Nehemiah 6 Study Notes: Plots Against Nehemiah and the Finished Wall
Nehemiah’s enemies try to lure him away, accuse him of plotting revolt, and hire a false prophet to scare him into hiding in the temple. He refuses every trap, the wall is done after fifty-two days, and the nations see God has done it, while Tobiah keeps writing to Judah’s nobles.
General
How did Nehemiah answer the repeated invitations to come down and meet (Nehemiah 6:3-4)?
Answer: His work was too important to stop so that he could meet them
Nehemiah sent messengers with his answer: he was engaged in a great work; he could not come down, and he asked why the work should halt while he left it to meet them (6:3). They sent the same invitation four times, and he gave the same answer each time (6:4). He would not be drawn away from the task God had given him. He had earlier described the work as large and spread out along the wall (4:19), and he had told these same enemies that heaven’s God would give success to His servants (2:20).
- Nehemiah 6:3-4 (BSB)“So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to go down to you?” Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave the same reply.”Nehemiah refuses to leave the work and gives the same answer to four identical invitations.
- Nehemiah 4:19 (BSB)“Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: “The work is great and extensive, and we are spread out far from one another along the wall.”Nehemiah had already described the work as great and widely spread out.
- Nehemiah 2:20 (BSB)“So I answered them and said, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start rebuilding, but you have no portion, right, or claim in Jerusalem.””From the start Nehemiah was sure that God would give success to His servants as they built.
Theological
What was Nehemiah’s reply to the repeated invitations (Nehemiah 6:3-4)?
Answer: His work was too important to stop so that he could meet them
Nehemiah replies through messengers that he is engaged in a great work; he cannot come down, and he asks why the work should cease while he goes to them (6:3). The invitation comes four times; the answer never changes (6:4). He refuses to be diverted from the work God had given, a work he had already called great and extensive (4:19) and whose success he had attributed to heaven’s God (2:20).
- Nehemiah 6:3-4 (BSB)“So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to go down to you?” Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave the same reply.”Nehemiah refuses to leave the work and gives the same answer to four identical invitations.
- Nehemiah 4:19 (BSB)“Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: “The work is great and extensive, and we are spread out far from one another along the wall.”Nehemiah had already described the work as great and widely spread out.
- Nehemiah 2:20 (BSB)“So I answered them and said, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start rebuilding, but you have no portion, right, or claim in Jerusalem.””From the start Nehemiah was sure that God would give success to His servants as they built.
General
What did Nehemiah come to realize about Shemaiah’s warning (Nehemiah 6:12-13)?
Answer: He was not from God; he was in the pay of Tobiah and Sanballat
Nehemiah recognized that Shemaiah’s message did not come from God; he had been paid by Tobiah and Sanballat to speak this prophecy against Nehemiah (6:12). A prophecy is a message claiming to come from God. The goal was to frighten Nehemiah into sinning by following the advice, so that they could ruin his reputation and discredit him (6:13). Nehemiah then asked God to remember the deeds of Tobiah and Sanballat, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the remaining prophets who had tried to frighten him (6:14). The LORD had long spoken against prophets He had not sent who prophesied anyway (Jeremiah 23:21) and against prophets who practiced divination for money (Micah 3:11). Under the Law, a prophet who dared to speak in God’s name a message He had not commanded faced the death penalty (Deuteronomy 18:20).
- Nehemiah 6:12-14 (BSB)“I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would sin by doing as he suggested, so they could give me a bad name in order to discredit me. O my God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets who tried to intimidate me.”Nehemiah realizes Shemaiah was hired to make him sin and discredit him, and he commits his enemies to God.
- Jeremiah 23:21 (BSB)“I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied.”The LORD speaks against prophets who prophesy though He did not send them.
- Micah 3:11 (BSB)“Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets practice divination for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD, saying, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster can come upon us.””Prophets who practice divination for money are condemned; Shemaiah too spoke for pay.
- Deuteronomy 18:20 (BSB)“But if any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put to death.””The Law set the death penalty for a prophet who spoke in God’s name a message He had not commanded.
Theological
What did Nehemiah perceive about Shemaiah’s prophecy (Nehemiah 6:12-13)?
Answer: He was not from God; he was in the pay of Tobiah and Sanballat
Nehemiah discerns that the message is not from God; Shemaiah has been hired by Tobiah and Sanballat to deliver it (6:12). The aim was to intimidate Nehemiah into sin so that they could discredit him (6:13). Nehemiah commits Tobiah, Sanballat, the prophetess Noadiah, and the remaining prophets who had tried to frighten him to God’s remembrance (6:14). The LORD had long spoken against prophets He did not send (Jeremiah 23:21) and prophets who divine for pay (Micah 3:11), and the Law made it a capital offense for a prophet to speak in God’s name a message He had not commanded (Deuteronomy 18:20).
- Nehemiah 6:12-14 (BSB)“I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would sin by doing as he suggested, so they could give me a bad name in order to discredit me. O my God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets who tried to intimidate me.”Nehemiah realizes Shemaiah was hired to make him sin and discredit him, and he commits his enemies to God.
- Jeremiah 23:21 (BSB)“I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied.”The LORD speaks against prophets who prophesy though He did not send them.
- Micah 3:11 (BSB)“Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets practice divination for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD, saying, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster can come upon us.””Prophets who practice divination for money are condemned; Shemaiah too spoke for pay.
- Deuteronomy 18:20 (BSB)“But if any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put to death.””The Law set the death penalty for a prophet who spoke in God’s name a message He had not commanded.
General
When Sanballat and Geshem invited Nehemiah to meet them in the Ono plain, what was their real intention (Nehemiah 6:1-2)?
Answer: They meant to do him harm
News reached Sanballat and Tobiah, along with Geshem the Arab, as well as their other allies, that the wall was rebuilt with no gaps left, though the gate doors were not yet hung (6:1). Sanballat and Geshem then invited Nehemiah to meet with them at a village in the Ono plain, but their real purpose was to harm him (6:2). The friendly invitation hid a plot, just as the enemies had earlier planned to slip in and kill the builders (4:11). Scripture describes words smooth as butter that hide war in the heart (Psalm 55:21).
- Nehemiah 6:1-2 (BSB)“When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left—though to that time I had not yet installed 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 planning to harm me.”With the wall rebuilt, Sanballat and Geshem invite Nehemiah to a meeting at Ono, intending to harm him.
- Nehemiah 4:11 (BSB)“And our enemies said, “Before they know or see a thing, we will come into their midst, kill them, and put an end to the work.””The enemies had earlier planned a surprise attack on the builders, so their intent to harm was not new.
- Psalm 55:21 (BSB)“His speech is smooth as butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are swords unsheathed.”Smooth, friendly words can hide hostile intent, as this invitation did.
Theological
What was the true purpose behind the invitation to meet at Ono (Nehemiah 6:1-2)?
Answer: They meant to do him harm
Once the enemies learn that the wall stands with no breach, though the gate doors are not yet installed (6:1), Sanballat and Geshem propose a meeting at a village in the Ono plain, intending to harm Nehemiah (6:2). The cordial invitation masks the same hostile intent shown in the earlier plan to strike the builders unawares (4:11), the kind of smooth speech that conceals war in the heart (Psalm 55:21).
- Nehemiah 6:1-2 (BSB)“When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left—though to that time I had not yet installed 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 planning to harm me.”With the wall rebuilt, Sanballat and Geshem invite Nehemiah to a meeting at Ono, intending to harm him.
- Nehemiah 4:11 (BSB)“And our enemies said, “Before they know or see a thing, we will come into their midst, kill them, and put an end to the work.””The enemies had earlier planned a surprise attack on the builders, so their intent to harm was not new.
- Psalm 55:21 (BSB)“His speech is smooth as butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are swords unsheathed.”Smooth, friendly words can hide hostile intent, as this invitation did.
General
What did Shemaiah urge Nehemiah to do, and how did Nehemiah respond (Nehemiah 6:10-11)?
Answer: Hide inside the temple; he refused, unwilling to flee to save himself
Nehemiah visited Shemaiah, Delaiah’s son, who was shut in at his home. Shemaiah urged him to meet inside the temple and close its doors, claiming that men were coming by night to kill him (6:10). Nehemiah refused. He asked whether a man in his position should run away, or should hide in the sanctuary to keep himself alive, and said he would not go (6:11). He would not run or hide just to stay alive. Fearing people is a trap, but the one who trusts the LORD is kept safe (Proverbs 29:25), and lion-hearted boldness belongs to the righteous (Proverbs 28:1).
- Nehemiah 6:10-11 (BSB)“Later, I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his house. He said: “Let us meet at the house of God inside the temple. Let us shut the temple doors because they are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you!” But I replied, “Should a man like me run away? Should one like me go into the temple to save his own life? I will not go!””Shemaiah urges Nehemiah to shut himself in the temple, and Nehemiah refuses to flee.
- Proverbs 29:25 (BSB)“The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.”Fear of man is a snare, while trust in the LORD brings security.
- Proverbs 28:1 (BSB)“The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”The righteous are bold rather than fleeing in fear.
Theological
What did Shemaiah propose, and what was Nehemiah’s answer (Nehemiah 6:10-11)?
Answer: Hide inside the temple; he refused, unwilling to flee to save himself
Shemaiah, Delaiah’s son, shut in at his home, urges Nehemiah to take refuge in the temple and shut its doors, warning of assassins coming by night (6:10). Nehemiah refuses: a man in his position will not flee, nor hide in the sanctuary to keep himself alive (6:11). He refuses to be governed by fear of other people, which is a snare, while the one who trusts the LORD is kept secure (Proverbs 29:25); boldness, not flight, marks the righteous (Proverbs 28:1).
- Nehemiah 6:10-11 (BSB)“Later, I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his house. He said: “Let us meet at the house of God inside the temple. Let us shut the temple doors because they are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you!” But I replied, “Should a man like me run away? Should one like me go into the temple to save his own life? I will not go!””Shemaiah urges Nehemiah to shut himself in the temple, and Nehemiah refuses to flee.
- Proverbs 29:25 (BSB)“The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.”Fear of man is a snare, while trust in the LORD brings security.
- Proverbs 28:1 (BSB)“The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”The righteous are bold rather than fleeing in fear.
General
True or False: Nehemiah answered the letter by admitting that some of the rumors were true but promising loyalty to the king (Nehemiah 6:8-9).
Answer: False
This is false. Nehemiah flatly denied the charges: nothing of the sort was happening, and Sanballat was making it all up in his own head (6:8). He saw the purpose behind the letter. The enemies were trying to frighten the builders, hoping their hands would go slack and the work would never be finished, and Nehemiah answered with a prayer that God would strengthen his hands (6:9). The enemies wanted weak hands, and Nehemiah asked God for strong ones. Scripture speaks of the LORD turning a king’s heart toward His people to make their hands strong for the work on His house (Ezra 6:22), and of the LORD answering His servant’s call and making his soul strong (Psalm 138:3).
- Nehemiah 6:8-9 (BSB)“Then I sent him this reply: “There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind.” For they were all trying to frighten us, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will never be finished.” But now, my God, strengthen my hands.”Nehemiah denies the rumors, sees the aim of frightening the builders, and prays for God to strengthen his hands.
- Ezra 6:22 (BSB)“For seven days they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy, because the LORD had made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen their hands in the work on the house of the God of Israel.”God had earlier turned a king’s heart to strengthen His people’s hands for the work on His house.
- Psalm 138:3 (BSB)“On the day I called, You answered me; You emboldened me and strengthened my soul.”The LORD answers the one who calls on Him and gives him strength.
Theological
True or False: Nehemiah conceded that part of the report was accurate while pledging his loyalty to the king (Nehemiah 6:8-9).
Answer: False
This is false. Nehemiah denies the charges outright as Sanballat’s own invention (6:8). He discerns the aim of intimidation, to make the builders’ hands go slack so the work would fail, and responds with a prayer that God would strengthen his hands (6:9). Against the enemies’ attempt to weaken, he asks God for strength, as the LORD had earlier turned a king’s heart to strengthen His people’s hands in rebuilding His house (Ezra 6:22) and answers those who call on Him with strength of soul (Psalm 138:3).
- Nehemiah 6:8-9 (BSB)“Then I sent him this reply: “There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind.” For they were all trying to frighten us, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will never be finished.” But now, my God, strengthen my hands.”Nehemiah denies the rumors, sees the aim of frightening the builders, and prays for God to strengthen his hands.
- Ezra 6:22 (BSB)“For seven days they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy, because the LORD had made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen their hands in the work on the house of the God of Israel.”God had earlier turned a king’s heart to strengthen His people’s hands for the work on His house.
- Psalm 138:3 (BSB)“On the day I called, You answered me; You emboldened me and strengthened my soul.”The LORD answers the one who calls on Him and gives him strength.
General
On the fifth attempt, Sanballat’s servant brought an unsealed letter. What did it accuse Nehemiah of (Nehemiah 6:5-7)?
Answer: Plotting a revolt and planning to make himself king in Judah
Sanballat’s servant brought an open letter, not sealed (6:5). It claimed that a report was going around among the nations, backed by Geshem, that Nehemiah and the Jews meant to rebel and that this was why they were building the wall. It said he planned to make himself their king and had even appointed prophets to announce him as king in Judah, and it warned that the Persian king would soon hear of it (6:6-7). Sanballat again urged a meeting. This was the same kind of charge made in the letter to King Artaxerxes recorded in Ezra, which called Jerusalem a rebellious city that would stop paying taxes once its walls were rebuilt (Ezra 4:12-13), and it echoed the enemies’ first taunt, when they asked if the builders were revolting against the king (Nehemiah 2:19).
- Nehemiah 6:5-7 (BSB)“The fifth time, Sanballat sent me this same message by his young servant, who had in his hand an unsealed letter that read: “It is reported among the nations—and Geshem agrees—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and this is why you are building the wall. According to these reports, you are to become their king, and you have even appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim on your behalf: ‘There is a king in Judah.’ Soon these rumors will reach the ears of the king. So come, let us confer together.””Sanballat’s unsealed letter accuses Nehemiah of planning revolt and kingship and urges a meeting.
- Ezra 4:12-13 (BSB)“Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came from you to us have returned to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring its walls and repairing its foundations. Let it now be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, they will not pay tribute, duty, or toll, and the royal treasury will suffer.”An earlier letter to the king had also called Jerusalem a rebellious city whose rebuilt walls would threaten the king.
- Nehemiah 2:19 (BSB)“But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked us and ridiculed us, saying, “What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?””The enemies had mocked the builders from the start by suggesting they were in revolt against the king.
Theological
Of what did Sanballat’s unsealed letter accuse Nehemiah (Nehemiah 6:5-7)?
Answer: Plotting a revolt and planning to make himself king in Judah
The fifth message comes as an open letter (6:5), alleging a report among the nations, confirmed by Geshem, that the Jews intend to rebel, that the wall is being built for this purpose, that Nehemiah means to become king, and that he has arranged for prophets to proclaim him king in Judah; the report, it warns, will reach the Persian king (6:6-7). It is the charge of sedition again, the same accusation made in the letter to Artaxerxes recorded in Ezra (Ezra 4:12-13) and implied in the enemies’ first taunt (Nehemiah 2:19).
- Nehemiah 6:5-7 (BSB)“The fifth time, Sanballat sent me this same message by his young servant, who had in his hand an unsealed letter that read: “It is reported among the nations—and Geshem agrees—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and this is why you are building the wall. According to these reports, you are to become their king, and you have even appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim on your behalf: ‘There is a king in Judah.’ Soon these rumors will reach the ears of the king. So come, let us confer together.””Sanballat’s unsealed letter accuses Nehemiah of planning revolt and kingship and urges a meeting.
- Ezra 4:12-13 (BSB)“Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came from you to us have returned to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring its walls and repairing its foundations. Let it now be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, they will not pay tribute, duty, or toll, and the royal treasury will suffer.”An earlier letter to the king had also called Jerusalem a rebellious city whose rebuilt walls would threaten the king.
- Nehemiah 2:19 (BSB)“But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked us and ridiculed us, saying, “What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?””The enemies had mocked the builders from the start by suggesting they were in revolt against the king.
General
After only fifty-two days of work the wall was finished. How did the surrounding nations react, and why (Nehemiah 6:15-16)?
Answer: They lost heart, seeing that God had brought about the work
The wall was finished after only fifty-two days (6:15). When the enemies heard, all the nations around were afraid and lost their confidence, because they recognized that this work had been done by Israel’s God (6:16). The same opponents who had mocked the builders’ weakness now saw God’s hand in the work. Nehemiah had said from the start that heaven’s God would give success (2:20). During the temple rebuilding, the LORD’s word to Zerubbabel had been that the work would be done not by might or power but by His Spirit (Zechariah 4:6), and a psalm says that if the LORD is not the builder, the builders’ labor is useless (Psalm 127:1).
- Nehemiah 6:15-16 (BSB)“So the wall was completed in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth of Elul. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and disheartened, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God.”The wall is completed in fifty-two days, and the nations recognize that God accomplished the work.
- Nehemiah 2:20 (BSB)“So I answered them and said, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start rebuilding, but you have no portion, right, or claim in Jerusalem.””Nehemiah had said at the outset that the God of heaven would give success.
- Zechariah 4:6 (BSB)“So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts.”The LORD’s word about the temple rebuilding was that it would succeed by His Spirit, not by human might.
- Psalm 127:1 (BSB)“A song of ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.”Unless the LORD builds, the builders labor in vain.
Theological
What was the reaction of the surrounding nations when the wall was finished after only fifty-two days, and why (Nehemiah 6:15-16)?
Answer: They lost heart, seeing that God had brought about the work
The wall is finished in a mere fifty-two days (6:15). The enemies and every nation around them are afraid and lose heart, recognizing that the work was accomplished by Israel’s God (6:16). Those who had scorned the builders’ weakness are now confronted with God’s hand. This vindicates Nehemiah’s early confidence in heaven’s God (2:20) and fits the LORD’s word to Zerubbabel that His work prospers not by might or power but by His Spirit (Zechariah 4:6); if the LORD is not the builder, the work is futile (Psalm 127:1).
- Nehemiah 6:15-16 (BSB)“So the wall was completed in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth of Elul. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and disheartened, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God.”The wall is completed in fifty-two days, and the nations recognize that God accomplished the work.
- Nehemiah 2:20 (BSB)“So I answered them and said, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start rebuilding, but you have no portion, right, or claim in Jerusalem.””Nehemiah had said at the outset that the God of heaven would give success.
- Zechariah 4:6 (BSB)“So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts.”The LORD’s word about the temple rebuilding was that it would succeed by His Spirit, not by human might.
- Psalm 127:1 (BSB)“A song of ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.”Unless the LORD builds, the builders labor in vain.
General
What was going on between Judah’s nobles and Tobiah at this time (Nehemiah 6:17-19)?
Answer: They wrote to him often and praised him, being tied to him by oath
In those days many letters passed back and forth between Judah’s nobles and Tobiah (6:17). Many in Judah had sworn loyalty to him because of family ties: he was related by marriage to Shecaniah, and Jehohanan, his son, had married into Meshullam’s family (6:18). These nobles kept telling Nehemiah about the good things Tobiah did and passed Nehemiah’s words back to Tobiah, while Tobiah kept sending letters to frighten him (6:19). The pressure on Nehemiah came from inside Judah as well as from outside. Tobiah’s ties inside Jerusalem continued later, when the priest Eliashib, one of his relatives, gave him a large room in the temple storerooms (13:4-5), and Nehemiah threw his belongings out of it (13:7-8).
- Nehemiah 6:17-19 (BSB)“Also in those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters kept coming to them. For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, since he was a son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah. Moreover, these nobles kept reporting to me Tobiah’s good deeds, and they relayed my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.”Letters pass between Judah’s nobles and Tobiah, who is bound to many by marriage ties, while he keeps trying to intimidate Nehemiah.
- Nehemiah 13:4-5 (BSB)“Now before this, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God and had prepared for Tobiah a large room where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the temple articles, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests.”Later the priest Eliashib, a relative of Tobiah, gave him a large room in the temple storerooms.
- Nehemiah 13:7-8 (BSB)“to return to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by providing him a room in the courts of the house of God. And I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.”Nehemiah later threw Tobiah’s goods out of that room, showing how deep Tobiah’s ties in Jerusalem ran.
Theological
What characterized the relationship between Judah’s nobles and Tobiah during this period (Nehemiah 6:17-19)?
Answer: They wrote to him often and praised him, being tied to him by oath
Correspondence flows steadily between Judah’s nobles and Tobiah (6:17). Many in Judah are bound to him by oath through marriage alliances: he is Shecaniah’s son-in-law, and Jehohanan, his son, has married into Meshullam’s family (6:18). The nobles praise Tobiah to Nehemiah and report Nehemiah’s words back to him, while Tobiah continues sending letters to intimidate him (6:19). The opposition has allies within. The same entanglement later surfaces when the priest Eliashib, Tobiah’s relative, provides him a room among the temple storerooms (13:4-5), which Nehemiah clears out (13:7-8).
- Nehemiah 6:17-19 (BSB)“Also in those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters kept coming to them. For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, since he was a son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah. Moreover, these nobles kept reporting to me Tobiah’s good deeds, and they relayed my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.”Letters pass between Judah’s nobles and Tobiah, who is bound to many by marriage ties, while he keeps trying to intimidate Nehemiah.
- Nehemiah 13:4-5 (BSB)“Now before this, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God and had prepared for Tobiah a large room where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the temple articles, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests.”Later the priest Eliashib, a relative of Tobiah, gave him a large room in the temple storerooms.
- Nehemiah 13:7-8 (BSB)“to return to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by providing him a room in the courts of the house of God. And I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.”Nehemiah later threw Tobiah’s goods out of that room, showing how deep Tobiah’s ties in Jerusalem ran.