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Selected Verse: Nehemiah 6:1 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Ne 6:1	Strong Concordance	Now it came to pass, when Sanballat [05571], and Tobiah [02900], and Geshem [01654] the Arabian [06163], and the rest [03499] of our enemies [0341], heard [08085] that I had builded [01129] the wall [02346], and that there was no breach [06556] left [03498] therein; (though [01571] [05704] at that time [06256] I had not set up [05975] the doors [01817] upon the gates [08179];)
	King James	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;)

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Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Upon the gates - Rather, "in the gates." This work would naturally be delayed until the last phase.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

Upon the gates - Rather, "in the gates." This work would naturally be delayed until the last phase.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
When Sanballat and the enemies associated with him were unable to obstruct the building of the wall of Jerusalem by Open violence (Neh 4), they endeavoured to ruin Nehemiah by secret snares. They invited him to meet them in the plain of Ono (Neh 6:1, Neh 6:2); but Nehemiah, perceiving that they intended mischief, replied to them by messengers, that he could not come to them on account of the building. After receiving for the fourth time this refusal, Sanballat sent his servant to Nehemiah with an open letter, in which he accused him of rebellion against the king of Persia. Nehemiah, however, repelled this accusation as the invention of Sanballat (Neh 6:3-9). Tobiah and Sanballat, moreover, hired a false prophet to make Nehemiah flee into the temple from fear of the snares prepared for him, that they might then be able to calumniate him (Neh 6:10-14). The building of the wall was completed in fifty-two days, and the enemies were disheartened (Neh 6:15-17), although at that time many nobles of Judah had entered into epistolary correspondence with Tobiah, to obstruct the proceedings of Nehemiah (Neh 6:18, Neh 6:19). Neh 6:1-2 The attempts of Sanballat and his associates to ruin Nehemiah. - Neh 6:1, Neh 6:2. When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of the enemies, heard that the wall was built, and that no breaches were left therein, though the doors were then not yet set up in the gates, he sent, etc. לו נשׁמע, it was heard by him, in the indefinite sense of: it came to his ears. The use of the passive is more frequent in later Hebrew; comp. Neh 6:6, Neh 6:7, Neh 13:27; Est 1:20, and elsewhere. On Sanballat and his allies, see remarks on Neh 2:19. The "rest of our enemies" were, according to Neh 4:1 (Neh 4:7, A.V.), Ashdodites, and also other hostile individuals. וגו העת עד גּם introduces a parenthetical sentence limiting the statement already made: Nevertheless, down to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates. The wall-building was quite finished, but doors to the gates were as yet wanting to the complete fortification of the city. The enemies sent to him, saying, Come, let us meet together (for a discussion) in the villages in the valley of Ono. - In Neh 6:7, נוּערה of the present verse. The form כּפרים, elsewhere only כּפר, Ch1 27:25, or כּפר, village, Sa1 6:18, occurs only here. כּפירה, however, being found Ezr 2:25 and elsewhere as a proper name, the form כּפיר seems to have been in use as well as כּפר. There is no valid ground for regarding כּפרים as the proper name of a special locality. To make their proposal appear impartial, they leave the appointment of the place in the valley of Ono to Nehemiah. Ono seems, according to Ch1 8:12, to have been situate in the neighbourhood of Lod (Lydda), and is therefore identified by Van de Velde (Mem. p. 337) and Bertheau with Kefr Ana (Arab. kfr ‛ânâ) or Kefr Anna, one and three-quarter leagues north of Ludd. But no certain information concerning the position of the place can be obtained from Ch1 8:12; and Roediger (in the Hallische Lit. Zeitung, 1842, No. 71, p. 665) is more correct, in accordance both with the orthography and the sense, in comparing it with Beit Unia (Arab. byt ûniya), north-west of Jerusalem, not far from Beitin (Bethel); comp. Rob. Pal. ii. p. 351. The circumstance that the plain of Ono was, according to the present verse, somewhere between Jerusalem and Samaria, which suits Beit Unia, but not Kefr Ana (comp. Arnold in Herzog's Realenc. xii. p. 759), is also in favour of the latter view. "But they thought to do me harm." Probably they wanted to make him a prisoner, perhaps even to assassinate him. Neh 6:3 Nehemiah sent messengers to them, saying: "I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down thither. Why should the work cease whilst I leave it and come down to you?" That is, he let them know that he could not undertake the journey, because his presence in Jerusalem was necessary for the uninterrupted prosecution of the work of building. Neh 6:4 They sent to him four times in the same manner (הזּה כּדּבר, comp. Sa2 15:6), and Nehemiah gave them the same answer. Neh 6:5-6 Then Sanballat sent his servant in this manner, the fifth time, with an open letter, in which was written: "It is reported (נשׁמע, it is heard) among the nations, and Gashmu saith, (that) thou and the Jews intend to rebel; for which cause thou buildest the wall, and thou wilt be their king, according to these words." "The nations" are naturally the nations dwelling in the land, in the neighbourhood of the Jewish community. On the form Gashmu, comp. rem. on Neh 2:19. הוה, the particip., is used of that which any one intends or prepares to do: thou art intending to become their king. על־כּן, therefore, for no other reason than to rebel, dost thou build the wall. Neh 6:7-8 It was further said in the letter: "Thou hast also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning thee in Jerusalem, saying, King of Judah; and now it will be reported to the king according to these words (or things). Come, therefore, and let us take counsel together," sc. to refute these things as groundless rumours. By such accusations in an open letter, which might be read by any one, Sanballat thought to oblige Nehemiah to come and clear himself from suspicion by an interview. Neh 6:8 Nehemiah, however, saw through his stratagem, and sent word to him by a messenger: "There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart." בּודאם, a contraction of בּודאם, from בּדא, which occurs again only in Kg1 12:33, to invent, to feign, especially evil things. Neh 6:9 "For," adds Nehemiah when writing of these things, "they all desired to make us afraid, thinking (לאמר) their hands will cease from the work, that it be not done." The last words, "And now strengthen my hands," are to be explained by the fact that Nehemiah hastily transports himself into the situation and feelings of those days when he prayed to God for strength. To make this request fit into the train of thought, we must supply: I however thought, or said, Strengthen, O God, my hands. חזּק is imperative. The translation, in the first pers. sing. of the imperfect, "I strengthened" (lxx, Vulg., Syr.), is only an attempt to fit into their context words not understood by the translators.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

When Sanballat and the enemies associated with him were unable to obstruct the building of the wall of Jerusalem by Open violence (Neh 4), they endeavoured to ruin Nehemiah by secret snares. They invited him to meet them in the plain of Ono (Neh 6:1, Neh 6:2); but Nehemiah, perceiving that they intended mischief, replied to them by messengers, that he could not come to them on account of the building. After receiving for the fourth time this refusal, Sanballat sent his servant to Nehemiah with an open letter, in which he accused him of rebellion against the king of Persia. Nehemiah, however, repelled this accusation as the invention of Sanballat (Neh 6:3-9). Tobiah and Sanballat, moreover, hired a false prophet to make Nehemiah flee into the temple from fear of the snares prepared for him, that they might then be able to calumniate him (Neh 6:10-14). The building of the wall was completed in fifty-two days, and the enemies were disheartened (Neh 6:15-17), although at that time many nobles of Judah had entered into epistolary correspondence with Tobiah, to obstruct the proceedings of Nehemiah (Neh 6:18, Neh 6:19).

Neh 6:1-2

The attempts of Sanballat and his associates to ruin Nehemiah. - Neh 6:1, Neh 6:2. When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of the enemies, heard that the wall was built, and that no breaches were left therein, though the doors were then not yet set up in the gates, he sent, etc. לו נשׁמע, it was heard by him, in the indefinite sense of: it came to his ears. The use of the passive is more frequent in later Hebrew; comp. Neh 6:6, Neh 6:7, Neh 13:27; Est 1:20, and elsewhere. On Sanballat and his allies, see remarks on Neh 2:19. The "rest of our enemies" were, according to Neh 4:1 (Neh 4:7, A.V.), Ashdodites, and also other hostile individuals. וגו העת עד גּם introduces a parenthetical sentence limiting the statement already made: Nevertheless, down to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates. The wall-building was quite finished, but doors to the gates were as yet wanting to the complete fortification of the city. The enemies sent to him, saying, Come, let us meet together (for a discussion) in the villages in the valley of Ono. - In Neh 6:7, נוּערה of the present verse. The form כּפרים, elsewhere only כּפר, Ch1 27:25, or כּפר, village, Sa1 6:18, occurs only here. כּפירה, however, being found Ezr 2:25 and elsewhere as a proper name, the form כּפיר seems to have been in use as well as כּפר. There is no valid ground for regarding כּפרים as the proper name of a special locality. To make their proposal appear impartial, they leave the appointment of the place in the valley of Ono to Nehemiah. Ono seems, according to Ch1 8:12, to have been situate in the neighbourhood of Lod (Lydda), and is therefore identified by Van de Velde (Mem. p. 337) and Bertheau with Kefr Ana (Arab. kfr ‛ânâ) or Kefr Anna, one and three-quarter leagues north of Ludd. But no certain information concerning the position of the place can be obtained from Ch1 8:12; and Roediger (in the Hallische Lit. Zeitung, 1842, No. 71, p. 665) is more correct, in accordance both with the orthography and the sense, in comparing it with Beit Unia (Arab. byt ûniya), north-west of Jerusalem, not far from Beitin (Bethel); comp. Rob. Pal. ii. p. 351. The circumstance that the plain of Ono was, according to the present verse, somewhere between Jerusalem and Samaria, which suits Beit Unia, but not Kefr Ana (comp. Arnold in Herzog's Realenc. xii. p. 759), is also in favour of the latter view. "But they thought to do me harm." Probably they wanted to make him a prisoner, perhaps even to assassinate him.

Neh 6:3

Nehemiah sent messengers to them, saying: "I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down thither. Why should the work cease whilst I leave it and come down to you?" That is, he let them know that he could not undertake the journey, because his presence in Jerusalem was necessary for the uninterrupted prosecution of the work of building.

Neh 6:4

They sent to him four times in the same manner (הזּה כּדּבר, comp. Sa2 15:6), and Nehemiah gave them the same answer.

Neh 6:5-6

Then Sanballat sent his servant in this manner, the fifth time, with an open letter, in which was written: "It is reported (נשׁמע, it is heard) among the nations, and Gashmu saith, (that) thou and the Jews intend to rebel; for which cause thou buildest the wall, and thou wilt be their king, according to these words." "The nations" are naturally the nations dwelling in the land, in the neighbourhood of the Jewish community. On the form Gashmu, comp. rem. on Neh 2:19. הוה, the particip., is used of that which any one intends or prepares to do: thou art intending to become their king. על־כּן, therefore, for no other reason than to rebel, dost thou build the wall.

Neh 6:7-8

It was further said in the letter: "Thou hast also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning thee in Jerusalem, saying, King of Judah; and now it will be reported to the king according to these words (or things). Come, therefore, and let us take counsel together," sc. to refute these things as groundless rumours. By such accusations in an open letter, which might be read by any one, Sanballat thought to oblige Nehemiah to come and clear himself from suspicion by an interview.

Neh 6:8

Nehemiah, however, saw through his stratagem, and sent word to him by a messenger: "There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart." בּודאם, a contraction of בּודאם, from בּדא, which occurs again only in Kg1 12:33, to invent, to feign, especially evil things.

Neh 6:9

"For," adds Nehemiah when writing of these things, "they all desired to make us afraid, thinking (לאמר) their hands will cease from the work, that it be not done." The last words, "And now strengthen my hands," are to be explained by the fact that Nehemiah hastily transports himself into the situation and feelings of those days when he prayed to God for strength. To make this request fit into the train of thought, we must supply: I however thought, or said, Strengthen, O God, my hands. חזּק is imperative. The translation, in the first pers. sing. of the imperfect, "I strengthened" (lxx, Vulg., Syr.), is only an attempt to fit into their context words not understood by the translators.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
The doors - Not all of them.

Top

⁹ For they all made us afraid [03372], saying [0559], Their hands [03027] shall be weakened [07503] from the work [04399], that it be not done [06213]. Now therefore, O God, strengthen [02388] my hands [03027].

³³ So he offered [05927] upon the altar [04196] which he had made [06213] in Bethel [01008] the fifteenth [02568] [06240] day [03117] of the eighth [08066] month [02320], even in the month [02320] which he had devised [0908] of his own heart [03820]; and ordained [06213] a feast [02282] unto the children [01121] of Israel [03478]: and he offered [05927] upon the altar [04196], and burnt incense [06999].

⁸ Then I sent [07971] unto him, saying [0559], There are [01961] no such things [01697] done [01961] as thou sayest [0559], but thou feignest [0908] them out of thine own heart [03820].

⁷ And thou hast also appointed [05975] prophets [05030] to preach [07121] of thee at Jerusalem [03389], saying [0559], There is a king [04428] in Judah [03063]: and now shall it be reported [08085] to the king [04428] according to these words [01697]. Come [03212] now therefore, and let us take counsel [03289] together [03162].
⁸ Then I sent [07971] unto him, saying [0559], There are [01961] no such things [01697] done [01961] as thou sayest [0559], but thou feignest [0908] them out of thine own heart [03820].

¹⁹ But when Sanballat [05571] the Horonite [02772], and Tobiah [02900] the servant [05650], the Ammonite [05984], and Geshem [01654] the Arabian [06163], heard [08085] it, they laughed us to scorn [03932], and despised [0959] us, and said [0559], What is this thing [01697] that ye do [06213]? will ye rebel [04775] against the king [04428]?

⁵ Then sent [07971] Sanballat [05571] his servant [05288] unto me in like manner [01697] the fifth [02549] time [06471] with an open [06605] letter [0107] in his hand [03027];
⁶ Wherein was written [03789], It is reported [08085] among the heathen [01471], and Gashmu [01654] saith [0559] it, that thou and the Jews [03064] think [02803] to rebel [04775]: for which cause [03651] thou buildest [01129] the wall [02346], that thou mayest be [01933] their king [04428], according to these words [01697].

⁶ And on this manner [01697] did [06213] Absalom [053] to all Israel [03478] that came [0935] to the king [04428] for judgment [04941]: so Absalom [053] stole [01589] the hearts [03820] of the men [0582] of Israel [03478].

⁴ Yet they sent [07971] unto me four [0702] times [06471] after this sort [01697]; and I answered [07725] them after the same manner [01697].

¹² The sons [01121] of Elpaal [0508]; Eber [05677], and Misham [04936], and Shamed [08106], who built [01129] Ono [0207], and Lod [03850], with the towns [01323] thereof:

²⁵ The children [01121] of Kirjatharim [07157], Chephirah [03716], and Beeroth [0881], seven [07651] hundred [03967] and forty [0705] and three [07969].

¹⁸ And the golden [02091] mice [05909], according to the number [04557] of all the cities [05892] of the Philistines [06430] belonging to the five [02568] lords [05633], both of fenced [04013] cities [05892], and of country [06521] villages [03724], even unto the great [01419] stone of Abel [059], whereon they set down [03240] the ark [0727] of the LORD [03068]: which stone remaineth unto this day [03117] in the field [07704] of Joshua [03091], the Bethshemite [01030].

²⁵ And over the king's [04428] treasures [0214] was Azmaveth [05820] the son [01121] of Adiel [05717]: and over the storehouses [0214] in the fields [07704], in the cities [05892], and in the villages [03723], and in the castles [04026], was Jehonathan [03083] the son [01121] of Uzziah [05818]:

⁷ But it came to pass, that when Sanballat [05571], and Tobiah [02900], and the Arabians [06163], and the Ammonites [05984], and the Ashdodites [0796], heard [08085] that the walls [02346] of Jerusalem [03389] were made up [0724] [05927], and that the breaches [06555] began [02490] to be stopped [05640], then they were very [03966] wroth [02734],

¹ But it came to pass, that when Sanballat [05571] heard [08085] that we builded [01129] the wall [02346], he was wroth [02734], and took great [07235] indignation [03707], and mocked [03932] the Jews [03064].

²⁰ And when the king's [04428] decree [06599] which he shall make [06213] shall be published [08085] throughout all his empire [04438], (for it is great [07227],) all the wives [0802] shall give [05414] to their husbands [01167] honour [03366], both to great [01419] and small [06996].

²⁷ Shall we then hearken [08085] unto you to do [06213] all this great [01419] evil [07451], to transgress [04603] against our God [0430] in marrying [03427] strange [05237] wives [0802]?

⁶ Wherein was written [03789], It is reported [08085] among the heathen [01471], and Gashmu [01654] saith [0559] it, that thou and the Jews [03064] think [02803] to rebel [04775]: for which cause [03651] thou buildest [01129] the wall [02346], that thou mayest be [01933] their king [04428], according to these words [01697].

² That Sanballat [05571] and Geshem [01654] sent [07971] unto me, saying [0559], Come [03212], let us meet [03259] together [03162] in some one of the villages [03715] in the plain [01237] of Ono [0207]. But they thought [02803] to do [06213] me mischief [07451].

¹ Now it came to pass, when Sanballat [05571], and Tobiah [02900], and Geshem [01654] the Arabian [06163], and the rest [03499] of our enemies [0341], heard [08085] that I had builded [01129] the wall [02346], and that there was no breach [06556] left [03498] therein; (though [01571] [05704] at that time [06256] I had not set up [05975] the doors [01817] upon the gates [08179];)
² That Sanballat [05571] and Geshem [01654] sent [07971] unto me, saying [0559], Come [03212], let us meet [03259] together [03162] in some one of the villages [03715] in the plain [01237] of Ono [0207]. But they thought [02803] to do [06213] me mischief [07451].

¹⁹ Also they reported [0559] his good deeds [02896] before [06440] me, and uttered [03318] my words [01697] to him. And Tobiah [02900] sent [07971] letters [0107] to put me in fear [03372].

¹⁸ For there were many [07227] in Judah [03063] sworn [01167] [07621] unto him, because he was the son in law [02860] of Shechaniah [07935] the son [01121] of Arah [0733]; and his son [01121] Johanan [03076] had taken [03947] the daughter [01323] of Meshullam [04918] the son [01121] of Berechiah [01296].

¹⁵ So the wall [02346] was finished [07999] in the twenty [06242] and fifth [02568] day of the month Elul [0435], in fifty [02572] and two [08147] days [03117].
¹⁶ And it came to pass, that when all our enemies [0341] heard [08085] thereof, and all the heathen [01471] that were about us [05439] saw [07200] these things, they were much [03966] cast down [05307] in their own eyes [05869]: for they perceived [03045] that this work [04399] was wrought [06213] of our God [0430].
¹⁷ Moreover in those days [03117] the nobles [02715] of Judah [03063] sent [01980] many [07235] letters [0107] unto Tobiah [02900], and the letters of Tobiah [02900] came [0935] unto them.

¹⁰ Afterward I came [0935] unto the house [01004] of Shemaiah [08098] the son [01121] of Delaiah [01806] the son [01121] of Mehetabeel [04105], who was shut up [06113]; and he said [0559], Let us meet together [03259] in the house [01004] of God [0430], within [08432] the temple [01964], and let us shut [05462] the doors [01817] of the temple [01964]: for they will come [0935] to slay [02026] thee; yea, in the night [03915] will they come [0935] to slay [02026] thee.
¹¹ And I said [0559], Should such [03644] a man [0376] as I flee [01272]? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go [0935] into the temple [01964] to save his life [02425]? I will not go in [0935].
¹² And, lo, I perceived [05234] that God [0430] had not sent [07971] him; but that he pronounced [01696] this prophecy [05016] against me: for Tobiah [02900] and Sanballat [05571] had hired [07936] him.
¹³ Therefore was he hired [07936], that I should be afraid [03372], and do so [06213], and sin [02398], and that they might have matter for an evil [07451] report [08034], that they might reproach [02778] me.
¹⁴ My God [0430], think [02142] thou upon Tobiah [02900] and Sanballat [05571] according to these their works [04639], and on the prophetess [05031] Noadiah [05129], and the rest [03499] of the prophets [05030], that would have put me in fear [03372].

³ And I sent [07971] messengers [04397] unto them, saying [0559], I am doing [06213] a great [01419] work [04399], so that I cannot [03201] come down [03381]: why should the work [04399] cease [07673], whilst [0834] I leave [07503] it, and come down [03381] to you?
⁴ Yet they sent [07971] unto me four [0702] times [06471] after this sort [01697]; and I answered [07725] them after the same manner [01697].
⁵ Then sent [07971] Sanballat [05571] his servant [05288] unto me in like manner [01697] the fifth [02549] time [06471] with an open [06605] letter [0107] in his hand [03027];
⁶ Wherein was written [03789], It is reported [08085] among the heathen [01471], and Gashmu [01654] saith [0559] it, that thou and the Jews [03064] think [02803] to rebel [04775]: for which cause [03651] thou buildest [01129] the wall [02346], that thou mayest be [01933] their king [04428], according to these words [01697].
⁷ And thou hast also appointed [05975] prophets [05030] to preach [07121] of thee at Jerusalem [03389], saying [0559], There is a king [04428] in Judah [03063]: and now shall it be reported [08085] to the king [04428] according to these words [01697]. Come [03212] now therefore, and let us take counsel [03289] together [03162].
⁸ Then I sent [07971] unto him, saying [0559], There are [01961] no such things [01697] done [01961] as thou sayest [0559], but thou feignest [0908] them out of thine own heart [03820].
⁹ For they all made us afraid [03372], saying [0559], Their hands [03027] shall be weakened [07503] from the work [04399], that it be not done [06213]. Now therefore, O God, strengthen [02388] my hands [03027].