Neh 6:3-19 - Commentary

Commentary

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Text -- Nehemiah 6:3-19 (NET)

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Context

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!” 6:12 I recognized the fact that God had not sent him, for he had spoken the prophecy against me as a hired agent of Tobiah and Sanballat. 6:13 He had been hired to scare me so that I would do this and thereby sin. They would thus bring reproach on me and I would be discredited. 6:14 Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat in light of these actions of theirs– also Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets who were trying to scare me!

The Rebuilding of the Wall Is Finally Completed

6:15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in just fifty-two days. 6:16 When all our enemies heard and all the nations who were around us saw this, they were greatly disheartened. They knew that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. 6:17 In those days the aristocrats of Judah repeatedly sent letters to Tobiah, and responses from Tobiah were repeatedly coming to them. 6:18 For many in Judah had sworn allegiance to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah. His son Jonathan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah. 6:19 They were telling me about his good deeds and then taking back to him the things I said. Tobiah, on the other hand, sent letters in order to scare me.

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Cross Reference (TSK)

ITL

Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics

Names, People and Places:

· Arah a town in northern Palestine belonging to the Sidonians

· Berechiah son of Meshullam; a descendant of Jehoiachin, king of Judah,son of Shimea (Levi); father of Asaph, David's song leader,son of Asa; a Levite who led his clan back from exile,a Levite porter for the ark in David's time,son of Meshillemoth, a man of Ephraim in the time of Pekah 741 BC (YC),son of Meshezabel; father of Meshullam a wall repairman,son of Iddo; father of Zechariah the prophet

· Delaiah son of Eli-O-Enai (Hananiah Zerubbabel David Judah),chief of a division of priests serving in David's sanctuary,head of a clan of returnees lacking proof of being Israelites,son of Mehetabel; father of Shemaiah who tempted Nehemiah,son of Shemaiah; a prince of Judah under Jehoiakim

· Elul the 6th month of the Hebrew calendar

· Geshem head of the Arab federation of Kedar who opposed Nehemiah (OS)

· Jehohanan son of Kareah; a militia leader who rallied to Gedaliah,son of King Josiah,son of Eli-O-Enai, a descendant of Hananiah, Zerubbabel and David,a high priest; son of Azariah I,a Benjamite man who defected to David at Ziklag,Gadite officer who defected to David in the wilderness,a man of Ephraim; father of Azariah, who opposed Israel's taking Judeans captive,son of Hakkatan; head of a family group descended from Azgad who returned from exile,a Levite leader during the time of Nehemiah,son of Eliashib; a chief priest

· Jerusalem the capital city of Israel,a town; the capital of Israel near the southern border of Benjamin

· Jew the people descended from Israel

· Judah the son of Jacob and Leah; founder of the tribe of Judah,a tribe, the land/country,a son of Joseph; the father of Simeon; an ancestor of Jesus,son of Jacob/Israel and Leah; founder of the tribe of Judah,the tribe of Judah,citizens of the southern kingdom of Judah,citizens of the Persian Province of Judah; the Jews who had returned from Babylonian exile,"house of Judah", a phrase which highlights the political leadership of the tribe of Judah,"king of Judah", a phrase which relates to the southern kingdom of Judah,"kings of Judah", a phrase relating to the southern kingdom of Judah,"princes of Judah", a phrase relating to the kingdom of Judah,the territory allocated to the tribe of Judah, and also the extended territory of the southern kingdom of Judah,the Province of Judah under Persian rule,"hill country of Judah", the relatively cool and green central highlands of the territory of Judah,"the cities of Judah",the language of the Jews; Hebrew,head of a family of Levites who returned from Exile,a Levite who put away his heathen wife,a man who was second in command of Jerusalem; son of Hassenuah of Benjamin,a Levite in charge of the songs of thanksgiving in Nehemiah's time,a leader who helped dedicate Nehemiah's wall,a Levite musician who helped Zechariah of Asaph dedicate Nehemiah's wall

· Mehetabel wife of King Hadar of Edom; daughter of Matred,grandfather of Shemaiah, who tried to distract Nehemiah

· Meshullam grandfather of Shaphan, King Josiah's secretary,son of Zerubbabel,son of Abihail; a founding father of one of the clans of Gad,son of Elpaal of Benjamin,son of Hodaviah of Benjamin,son of Shephatiah of Benjamin,a high priest; son of Zadok II,son of Meshillemith; a priest,a Kohath Levite overseer of temple restoration for King Josiah,one of the leaders Ezra sent to Iddo to ask for recruits,a man who opposed the Jews putting away their heathen wives,a layman of the Bani Clan who put away his heathen wife,son of Berechiah son of Meshezabel; a repairer of the wall,son of Besodeiah; a man who helped repair a gate in the wall,a man who stood with Ezra when he publicly read the law to the assembly,a priest who signed the covenant to keep God's law,an Israelite chief who signed the covenant to obey God's law,son of Joed of Benjamin; father of Sallu, a returned exile,a priest and head of the house of Ezra under High Priest Joiakim in the time of Nehemiah,a priest, head of the house of Ginnethon in Nehemiah's time,a man who was a gate keeper in the time of Nehemiah

· Noadiah son of Binnui; a Levite on duty in the time of Ezra,a prophetess who tried to frighten Nehemiah

· Sanballat a man who was an enemy of Nehemiah

· Shecaniah son of Obadiah of Zerubbabel of David,the chief of a division of priests serving in David's sanctuary,a Levite assistant manager of temple offerings under Hezekiah,son of Jahaziel; post-exile leader of the Zattu Clan,son of Jehiel of the clan of Elam,father of Shemaiah, a wall rebuilder and guard of the east gate,son of Arah; father-in-law of Tobiah, Nehemiah's enemy,priestly leader of some who returned from exile with Zerubbabel

· Shemaiah a prophet in the days of Rehoboam,son of Shecaniah (Hananiah Zerubbabel David Judah),forefather of Ziza, a prince of the tribe of Simeon,son of Joel of Reuben,son of Hasshub; a Levite leader of some returned exiles,son of Galal; a Levite whose descendants returned from exile,son of Elizaphan (Kohath Levi),son of Nethanel, a Levite and scribe in David's time,son of Obed-Edom; a pre-exile Levite gatekeeper,a Levite whom Jehoshaphat sent to teach the law around Judah,a Levite leader of the Jeduthun Clan in Hezekiah's time,a Levite manager of temple offerings under King Hezekiah,a chief officer of the house of God in Josiah's time,a leader of the Adonikam Clan back from exile,one of the leaders Ezra sent to Iddo to ask for recruits,a priest of the Harim Clan who put away his heathen wife,a layman of the Harim Clan who put away his heathen wife,son of Shecaniah; keeper of the East Gate under Nehemiah,son of Delaiah son of Mehetabel; an agent of Nehemiah's enemies,son of Mattaniah; priestly leader among the returned exiles,a Levite musician who helped Zechariah dedicate Nehemiah's wall,a priest who helped dedicate the wall,father of a prophet (Uriah?) from Kiriath-Jearim that Jehoiakim executed,a deceived leader in exile who demanded Jeremiah's execution,father of Delaiah, a prince of Judah in the time of Jehoiakim

· Tobiah head of a clan of returnees lacking proof of being Israelites,the Ammonite servant who helped Sanballat oppose Nehemiah

Table of Contents

Verse Notes / Footnotes NET Notes

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Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Neh 6:3 Heb “[am] doing.”

NET Notes: Neh 6:4 Heb “and I answered them according to this word.”

NET Notes: Neh 6:6 Heb “words.” So also in v. 7.

NET Notes: Neh 6:7 Heb “Let us consult together.”

NET Notes: Neh 6:8 Heb “For from your heart you are inventing them.”

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...

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...

NET Notes: Neh 6:11 Heb “go into the temple and live.”

NET Notes: Neh 6:12 Heb “and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.”

NET Notes: Neh 6:13 Heb “would have a bad name.”

NET Notes: Neh 6:16 Heb “they greatly fell [i.e., were cast down] in their own eyes.” Some scholars suggest emending the reading of the MT, וַ...

NET Notes: Neh 6:18 Heb “were lords of oath.”

NET Notes: Neh 6:19 Or “to intimidate” (so NIV, NRSV, NLT).

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