Nehemiah 6:4
in Nehemiah 6Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave the same reply.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.
KJV
Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.
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This verse in Nehemiah 6
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
I am doing a great work
on Nehemiah 6:3-4
Nehemiah answers with the line the chapter turns on: "I am doing a great work and cannot come down" (6:3). His question, "Why should the work stop while I leave it to go down to you?" stands as reason enough, with no accusation made.
This site's exposition
Four times they sent me the same message
Clarke notes that Nehemiah gave the great work as his reason and kept silent about the plot, lest the enemies turn to open attack. The same reply went back four times. Gill observes that the fifth message came from Sanballat alone.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort,.... Being very desirous of getting him into their hands, and therefore were very pressing and importunate: and I answered them after the same manner; every time as before, he being as much bent on finishing the work as they were to divert him from it.
Note, We must never suffer ourselves to be overcome by the greatest importunity to do any thing sinful or imprudent; but, when we are attacked with the same temptation, must still resist it with the same reason and resolution.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
With this in view, under pretext of terminating their differences in an amicable manner, they invited him to a conference. The place of rendezvous was fixed "in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono." "In the villages" is, Hebrew, "in Cephirim," or "Chephirah," the name of a town in the territory of Benjamin (Jos 9:17;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּשְׁלְח֥וּ | vaiyishlechu | and they sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| אֵלַ֛י | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כַּדָּבָ֥ר | kadavar | according to the manner | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַזֶּ֖ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| אַרְבַּ֣ע | ʾarba' | four | H702 → | 318 times |
| פְּעָמִ֑ים | peamim | times | H6471 → | 118 times |
| וָאָשִׁ֥יב | vaashiv | and I sent back to | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אוֹתָ֖ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כַּדָּבָ֥ר | kadavar | according to the manner | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַזֶּֽה׃ ס | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
וַיִּשְׁלְח֥וּand they sent
vaiyishlechuH7971 →845 times
אֵלַ֛יto me
ʾelaiH413 →5510 times
כַּדָּבָ֥רaccording to the manner
kadavarH1697 →1440 times
הַזֶּ֖ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
אַרְבַּ֣עfour
ʾarba'H702 →318 times
פְּעָמִ֑יםtimes
peamimH6471 →118 times
וָאָשִׁ֥יבand I sent back to
vaashivH7725 →1056 times
אוֹתָ֖ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
כַּדָּבָ֥רaccording to the manner
kadavarH1697 →1440 times
הַזֶּֽה׃ ס<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 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
1 Corinthians 15:58Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
it leads to
- Galatians 6:9
Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
- 2 Chronicles 15:7
But as for you, be strong; do not be discouraged, for your work will be rewarded.”
- Hebrews 6:10
For God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so.
- Philippians 2:16
as you hold forth the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.
- 1 Corinthians 3:8
He who plants and he who waters are one in purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.
- Galatians 6:9
Through
Luke 18:5yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice. Then she will stop wearing me out with her perpetual requests.’”
it leads to
- Luke 11:8
I tell you, even though he will not get up to provide for him because of his friendship, yet because of the man’s persistence, he will get up and give him as much as…
- Luke 18:39
Those who led the way admonished him to be silent, but he cried out all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
- Luke 11:8
Through
Proverbs 7:21With her great persuasion she entices him; with her flattering lips she lures him.
it leads to
- Proverbs 5:3
Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey and her speech is smoother than oil,
- Proverbs 5:3
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 (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.