Bible Study Nehemiah 6
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Nehemiah 6 · WEB

Plots Against Nehemiah; Wall Completed

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Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arabian, and to the rest of our enemies that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left in it (though at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates),
2Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, "Come, let's meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono." But they intended to harm me.
3I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work, so that I can't come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you?"
4They sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them the same way.
5Then Sanballat sent his servant to me the same way a fifth time with an open letter in his hand,
6in which was written: "It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says it, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; for which cause you are building the wall. You would be their king, according to these words.
7You have also appointed prophets to preach of you at Jerusalem, saying, 'There is a king in Judah!' Now this will be reported to the king. So come now, and let's take counsel together."
8Then I sent to him, saying, "There is no such thing done as you say, but you are inventing them in your own heart."
9For they all would have made us afraid, saying, "Their hands will be weakened from the work, and it won't be done." But now, strengthen my hands.
10I 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 God's house, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple; for they will come to kill you. Yes, in the night they will come to kill you."
11I said, "Should such a man as I flee? Who is there that, being such as I, would go into the temple to save his life? I won't go in."
12I discerned that God had not sent him; but he pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13He was hired for this purpose, that I would be afraid, act that way, sin, and that they might have an evil report, that they might reproach me.
14Remember, my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets who would have put me in fear.
15So the wall was finished in the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days.
16When all our enemies heard of it, all the nations that were around us feared and fell much in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.
17Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters came to them.
18For 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 as wife.
19Also they spoke of his good deeds before me and reported my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.
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Summary

With the wall nearly complete, the enemies shift from military threats to more sophisticated attacks: fake invitations to negotiate (four times), then a fabricated accusation of rebellion sent in an open letter (public shaming), then a false prophet hired to lure Nehemiah into the temple in a way that would discredit him. Nehemiah discerns and refuses each trap with remarkable clarity. The wall is completed in just 52 days — and even the enemies recognize this was God's doing. The chapter ends ominously: Tobiah has deep family connections among Judah's nobles and has informants inside the community.

Themes

  • Discernment to recognize and resist sophisticated opposition
  • The power of focus on God's call over distractions and fear
  • God's reputation exalted when his people complete their calling

Key verses

  • Neh 6:15-16 — “So the wall was finished in fifty-two days... they perceived that this work was done by our God.”
  • Neh 6:3 — “I am doing a great work, so that I can't come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you?”
  • Neh 6:9 — “They all would have made us afraid... But now, strengthen my hands.”

Context & background

The plain of Ono (v. 2) is about 27 miles northwest of Jerusalem (modern Kafr 'Ana, central Israel) — far enough from Jerusalem to be dangerous for Nehemiah. An "open letter" (v. 5) in the ancient world was a public accusation, not a private communication — intended to publicly implicate Nehemiah with the Persian authorities. Charging someone with plotting rebellion against the king was a capital offense. The false prophet Shemaiah tried to lure Nehemiah into the inner sanctuary — only priests were allowed there; if Nehemiah (not a priest) entered, he would sin and lose his moral authority. Tobiah's family connections (vv. 17-19) show that opposition was not only external; internal compromise was a threat as well.

Cross-references

  • 1 Corinthians 15:58 — "Always abounding in the work of the Lord... your labor is not in vain"
  • 1 Kings 19:3-4 — Elijah fleeing in fear; Nehemiah's "should such a man as I flee?" refuses that pattern
  • Jeremiah 23:16-17 — False prophets who say "peace" when there is no peace; Shemaiah fits this profile
  • Matthew 4:1-11 — Satan's sophisticated temptations of Jesus; Jesus' focused refusal parallels Nehemiah's
  • Nehemiah 4:1-9 — Earlier military and verbal opposition; this chapter shows more subtle attacks

Check your reading

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  1. Observe

    How many days did it take to complete the wall of Jerusalem?

  2. Observe

    What was the false prophet Shemaiah hired to persuade Nehemiah to do?

  3. Interpret

    Why was Nehemiah's response "I am doing a great work, so that I can't come down" so effective against Sanballat's repeated invitations?

  4. Interpret

    What does Nehemiah's brief prayer "Now strengthen my hands" (v. 9) reveal about his spirituality under pressure?

  5. Apply

    When facing sophisticated opposition that mixes truth and lies (like Sanballat's letter), what should you do first?

  6. Apply

    Tobiah had family ties and informants inside the community. How should you respond to discovering compromise or mixed loyalties among trusted insiders?

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