Nehemiah 6:19
in Nehemiah 6Moreover, these nobles kept reporting to me Tobiah’s good deeds, and they relayed my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Also they spake of his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.
KJV
Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.
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This verse in Nehemiah 6
Commentary
5 notes on this verse"Thou knowest their hearts, and art the avenger of falsehood and wrong; take cognizance of this cause; judge between me and them, and take what way and time thou mayest please to call them to an account for it." Note, Whatever injuries are done us we must not avenge ourselves, but commit our cause to him that judgeth righteously.
This site's exposition
the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah
on Nehemiah 6:17-19
The wall stands finished, yet "the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came back to them" (6:17). Tobiah had married into Judah's leadership, so the enemy held a family claim inside Jerusalem. The same nobles reported "Tobiah’s good deeds" to Nehemiah.
This site's exposition
these nobles kept reporting to me
The nobles carried praise of Tobiah to Nehemiah and carried Nehemiah's words back to Tobiah. His letters aimed to intimidate. Henry draws from the prayers of this chapter that those who are wronged should commit their cause to God, who judges righteously.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
5 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand; 6 Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
Also they reported his good deeds before me,.... Recommended him as a very worthy man, deserving of respect and notice by Nehemiah, and to be taken into his friendship, and admitted to conversation with him, whose counsel and advice might be of service: and uttered my words to him; reported both what he said and did; for the word used signifies both words and actions: and Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear; perceiving, by the intelligence of his friends, that Nehemiah would have nothing to say to him, nor to do with him, he threatened him.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| גַּ֣ם | gam | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| טוֹבֹתָ֗יו | tootav | good deeds his | H2896 → | 538 times |
| הָי֤וּ | hayu | they were | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| אֹמְרִים֙ | ʾomerim | telling | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לְפָנַ֔י | lefanai | <to> before me | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וּדְבָרַ֕י | udevarai | and words my | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הָי֥וּ | hayu | they were | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| מוֹצִיאִ֖ים | motziim | sending out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| ל֑וֹ | lo | to him | ||
| אִגְּר֛וֹת | ʾigerot | letters | H107 → | 10 times |
| שָׁלַ֥ח | shalach | he sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| טוֹבִיָּ֖ה | toiyah | Tobiah | H2900 → | 18 times |
| לְיָֽרְאֵֽנִי׃ | leyareeni | to make afraid me | H3372 → | 315 times |
גַּ֣םalso
gamH1571 →769 times
טוֹבֹתָ֗יוgood deeds his
tootavH2896 →538 times
הָי֤וּthey were
hayuH1961 →3559 times
אֹמְרִים֙telling
ʾomerimH559 →5305 times
לְפָנַ֔י<to> before me
lefanaiH6440 →2123 times
וּדְבָרַ֕יand words my
udevaraiH1697 →1440 times
הָי֥וּthey were
hayuH1961 →3559 times
מוֹצִיאִ֖יםsending out
motziimH3318 →1067 times
ל֑וֹto him
lo
אִגְּר֛וֹתletters
ʾigerotH107 →10 times
שָׁלַ֥חhe sent
shalachH7971 →845 times
טוֹבִיָּ֖הTobiah
toiyahH2900 →18 times
לְיָֽרְאֵֽנִי׃to make afraid me
leyareeniH3372 →315 times
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
John 7:7The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me, because I testify that its works are evil.
it leads to
- John 15:18–19
If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first.
- John 3:19
And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil.
- Galatians 4:16
Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
- John 15:18–19
Through
Proverbs 28:4Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law resist them.
it leads to
- Romans 1:32
Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things are worthy of death, they not only continue to do these things, but also approve of those who practice them.
- Ephesians 5:11
Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
- Matthew 14:4
because John had been telling him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”
- Romans 1:32
Through
1 John 4:5They are of the world. That is why they speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to them.
it leads to
- John 8:23
Then He told them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
- 2 Peter 2:2–3
Many will follow in their depravity, and because of them the way of truth will be defamed.
- John 8:23
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; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.