Nehemiah 6, Schemes Against Nehemiah

Nehemiah is governor of Judah after the rebuilding of the walls. Local Gentile leaders, Sanballat and Tobiah (Nehemiah 2: 10) have resented his work.

Nehemiah 6: 1-4, Schemes of Sanballat
When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it--though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates-- Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: "Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono." 

But they were scheming to harm me; so I sent messengers to them with this reply: "I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?" 

Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.
 

Nehemiah repeatedly refuses to be drawn into a meeting with the local toughs. The plain of Ono was some distance from Jerusalem. It appears to have been 8 to 10 miles west of Joppa and so some 30 to 40 miles northwest of Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 6: 5-7, A rumor

Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter in which was written: "It is reported among the nations--and Geshem  says it is true--that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: `There is a king in Judah!' Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us confer together."

Nehemiah is accused of plotting rebellion and Sanballat suggests a meeting to resolve this rumor. This is a rumor which Sanballat has started; the threat is that he will complain to Babylon and Nehemiah will be removed and possibly imprisoned. (Yamauchi says that the fact that the letter was unsealed meant that it was public.) 

Nehemiah 6: 8-9, Nehemiah's response

I sent him this reply: "Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head."

They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed." [But I prayed,] "Now strengthen my hands."

 

Nehemiah merely denies the allegations and accuses Sanballat of inventing the rumor himself. (Yamauchi suggests that Nehemiah very likely sent his own report to Babylon, to preempt the accusations.) 

One's hands were representative of one's attitude: weak hands indicated timidity and fear, strong hands represented confidence and success. 

The Masoretic Text does not include the phrase "I prayed" but it is clear from context that the request for strong hands was a prayer. The Septuagint has "I strengthened my hands" but Yamauchi agrees with the NIV's translation here.

Nehemiah 6: 10-13, Another scheme

One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, "Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you--by night they are coming to kill you."

But I said, "Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!" I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me.

 

The next attack on Nehemiah comes from a man named Shemaiah who claims that people are out to kill Nehemiah and that he, Nehemiah, should lock himself inside the temple, for protection. (Shemaiah himself is "shut in at home", possible out of his own fears.) Nehemiah refuses to be diverted from his work, afraid that any timidity on his part will destroy the current momentum to complete Jerusalem. 

Yamauchi says that Nehemiah was not a priest who could enter the sanctuary so Shemaiah is trying to entice Nehemiah into a sinful act. Whether concerned about entering the sanctuary or aware of God's call on his leadership, Nehemiah sees Shemaiah's invitation as an invitation to sin.

Nehemiah 6: 14, Remember!

Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me.

Nehemiah prays that these enemies and accuser will be punished by God. Among the accusers is a woman prophetess named Noadiah and some other prophets.

Nehemiah 6: 15-16, Completed wall

So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.

The completion of the wall leads to recognition by nearby countries that Jerusalem is returning and that their God is in charge.

Nehemiah 6: 17-19, Tobiah 

Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was son-in-law to Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

 

Tobiah continues to try to intimidate Nehemiah, using his influence with various nobles of Judah. But despite the nobles' praise of their ruler Tobiah, Nehemiah is undeterred.