Nehemiah 6:13
in Nehemiah 6He 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For this cause 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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Nehemiah 6
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah, &c.--This man was the son of a priest, who was an intimate and confidential friend of Nehemiah. The young man claimed to be endowed with the gift of prophecy.
This site's exposition
He had been hired to intimidate me
on Nehemiah 6:13-14
Shemaiah "had been hired to intimidate me so that I would sin by doing as he suggested," giving the enemies grounds "to discredit me" (6:13). Nehemiah answers, "O my God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done," naming also "Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets."
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
): That I should be afraid, and so they might have matter for an evil report, and might reproach me. This was indeed doing the devil's work, who is men's tempter that he may be their accuser, draws men to sin that he may glory in their shame. The greatest mischief our enemies can do us is to frighten us from our duty and bring us to do what is sinful.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And sin - By going into a place forbidden to me, and that in such a manner, which would have been both sinful and shameful. Reproach - As a coward, and conscious of my own guilt, that they might make me contemptible and odious both to my own people, and to the king of Persia.
Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin,.... By distrusting the power and providence of God to protect him, and by going into such a part of the temple, which he, being no priest, had no right to go into: and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me; as a rebel and traitor against the king, which had been reported of him, and which would be strengthened by such a step.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
And I discerned I discerned in his words that the Holy One, blessed be He, had not sent him on this mission, but that he wanted me to commit a transgression because of fear of death.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
and also Noadiah the prophetess She and the rest of the false prophets received pay from Sanballat and his cohorts in order to frighten me with their false prophecies.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
14 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לְמַ֤עַן | lemaan | so that | H4616 → | 272 times |
| שָׂכוּר֙ | sakhur | [was] hired | H7936 → | 21 times |
| ה֔וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| לְמַֽעַן־ | lemaan- | so that | H4616 → | 272 times |
| אִירָ֥א | ʾira' | I may be afraid | H3372 → | 315 times |
| וְאֶֽעֱשֶׂה־ | veeeseh- | and I may act | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| כֵּ֖ן | ken | thus | H3651 → | 771 times |
| וְחָטָ֑אתִי | vechatati | and I will sin | H2398 → | 238 times |
| וְהָיָ֤ה | vehayah | and it will become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לָהֶם֙ | lahem | for them | ||
| לְשֵׁ֣ם | leshem | <into> a name | H8034 → | 864 times |
| רָ֔ע | ra' | bad | H7451 → | 662 times |
| לְמַ֖עַן | lemaan | so that | H4616 → | 272 times |
| יְחָֽרְפֽוּנִי׃ פ | yecharefuni | they may reproach me | H2778 → |
לְמַ֤עַןso that
lemaanH4616 →272 times
שָׂכוּר֙[was] hired
sakhurH7936 →21 times
ה֔וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
לְמַֽעַן־so that
lemaan-H4616 →272 times
אִירָ֥אI may be afraid
ʾira'H3372 →315 times
וְאֶֽעֱשֶׂה־and I may act
veeeseh-H6213 →2628 times
כֵּ֖ןthus
kenH3651 →771 times
וְחָטָ֑אתִיand I will sin
vechatatiH2398 →238 times
וְהָיָ֤הand it will become
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
לָהֶם֙for them
lahem
לְשֵׁ֣ם<into> a name
leshemH8034 →864 times
רָ֔עbad
ra'H7451 →662 times
לְמַ֖עַןso that
lemaanH4616 →272 times
יְחָֽרְפֽוּנִי׃ פthey may reproach me
yecharefuniH2778 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Timothy 1:7For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.
it leads to
- Romans 8:15
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
- 1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love.
- John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.
- Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
- Luke 10:19
Behold, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you.
- Romans 8:15
Through
James 4:17Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin.
it leads to
- John 9:41
“If you were blind,” Jesus replied, “you would not be guilty of sin. But since you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”
- John 13:17
If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
- John 15:22
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.
- John 9:41
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
On this verse
On this chapter
About Nehemiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.