Nehemiah 6

Nehemiah 6:1-19

Nehemiah Outsmarts His Adversaries Until The Walls Are Completed (Nehemiah 6:1-19) Work on the walls had meanwhile being going on apace with the result that it was finally completed apart from the setting up of the huge doors in the gateways. It was a crucial time, for once the gates were completed and closed Jerusalem would be totally protected. As a consequence his adversaries now attempt new methods of discrediting him. Their focus has now turned from trying to discourage the people of Judah in general, to seeking to dispose of Nehemiah himself in one way or the other. They have clearly recognised that it is he alone who has maintained Judah’s morale, and is the obstacle to their achieving their ends of a continually weak and vulnerable Judah.The chapter divides into three parts:· Attempts by Sanaballat and Geshem to dispose of or discredit Nehemiah generally (Nehemiah 6:1-9)· An attempt by Sanballat and Tobiah to make him act in such a way as to reveal himself as a coward, fearful of his adversaries (Nehemiah 6:10-14).· The final completion of the wall and an indication of Tobiah’s influence among the Jews and his attempts to undermine Nehemiah (Nehemiah 6:15-19).

Nehemiah 6:10-14

Nehemiah 6:10‘And I went to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabel, 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 you.Yes, in the night will they come to slay you.”That Nehemiah went to visit Shemaiah the prophet (‘he has pronounced this prophecy against me’ - Nehemiah 6:12) at his house suggests very strongly that there was a religious reason for Shemaiah being unavailable. It suggests that his being ‘shut up’ was for prophetic reasons. He was probably claiming to be receiving a word from YHWH which prevented him from leaving his house. Superficially his prophecy sounded genuine. He was suggesting that Nehemiah take refuge with YHWH because YHWH had revealed that assassins would come by night to kill him.

It sounded very plausible.But it contained two fallacies, the first that Nehemiah should behave like a coward, in spite of his strong bodyguard, giving the impression to the people of a man concerned only to save his own life, hiding like a refugee in the Temple, and secondly because to enter the Temple so that its doors could be shut behind him would be an act of gross sacrilege. No one could legitimately enter the house of YHWH apart from a legitimate son of Aaron (Numbers 18:7).Nehemiah 6:11‘And I said, “Should such a man as I flee, and who is there, who, being such as I, would go into the temple to save his life (or ‘and live’)?

I will not go in.”The godly Nehemiah saw the fallacies immediately. ‘Should such a man as I flee?’ How could he ever hold up his head again if he fled from the danger of assassins? It would make him contemptible. And how could he, being what he was, enter the very Sanctuary of YHWH even ‘to save his life’? It was forbidden by YHWH. he was not a son of Aaron. He refused on both accounts.The alternative translation ‘and live’ may be preferable (both are possible). How could someone who was not a son of Aaron go into the Temple and live?

It was asking to be struck down.Nehemiah 6:12‘And I discerned, and, lo, God had not sent him, but he pronounced this prophecy against me, and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.’And it was then that it dawned on him that God had not sent Shemaiah, but that he had been hired by Tobiah and Sanballat to pronounce this prophecy with a view to him disgracing himself. It was all part of the plot to discredit him.

The unusual order ‘Tobiah and Sanballat’ (it is usually Sanballat and Tobiah) suggests that in this attempt Tobiah was the prime mover. And this is not surprising. It was seemingly he who had the most influence in Jerusalem (compare Nehemiah 6:17-19). Sanballat was simply backing him.Nehemiah 6:13‘ For this reason 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.’They had hired Shemaiah for that very reason, so as to use a prophecy which professed to be from God, so as to make him afraid, in order that he would fulfil the terms of the prophecy (‘do so’), shaming himself, and sinning grievously against YHWH by entering the forbidden area of the Temple. Theoretically no one but Shemaiah would ever know. But it was quite clear that he would report to his masters who would gladly spread an evil report by means of which they could bring reproach on Nehemiah.Nehemiah 6:14“Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.”Once again a prayer marks the end of a part (compare Nehemiah 6:9).

Nehemiah calls on God to remember what Tobiah and Nehemiah are doing, and deal with them accordingly. And he calls on God to remember Noadiah, the prophetess, and the remainder of the prophets, who had all seemingly tried to make him afraid.

It is clear, therefore, that Shemaiah has been the last of a number of prophets and prophetesses who had attempted to mislead him and catch him out. It is quite clear that Tobiah had powerful influence in Jerusalem.,The Walls Are Finally Completed Along With their Gateways and Doors To The Chagrin Of The Surrounding Nations (Nehemiah 6:15-16).

Nehemiah 6:15-19

Nehemiah 6:15‘So the wall was finished in the twenty fifth (day) of (the month) Elul, in fifty two days.’The wall was completed on the 25th day of Elul (in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes), fifty two days after the work commenced. It was a remarkable achievement, even granted that some part of the walls had only needed repairing. In consequence Jerusalem was once more a fortified city. The Jews could once again lift up their head in pride at what God had done. Their previous reproach had been removed.Nehemiah 6:16‘And it came about, when all our enemies heard of it, that all the nations who were about us were afraid, and were much cast down in their own eyes, for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.’And the consequence was that when the news reached the ears of their enemies as described in Nehemiah 4:7, all the nations over whom their enemies ruled were awestruck and felt demeaned, for they recognised that the work had been wrought by God, the very God Whom they had been decrying (Nehemiah 4:2). From Nehemiah’s viewpoint they were humbled to think that Judah had such a great God.The Fraternisation Of Many of The Jewish Aristocracy With Tobiah (Nehemiah 6:17-19).It is quite clear from these verses that Tobiah must have had something to do with the Jewish aristocracy before the arrival of Nehemiah, (and we have already seen the influence that he had over some of the prophets) and the best explanation would be that he had previously been acting as deputy governor over Judah.

This would explain his good relations with the Jewish aristocracy, and his hatred of Nehemiah who had made him redundant. It is the best explanation for the good feeling towards him among the aristocracy, and the fact that Meshullam had given his daughter to him as wife.

Furthermore that good feeling must signify that he had not been a bad governor, at least as far as the Jewish aristocracy were concerned. As a syncretistic Yahwist, as his name shows, he had probably fallen in line with Jerusalem’s way of worship, at least when he was in Judah.Thus the Jewish aristocracy remained in communication with him, and he with them. And they also tried to recommend him to Nehemiah because of the good deeds he had done while acting governor of Judah. They seemingly saw Nehemiah’s attitude towards him as unfortunate. They were probably unaware of things revealed to Nehemiah by his spy system, and by personal letters from Tobiah.These same men had in the main worked assiduously on the wall. Meshullam the son of Berechiah, for example, is mentioned in Nehemiah 3:4; Nehemiah 3:30.

He had possibly done a double stint. Thus they were apparently not antagonistic towards Nehemiah, although not agreeing with his strict attitude.

They seemingly passed information both ways.Nehemiah 6:17‘Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and (those) of Tobiah came to them.’Here we learn that the nobles of Judah were in continual two way correspondence with Tobiah, presumably on a friendly basis.Nehemiah 6:18‘For there were many in Judah sworn to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah to wife.’And their friendliness was partly based on the fact that Tobiah had married into a respectable Jewish family, having become the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah, one of the ‘sons of Arah’ who had returned with Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel. Shecaniah must have been an important and influential man because Tobiah’s relationship to him had resulted, presumably because he had been brought into the family, in many in Judah becoming sworn to him (unless this relates to trading relationships, or even sworn friendships). Tobiah had also ingratiated himself with Eliashib the high priest (Nehemiah 13:4). Furthermore Tobiah’s own son, Jehohanan (whose name also indicates a nominal Yahwist) had married into the family of the influential Meshullam, son of Berechiah, the wall builder (Nehemiah 3:4 b, 30). He was thus well connected Jewishly speaking. It is possibly to his credit that, while he was not averse to making a fool of Nehemiah, he was not mentioned with respect to the attempt to do away with him (Nehemiah 6:2).

But he had certainly been antagonistic towards Nehemiah from the beginning (Nehemiah 2:10). And strictly speaking, as an Ammonite, he was not acceptable as a true Yahwist (Nehemiah 13:1; Deuteronomy 23:3-5).Nehemiah 6:19‘Also they spoke of his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him.

And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.’The Jewish aristocrats praised Tobiah to Nehemiah, no doubt hoping to win him round. They also reported Nehemiah’s words to Tobiah, which would certainly not win him round, and explains why Tobiah and Sanballat were so well informed about Jewish affairs. Tobiah, however, took a different attitude towards Nehemiah, sending him threatening letters. Nehemiah’s position was therefore very difficult, as he sought to maintain working relations with the aristocrats, while at the same time dealing with Tobiah.