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Text -- Nehemiah 6:1-11 (NET)
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Strongs On/Off
Context
Opposition to the Rebuilding Efforts Continues
6:1 When Sanballat , Tobiah , Geshem the Arab , and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and no breach remained in it (even though up to that time I had not positioned doors in the gates ),
6:2 Sanballat and Geshem sent word to me saying , “Come on! Let’s set up a time to meet together at Kephirim in the plain of Ono .” Now they intended to do me harm .
6:3 So I sent messengers to them saying , “I am engaged in an important work , and I am unable to come down . Why should the work come to a halt when I leave it to come down to you?”
6:4 They contacted me four times in this way , and I responded the same way each time.
6:5 The fifth time that Sanballat sent his assistant to me in this way , he had an open letter in his hand .
6:6 Written in it were the following words: “Among the nations it is rumored (and Geshem has substantiated this) that you and the Jews have intentions of revolting , and for this reason you are building the wall . Furthermore, according to these rumors you are going to become their king .
6:7 You have also established prophets to announce in Jerusalem on your behalf, ‘We have a king in Judah !’ Now the king is going to hear about these rumors . So come on ! Let’s talk about this.”
6:8 I sent word back to him, “We are not engaged in these activities you are describing . All of this is a figment of your imagination .”
6:9 All of them were wanting to scare us, supposing, “Their hands will grow slack from the work , and it won’t get done .” So now , strengthen my hands !
6:10 Then I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah , the son of Mehetabel . He was confined to his home. He said , “Let’s set up a time to meet in the house of God , within the temple . Let’s close the doors of the temple , for they are coming to kill you. It will surely be at night that they will come to kill you.”
6:11 But I replied , “Should a man like me run away ? Would someone like me flee to the temple in order to save his life ? I will not go !”
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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics
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Names, People and Places:
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expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes: Neh 6:2 It is not entirely clear whether the Hebrew word כְּפִירִים (kÿfirim) is a place-name...
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NET Notes: Neh 6:9 The statement “So now, strengthen my hands” is frequently understood as an implied prayer, but is taken differently by NAB (“But ins...
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NET Notes: Neh 6:10 Heb “shut in.” The reason for his confinement is not stated. BDB 783 s.v. עָצַר suggests that it had to do w...
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