Bible Commentaries

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Nehemiah 6

Clinging to a Counterfeit Cross
Introduction

1  Sanballat practises by craft, by rumours, and by hired prophecies, to terrify Nehemiah.
15  The work is finished, to the terror of the enemies.
17  Secret intelligence passes between the enemies and the nobles of Judah.
Verse 1

Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)
when Sanballat
2:10,19, 4:1,7
Geshem
Gashmu
no breach.
4:6,7, Daniel 9:25
at that time
3:1,3,6
Verse 2

That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.
Come
They wished to get him out of Jerusalem, from his friends, that they might either carry him off or murder him.
2 Samuel 3:27, 20:9, Psalms 37:12, Proverbs 26:24-26, Ecclesiastes 4:4
Ono
11:35, 1 Chronicles 8:12
they thought
Psalms 12:2, 37:12,32, Jeremiah 41:2, Ezekiel 33:31, Micah 7:4,5, Luke 20:19-21
Verse 3

And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
And I sent
Proverbs 14:15, Matthew 10:16
I am doing
Ecclesiastes 9:10, Luke 14:30, John 9:4, 1 Timothy 4:15,16
Verse 4

Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.
four times
Judges 16:6,10,15-20, Proverbs 7:21, Luke 18:5, 1 Corinthians 15:58, Galatians 2:5
and I answered
Proverbs 14:15
Verse 5

Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;
with an open letter
This was a gross insult to a person of Nehemiah's quality; as the letters sent to chiefs and governors in the East are always carefully folded up, put in silk bags, and then sealed.
2 Kings 18:26-28, 2 Corinthians 2:11, 11:13-15, Ephesians 6:11, 2 Thessalonians 2:10
Verse 6

Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words.
It is reported
Jeremiah 9:3-6, 20:10, Matthew 5:11, Romans 3:8, 2 Corinthians 6:8, 1 Peter 2:12,13, 3:16
Gashmu
1,2
Geshem
that thou and.
2:19, Ezra 4:12,15
that thou mayest
Luke 23:2, John 19:13
Verse 7

And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.
appointed
12,13
a king
2 Samuel 15:10-12, 1 Kings 1:7,18,25,34
Come now
Proverbs 26:24-26, Acts 23:15
Verse 8

Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.
There are
Acts 24:12,13, 25:7,10
thou feignest
Job 13:4, Psalms 36:3, 38:12, 52:2, Isaiah 59:4, Daniel 11:27, Matthew 12:34, John 8:44
Verse 9

For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.
For they
14, 4:10-14, 2 Chronicles 32:18
Their hands
2 Chronicles 15:7, Ezra 4:1-24, Isaiah 35:3,4, Jeremiah 38:4, Hebrews 12:12
Now therefore
1 Samuel 30:6, Psalms 56:3, 71:1, 68:35, 138:3, Isaiah 41:10, Zechariah 10:12, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Ephesians 3:16, 6:10, Philippians 4:13, 1 Peter 5:10
Verse 10

Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.
Shemaiah
12, Ezra 8:16, 10:31, Proverbs 11:9, Matthew 7:15
shut up
2 Kings 9:8, Jeremiah 36:5, Ezekiel 3:24
Let us meet
Psalms 12:2, 37:12, 120:2,3
the house
1 Kings 6:5, 2 Kings 11:3
let us shut
2 Chronicles 28:24, 29:3,7, Malachi 1:10, Acts 21:30
in the night
Job 24:13-17, John 3:20
Verse 11

And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.
Should such
3, 1 Samuel 19:5, Job 4:3-6, Psalms 11:1,2, 112:6,8, Proverbs 28:1, Isaiah 10:18, Luke 13:31-33, Acts 8:1, 20:24, 21:13, Hebrews 11:27
would go
9, Numbers 32:7-9, Ecclesiastes 10:1, Philippians 2:17,30
Verse 12

And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
I perceived
Ezekiel 13:22, 1 Corinthians 2:15, 12:10
God had
Jeremiah 14:14, 23:16,25, 28:15, Ezekiel 13:7, 1 John 4:1
hired him
Isaiah 56:11, Ezekiel 13:19, Micah 3:11, Acts 20:33, 1 Timothy 3:3, Titus 1:7, 1 Peter 5:2, 2 Peter 2:3, Revelation 18:13
Verse 13

Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.
that I should
Proverbs 29:5, Isaiah 51:7,12,13, 57:11, Jeremiah 1:17, Ezekiel 2:6, 13:17-23, Matthew 10:28, 2 Timothy 1:7, Revelation 21:8
and sin
James 4:17
and that they
6, Proverbs 22:1, Ecclesiastes 7:1
report, that
Jeremiah 18:18, 20:10, Daniel 6:4,5, Matthew 22:15, 26:59, Acts 6:13, 2 Corinthians 11:12, 1 Timothy 5:14, Titus 2:8
Verse 14

My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.
My God
5:19, Psalms 22:1, 63:1
think thou
4:4,5, 13:29, Psalms 36:11,12, 140:5-11, Jeremiah 11:20-23, 18:20-23, 2 Timothy 4:14,15, 1 John 5:16
on the prophetess
1 Kings 22:22-24, Isaiah 9:14,15, Jeremiah 14:15,18, 28:1,10,15, Ezekiel 13:16,17, Matthew 7:15, 24:11,24, 2 Timothy 3:8, Revelation 19:20
Verse 15

So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.
wall
Ezra 6:15, Psalms 1:3, Daniel 9:25
fifty
4:1,2
Verse 16

And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.
when all our enemies
2:10, 4:1,7, 6:1,2
for they perceived
Exodus 14:25, Numbers 23:23, Joshua 5:1, Psalms 126:2, Acts 5:38
Verse 17

Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.
the nobles
3:5, 5:7, 13:28, Micah 7:1-6, Matthew 24:10-12
sent many letters unto Tobiah
Heb. multiplied their letters passing to Tobiah.
Verse 18

For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.
Arah
7:10, Ezra 2:5
Meshullam
3:4,30
Verse 19

Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.
they reported
Proverbs 28:4, John 7:7, 15:19, 1 John 4:5
words
or, matters. to put.
9,13, Isaiah 37:10-14, Acts 4:18-21

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