Nehemiah 6:1–9

Opposition to the Rebuilding Efforts Continues

6:1 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and no breach remained in it (even though up to that time I had not positioned doors in the gates), 6:2 Sanballat and Geshem sent word to me saying, “Come on! Let’s set up a time to meet together at Kephirim1 in the plain of Ono.” Now they intended to do me harm.

6:3 So I sent messengers to them saying, “I am engaged in2 an important work, and I am unable to come down. Why should the work come to a halt when I leave it to come down to you?” 6:4 They contacted3 me four times in this way, and I responded the same way each time.4

6:5 The fifth time that Sanballat sent his assistant to me in this way, he had an open letter in his hand. 6:6 Written in it were the following words:

“Among the nations it is rumored5 (and Geshem6 has substantiated7 this) that you and the Jews have intentions of revolting, and for this reason you are building the wall. Furthermore, according to these rumors8 you are going to become their king. 6:7 You have also established prophets to announce9 in Jerusalem10 on your behalf, ‘We have a king in Judah!’ Now the king is going to hear about these rumors. So come on! Let’s talk about this.”11

6:8 I sent word back to him, “We are not engaged in these activities you are describing.12 All of this is a figment of your imagination.”13

6:9 All of them were wanting14 to scare us, supposing, “Their hands will grow slack from the work, and it won’t get done.”

So now, strengthen my hands!15

1	tn It is not entirely clear whether the Hebrew word כְּפִירִים (kéfirim) is a place-name not mentioned elsewhere in the OT (as indicated in the present translation; so also NAB, NASB) or whether it means “in [one of] the villages” (so, e.g., NIV, NRSV, NLT; see BDB 499 s.v.; HALOT 493 s.v.). The LXX and Vulgate understand it in the latter sense. Some scholars connect this term with the identically spelled word כּפירים (“lions”) as a figurative description of princes or warriors (e.g., Pss 34:11; 35:17; 58:7; Jer 2:15; Ezek 32:2, 13; Nah 2:14; see HALOT 493 s.v.): “let us meet together with the leaders in the plain of Ono.”
2	tn Heb “[am] doing.”
3	tn Heb “sent to.”
4	tn Heb “and I answered them according to this word.”
5	tn Heb “heard.”
6	tn Heb “Gashmu”; in Neh 2:19 this name appears as Geshem. Since it is important for the modern reader to recognize that this is the same individual, the form of the name used here in the translation is the same as that in v. 19.
7	tn Heb “is saying.”
8	tn Heb “words.” So also in v. 7.
9	tn Heb “call.”
10	map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
11	tn Heb “Let us consult together.”
12	tn Heb “We are not according to these matters that you are saying.”
13	tn Heb “For from your heart you are inventing them.”
14	tn The participle has a desiderative nuance here, describing the desire of the subject and not necessarily the actual outcome. See also v. 14.
15	tn The statement “So now, strengthen my hands” is frequently understood as an implied prayer, but is taken differently by NAB (“But instead, I now redoubled my efforts”).