel. They had established villages and became craftsmen because in Neh. 11:35 Ono is called the valley of craftsmen. It was located on the western boundary of the new province of Judah, about 27 miles northwest of Jerusalem.

"but they were planning to harm me" This is Nehemiah's estimation of the intentions of these men who had proven themselves to be enemies (cf. 4:1; 6:8-9). The VERB (BDB 362, KB 359, Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE) is frequently used of "planning against," "plotting," "scheming" (e.g., I Sam. 18:25; Ps. 10:2; 35:4; Jer. 11:19).

6:5-9 "Then Sanballat sent his servant to" This was the same old trick of accusing Nehemiah of treason. However, the repeated request (four times) and an open letter (brought by Geshem, cf. v. 2; 2:19) showed that it was a political threat.

6:5 "an open letter" The implication of the personal, governmental letter not being officially sealed was to make the contents known to all. The purpose was political intimidation. It had worked before (Ezra 4), maybe it would work again.

6:6 "the Jews are planning to rebel" This is the same accusation as 2:19 and Ezra 4 and is a litany of charges of political plotting and rebellion.

6:7 "you have also appointed prophets" Another means of threatening Nehemiah was claiming that he had political or even Messianic pretensions (cf. II Sam. 7). This shows that Sanballat was somewhat familiar with Jewish Scriptures.

▣ "now it will be reported to the king according to these reports" The king in this phrase refers to Artaxerxes I. This is the same rumor game that these enemies had used before. Here it is just the threat of sending a report (i.e., "So come now, let us. . .take counsel together"), because now the Persian king had ruled in favor of the rebuilding of the city's wall (cf. 2:1-8,9).

6:8 "you are inventing them in your own mind" The VERB (BDB 94, KB 109, Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE) is from Aramaic. It is used only twice in the OT and means "to devise" or "to invent or make up" in a negative sense (cf. I Kgs. 12:33). The related two letter root (BDB 95) means "empty" or "idle talk." The BDB adds "especially collective idea of imaginary pretensions or claims" (cf. Isa. 16:6; 44:25; Jer. 48:30).

6:9 "But now, O God, strengthen my hands" Notice in NASB 1970 translation that the term "O God" is in italics (assumed to be a prayer, as does KJV), which means that it is not in the original text but is supplied for English readers. However, the Septuagint, the Vulgate, the Peshitta, and the Arabic, followed by the NJB, NAB, NEB, NET, have "I strengthen my hands all the more." This book is filled with Nehemiah's prayers (cf. vv. 14,16)! See note at 4:9.

The VERB (BDB 304, KB 302) is a Piel IMPERATIVE.


6:10 "Shemaiah" He is called "the son of Delaiah," who is mentioned in Ezra 2:59-60 as a family of priests who could not document their ancestry. Apparently this was a false prophet (cf. vv. 12,14) who was hired by the surrounding nations (cf. vv. 12-13) to intimidate Nehemiah. Why he was confined to his home has been the subject of great debate: (1) it is related to Num. 19: 11-22; (2) he had advocated anointing Nehemiah as Davidic king and, therefore, caused him to be treasonous to Persia (cf. v. 7); or (3) it was a symbolic act showing what Nehemiah should do.

The false prophets' message was spoken in poetic verse (cf. NJB, NAB, REB, JPSOA, Anchor Bible Commentary, vol. 14, p. 136).

With Shemaiah restricted to his house Nehemiah would have to come to him, appearing to seek divine information and guidance. This may have been part of the premeditated plan to trick and destroy him. Shemaiah even delivers the message in typical prophetic poetry.

"Let us meet together. . .let us close the doors" The first VERB (BDB 416, KB 419) is a Niphal IMPERATIVE used in a COHORTATIVE sense. The second (BDB 688, KB 742) is a Qal COHORTATIVE.

▣ "within the temple" Nehemiah was not only a layman (Num. 18:7), but may have been a eunuch (Lev. 21:17-24; Deut. 23:1), both of which disqualified him from going into the inner parts of the temple. This was a way to discredit Nehemiah.

There is a provision in Moses' writings for someone to flee to the sacrificial altar for safety (cf. Exod. 21:13, 14; 1 Kgs. 1:50-53; 2:28ff.)

6:11 The words of Nehemiah express the feelings of every generation of godly leadership; not an audacity, but a confidence of God's call, God's will, God's presence! Faith issues in confidence not in ourselves, but in our God and His purposes (e.g., Dan. 3:16-18; 4:20-22).

6:12 "then I perceived that surely God had not sent him" Nehemiah's personal relationship with God and his knowledge of God's will and word allowed him to evaluate the content of Shemaiah's words. God wants to equip all of His children to do the same thing!

6:13 Nehemiah associates fear with inappropriate actions, which he labels as sin (BDB 306, Qal PERFECT, "to miss the mark"). Notice that fear can lead to sinful acts! Faith and trust in God's presence, promises, and provision are crucial!

6:14 "Remember" Nehemiah called on God to remember (BDB 269, KB 269, Qal IMPERATIVE)

1. His word, 1:8

2. him (i.e., Nehemiah), 5:19; 13:14,22,31

3. his enemies (i.e., Nehemiah), 6:14; 13:29

and they are to remember that God is a great and awesome God, 4:14.

▣ "according to these works of theirs" Nehemiah lived under the first covenant of performance-based fellowship. The "two ways" of Wisdom Literature (e.g., Ps. 1; Prov. 4:10-19) characterize his theological understanding. He would have readily agreed with Matthew 7 or the book of James. The goal of our relationship with a Holy God is a holy life! The problem is how does sinful humanity achieve this goal? The New Covenant of Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:22-38 shows the new pattern of grace-based faith, faith-received righteousness, which should issue in obedience (cf. Luke 6:46). The goal is the same, the means has changed.

"Noadiah" This is a feminine name (BDB 418, although there is a masculine usage in Ezra 8:33) and shows the acceptability of female prophets. She happened to be a false prophetess. She was one of several false prophets active in Judah in Nehemiah's day.



6:15 "the wall was completed" This VERB (BDB 1022, KB 1532, Qal IMPERFECT) has two distinct meanings in Qal.

1. have satisfaction

2. be completed (cf. I Kgs. 9:25)

This term is an Akkadian word for "the act or state of well-being, of being intact, safe, or complete (cf. NIDOTTE, vol. 4, p. 130). This is the root slm from which the famous Hebrew greeting, shalom, is derived.

The wall was finished, complete, and it was good; it provided safety; it provided peace of mind.

▣ "Elul" See Special Topic: Ancient Near Eastern Calendars at Ezra 3:1.

▣ "in fifty-two days" Josephus tells us in his book, The Antiquities of the Jews 11.5.8, that it took two years and four months. It is possible from archaeological evidence and historical precedence that a city's walls could be built in this short a time period in a functional way, but not with normal construction. We learn from Kathleen Kenyon's archaeological discoveries in Jerusalem that the nine foot wall on the eastern side was done with rough construction as if it were done rapidly.

6:16 "saw it" This is italicized in the NASB (1970), but the textual problem is that the MT has a word that can be understood as yr' (afraid, Analytical Key to the Old Testament, by John Joseph Owens, vol. 3, p. 69) or r'h (see The NIV Interlinear Hebrew-English Old Testament, edited by John R. Kohlenberger III, vol. 3, p. 231). The MT, the Septuagint, and the Vulgate have "were afraid" (BDB 431, Qal IMPERFECT). As Nehemiah prayed in 4:4, the fear that they used to influence the Jews was now returned to them because they saw the hand of God helping the Jews in this amazingly rapid rebuilding of the walls.

NASB"they lost their confidence"
NKJV"they were very disheartened"
NRSV"fell greatly in their own esteem"
TEV"they lost face"
NJB"they thought it a wonderful thing"

The VERB (BDB 656, KB 709, Qal IMPERFECT) has such a wide semantic field. Notice the difference between the NASB, NKJV, and NJB. The NJB involved a textual emendation (i.e., replaces npl [to fall] with kl' [to be wonderful]). The context demands a negative response.

The second part of the phrase is literally "in eyes of them." "Eyes" here is an idiom of self perception. This is the Oriental concept of "lost face" (TEV).

6:17 "Tobiah" His name is Jewish and he is one of the major antagonists of Nehemiah. His technique was to infiltrate the Jewish wealthy class ("nobles") through marriages (cf. v. 8) so as to influence Nehemiah's plans.

6:18 "Arah" He is mentioned in Ezra 2:5; Neh. 7:10; and I Esdras 5:10.

"Meshullam" This name refers to twenty different people in the OT. He is mentioned in Neh. 3:4,30 as someone who worked on two sections of the wall. Here we are told his daughter marries Jehohanan, who was Tobiah's son (IDB, vol. 2, p. 811).

6:19 "then Tobiah sent letters to frighten me" The Jewish leaders tried to make Tobiah look good in the eyes of Nehemiah, but his true self is seen in this verse. Even the high priest was involved in this conspiracy (cf. 13:4). He (cf. v. 18) was the son-in-law to Shechaniah, possibly the priest of 3:29 or 12:3, but uncertain because the name was so common during this period (cf. Ezra 8:3,5).




1. How did Sanballat try to discourage the rebuilding of the walls?

2. What was the prophet in 6:10-14 trying to do?


Report Inappropriate Ad