1 Sanballat practises by craft, by rumours, and by hired prophecies, to terrify Nehemiah
15 The work is finished, to the terror of the enemies
17 Secret intelligence passes between the enemies and the nobles of Judah

when Sanballat 2:10,19 4:1,7

Geshem 6

Gashmu. no breach 4:6,7 Da 9:25

at that time 3:1,3,6

2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.

Come (They wished to get him out of Jerusalem, from his friends, that they might either carry him off or murder him.) 2Sa 3:27 20:9 Ps 37:12 Pr 26:24-26 Ec 4:4

Ono 11:35 1Ch 8:12

they thought Ps 12:2 37:12,32 Jer 41:2 Eze 33:31 Mic 7:4,5 Lu 20:19-21

3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?

And I sent Pr 14:15 Mt 10:16

I am doing Ec 9:10 Lu 14:30 Joh 9:4 1Ti 4:15,16

4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.

four times Jud 16:6,10,15-20 Pr 7:21 Lu 18:5 1Co 15:58 Ga 2:5

and I answered Pr 14:15

5 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;

with an open letter (This was a gross insult to a person of Nehemiah's quality; as the letters sent to chiefs and governors in the East are always carefully folded up, put in silk bags, and then sealed.) 2Ki 18:26-28 2Co 2:11 11:13-15 Eph 6:11 2Th 2:10

6 Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words.

It is reported Jer 9:3-6 20:10 Mt 5:11 Ro 3:8 2Co 6:8 1Pe 2:12,13 3:16

Gashmu 1,2

Geshem. that thou and 2:19 Ezr 4:12,15

that thou mayest Lu 23:2 Joh 19:13

7 And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.

appointed 12,13

a king 2Sa 15:10-12 1Ki 1:7,18,25,34

come now Pr 26:24-26 Ac 23:15

8 Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.

There are Ac 24:12,13 25:7,10

thou feignest Job 13:4 Ps 36:3 38:12 52:2 Isa 59:4 Da 11:27 Mt 12:34 Joh 8:44

9 For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.

For they 14 4:10-14 2Ch 32:18

Their hands 2Ch 15:7 Ezr 4:1-24 Isa 35:3,4 Jer 38:4 Heb 12:12

Now therefore 1Sa 30:6 Ps 56:3 71:1 68:35 138:3 Isa 41:10 Zec 10:12 2Co 12:9 Eph 3:16 6:10 Php 4:13 1Pe 5:10

10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, 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 thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.

Shemaiah 12 Ezr 8:16 10:31 Pr 11:9 Mt 7:15

shut up 2Ki 9:8 Jer 36:5 Eze 3:24

Let us meet Ps 12:2 37:12 120:2,3

the house 1Ki 6:5 2Ki 11:3

let us shut 2Ch 28:24 29:3,7 Mal 1:10 Ac 21:30

in the night Job 24:13-17 Joh 3:20

11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.

Should such 3 1Sa 19:5 Job 4:3-6 Ps 11:1,2 112:6,8 Pr 28:1 Isa 10:18 Lu 13:31-33 Ac 8:1 20:24 21:13 Heb 11:27

would go 9 Nu 32:7-9 Ec 10:1 Php 2:17,30

12 And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

I perceived Eze 13:22 1Co 2:15 12:10

God had Jer 14:14 23:16,25 28:15 Eze 13:7 1Jo 4:1

hired him Isa 56:11 Eze 13:19 Mic 3:11 Ac 20:33 1Ti 3:3 Tit 1:7 1Pe 5:2 2Pe 2:3 Re 18:13

13 Therefore 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.

that I should Pr 29:5 Isa 51:7,12,13 57:11 Jer 1:17 Eze 2:6 13:17 Mt 10:28 2Ti 1:7 Re 21:8

and sin Jas 4:17

and that they 6 Pr 22:1 Ec 7:1

report, that Jer 18:18 20:10 Da 6:4,5 Mt 22:15 26:59 Ac 6:13 2Co 11:12 1Ti 5:14 Tit 2:8

14 My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.

My God 5:19 Ps 22:1 63:1

think thou 4:4,5 13:29 Ps 36:11,12 140:5-11 Jer 11:20-23 18:20-23 2Ti 4:14,15 1Jo 5:16

on the prophetess 1Ki 22:22-24 Isa 9:14,15 Jer 14:15,18 28:1,10,15 Eze 13:16,17 Mt 7:15 24:11,24 2Ti 3:8 Re 19:20

15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.

wall Ezr 6:15 Ps 1:3 Da 9:25

fifty 4:1,2

16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.

when all our enemies 2:10 4:1,7 6:1,2

for they perceived Ex 14:25 Nu 23:23 Jos 5:1 Ps 126:2 Ac 5:38

17 Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.

the nobles 3:5 5:7 13:28 Mic 7:1-6 Mt 24:10-12

sent many letters unto Tobiah. Heb. multiplied their letters passing to Tobiah

18 For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.

Arah 7:10 Ezr 2:5

Meshullam 3:4,30

19 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.

they reported Pr 28:4 Joh 7:7 15:19 1Jo 4:5

words. or, matters. to put 9,13 Isa 37:10-14 Ac 4:18-21