Nehemiah 6:14 Meaning: Why Nehemiah prayed for God to remember his enemies
“Remember, my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets that would have put me in fear.”
My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.
Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.
Be mindful, O my God, of Tobiah, and of Sanballat, according to these his works, and also, of Noadiah the prophetess, and of the rest of the prophets who have been making me afraid.
My God, remember Tobijah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets who would have put me in fear.
Meaning in one sentence
Nehemiah 6:14 shows a leader under threat praying for God to remember his enemies. Understand the meaning and how Christians handle imprecatory prayer today.
Context
Nehemiah had led the rebuilding of Jerusalem's wall, facing constant opposition. The enemies had tried everything, mockery, threats, a trap in the plain of Ono. Now they hired a false prophet named Shemaiah to lure Nehemiah into the temple, where entering unlawfully would be a sin they could use against him. Nehemiah saw through it. In verse 14 he turns to God with a direct prayer about the people behind the plot: Tobiah, Sanballat, and a prophetess named Noadiah. The work of the wall would be finished in just fifty-two days, but the spiritual warfare did not end there.
Key Words
The word translated 'remember' (zakhar) is not about calling something to mind that God had forgotten. In Hebrew prayer, it is a plea for God to act according to His covenant, to see what has been done and respond. Nehemiah is not reminding God; he is placing the whole situation into God's hands.
The phrase 'put me in fear' comes from the Hebrew verb yare, which normally means 'to fear' or 'to be afraid.' Here it is used in a causative form: they were actively trying to make him afraid. The goal was to paralyze him, to stop the work through intimidation. Nehemiah names the fear tactic for what it was.
The word for 'works' (ma'aseh) appears throughout Nehemiah, often for good labor like building the wall. Here it refers to the enemies' schemes, their deeds of deception and threat. Nehemiah asks God to consider those specific actions, not vague hostility.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have read this prayer with care. John Wesley, in his notes, wrote simply: 'This prayer we are not to imitate.' He saw it as an expression that belongs to the old covenant, not the new command to love enemies. Matthew Henry, however, read it as Nehemiah 'turning to God' after discerning the plot, not taking revenge himself but leaving judgment to the Lord. Many Reformed commentators see it as similar to the imprecatory psalms, an honest cry for God to set things right when human justice fails. Both views take the prayer seriously; they differ on whether a believer today can pray this way.
A common misunderstanding
Main takeaway: When threatened by opponents, Nehemiah did not retaliate but laid their deeds before God, trusting Him to act.
Questions People Ask
Who are Tobiah and Sanballat in Nehemiah 6?
Tobiah was an Ammonite official and Sanballat was a governor in Samaria. They repeatedly tried to stop Nehemiah from rebuilding the wall, using mockery, threats, and deception. Here they hired false prophets to intimidate Nehemiah into sinning.
Who is Noadiah the prophetess?
Noadiah appears only in this verse. The text calls her a prophetess, but she was not a true prophet of God. She was hired by Tobiah and Sanballat to join the intimidation campaign. Some older commentators thought the name might be masculine, but most take it as a woman who acted as a false prophet.
Is it wrong to pray like Nehemiah for God to judge enemies?
Christians disagree. Some point to Jesus' command to love enemies and note that the New Testament does not repeat such prayers. Others see it as an honest cry for justice, similar to the psalms, that can be prayed with a heart that still loves the enemy. Most agree that it should not be prayed with personal bitterness, and that we must also pray for enemies' repentance.
What does 'put me in fear' mean in this verse?
The Hebrew verb means 'to make afraid' or 'to terrify.' Nehemiah's enemies tried to scare him into abandoning the work or into sinning. He names their tactic and asks God to take notice of it.
Why does Nehemiah ask God to 'remember' his enemies' works?
In Hebrew, 'remember' often means to act on behalf of someone based on what God knows. Nehemiah is not informing God but asking Him to respond to the injustice with His righteous judgment. It is a way of putting the situation into God's hands rather than taking vengeance himself.
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