Nehemiah 6

1 When Sanballat [the Persian satrap], Tobiah, Geshem [an Arabian] the Arab, and the rest [remainder] of our enemies [those who hate or oppose us] heard that I had rebuilt [to build, establish, or repair] the wall [a wall of protection] and not a gap [breach or break] was left—though to that time [until then, as far as] I had not yet installed [to stand, set up] the doors [something that swings, like a valve] in the gates [city entrances or temple doors]— word study 2 Sanballat [a Persian satrap, governor of Samaria] and Geshem [an opponent of the Israelites] sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together [unite, assemble] in one of the villages [towns, settlements] on the plain [valley, lowland] of Ono [a city in Benjamin, vigorous].” But they [those men, the opponents] were planning [thinking, devising] to harm [do evil, inflict bad] me [to my detriment, for my hurt]. word study 3 So I sent messengers [representatives] to them, saying, “I am doing a great [important, significant] work [task, labor] and cannot come down [descend, go to a lower place]. Why should the work [task, labor] stop [cease, be neglected] while I leave it [slacken, abandon] to go down [descend, come to] to you [toward you, in your direction]?” word study 4 Four [on four separate occasions] times they sent [dispatched, conveyed a message] me the same message [word, communication], and each time [occasion, instance] I gave [responded with, replied] the same reply [answer, response]. word study 5 The fifth [fifth occasion] time, Sanballat [a Persian satrap of Samaria] sent me this same message [word, thing, or affair] by his young [youth, from infancy to adolescence] servant, who had in his hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] an unsealed [open, not sealed] letter [written message, epistle] word study 6 that read: “It is reported [heard and known] among the nations [Gentiles, non-Jews]—and Geshem agrees [confirms, says the same]—that you and the Jews [people of Judah, Israelites] are plotting [thinking, devising] to revolt [rebel, resist authority], and this is why you are building [constructing, establishing] the wall [barrier, fortification]. According to these reports [words, messages], you are to become [be, exist as] their king [ruler, leader], word study 7 and you have even appointed [set in place, established] prophets [spokespersons for God] in Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital of Judah] to proclaim [preach, announce] on your behalf: ‘There is a king [ruler, monarch] in Judah [the tribe and region].’ Soon [in a short time, quickly] these rumors [reports, news] will reach the ears of the king [the monarch, the ruler]. So come [let us go, walk together], let us confer [take counsel, advise] together [in unity, as one].” word study 8 Then I sent him this reply: “There is nothing [no truth] to these rumors [false reports, lies] you are spreading; you are inventing [fabricating] them in your own mind [heart, inner being].” word study 9 For [because of this reason] they were all trying to frighten [intimidate, make us afraid] us, saying, “Their hands [strength, ability] will be weakened [slacken, become feeble] in the work [labor, task], and it will never [not at all] be finished [completed, accomplished].” But now [at this time], my God [Elohim, my divine Helper], strengthen [empower, make strong] my hands [ability, capacity]. word study 10 Later, I went to the house [dwelling place, home] of Shemaiah [heard by God, a prophet] son of Delaiah [Jehovah has drawn, a priest], the son of Mehetabel [favored of God, a father], who was confined [shut up, restrained] to his house. He said: “Let us meet [come together, assemble] at the house [temple, place of worship] of God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] inside the temple [the sacred building, a place of sacrifice]. Let us shut [close, lock] the temple doors [gates of the temple, entrance to God’s presence] because they are coming [approaching, drawing near] to kill [slay, destroy] you— by night [in the darkness, a time of adversity] they are coming [approaching, seeking] to kill [destroy, take life] you!” word study 11 But I replied, “Should a man [like a leader, someone in my position] like me run away [flee in fear, escape]? Should one like me [a person of my stature, a servant of God] go into the temple [the house of God, a sacred place] to save his own life [to preserve my own skin, to escape danger]? I will not go [I refuse to flee, I will not enter]!” word study 12 I realized [discerned, understood] that God [Elohim, the supreme God] had not sent him, but that he had uttered [spoken, pronounced] this prophecy [prediction, message from God] against me because Tobiah [Jehovah is good] and Sanballat [a Persian satrap] had hired [paid, bribed] him. word study 13 He had been hired [for a specific purpose] to intimidate me so that I would sin [miss the mark, go wrong] by doing as he suggested, so they could give me a bad [evil, morally harmful] name [reputation, character] in order to discredit [reproach, shame] me. word study 14 O my God [Elohim, the supreme Lord], remember [think upon, recall] Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done [their deeds, actions], and also [too, in addition] Noadiah the prophetess [a female speaker for God, a woman with a divine message] and the other [remaining, excess] prophets who tried to intimidate [put fear into, make afraid] me. word study 15 So the wall [of protection, a barrier] was completed [finished] in fifty-two days [a relatively short period], on the twenty-fifth of Elul [the sixth month, a time of preparation]. word study 16 When all [every one of, the entire group of] our enemies [adversaries, those who oppose us] heard about this, all [every, the whole of] the surrounding [encircling, nearby] nations [Gentile peoples, non-Hebrews] were afraid [filled with fear, disheartened] and disheartened [cast down, humbled], for they realized [perceived, understood] that this task [work, labor] had been accomplished [done, completed] by our God [Elohim, the supreme Creator, our Provider]. word study 17 Also [in addition, moreover] in those days [a period of time, a season], the nobles [chiefs, leaders] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah] sent [exchanged, multiplied] many letters [written messages, correspondence] to Tobiah [Tobijah, Jehovah is good], and Tobiah’s letters [messages, communications] came back [were returned, arrived] to them [the nobles, the leaders]. word study 18 For [a large number of] many in Judah [the tribe, a region in Israel] were bound by [sworn, under obligation of] oath [a promise, a vow] to him, since he was a son-in-law [related by marriage, a bridegroom] of Shecaniah [dweller with God] son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married [taken as wife, become husband of] the daughter [a female child, a woman] of Meshullam [given by God] son of Berechiah [Jehovah blesses]. word study 19 Moreover, these nobles kept reporting to me Tobiah’s [praiseworthy actions] good deeds, and they relayed my words [messages, instructions] to him. And Tobiah sent letters [written messages] to intimidate [put fear into, threaten] me. word study