Nehemiah 6:1-9 Meaning: When the Work Is Almost Done, the Enemy Strikes
1Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arabian, and to the rest of our enemies that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left in it (though even to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates),
2Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come! Let’s meet together in the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to harm me.
3I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I can’t come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you?”
4They sent to me four times like this; and I answered them the same way.
5Then Sanballat sent his servant to me the same way the fifth time with an open letter in his hand,
6in which was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel. Because of that, you are building the wall. You would be their king, according to these words.
7You have also appointed prophets to proclaim of you at Jerusalem, saying, ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now it will be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let’s take counsel together.”
8Then I sent to him, saying, “There are no such things done as you say, but you imagine them out of your own heart.”
9For they all would have made us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened from the work, that it not be done.” But now, strengthen my hands.
1Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)
2That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.
3And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
4Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.
5Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;
6Wherein 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.
7And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.
8Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.
9For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.
1Now it came to pass, when it was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah, and to Geshem the Arabian, and unto the rest of our enemies, that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein (though even unto that time I had not set up the doors in the gates),
2that Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.
3And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
4And they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.
5Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand,
6wherein was written, It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel; for which cause thou art building the wall: and thou wouldest be their king, according to these words.
7And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.
8Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.
9For they all would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. But now, O God, strengthen thou my hands.
1And it cometh to pass, when it hath been heard by Sanballat, and Tobiah, and by Geshem the Arabian, and by the rest of our enemies, that I have builded the wall, and there hath not been left in it a breach, (also, till that time the doors I had not set up in the gates,)
2that Sanballat sendeth, also Geshem, unto me, saying, `Come and we meet together in the villages, in the valley of Ono;' and they are thinking to do to me evil.
3And I send unto them messengers, saying, `A great work I am doing, and I am not able to come down; why doth the work cease when I let it alone, and have come down unto you?'
4and they send unto me, according to this word, four times, and I return them word according to this word.
5And Sanballat sendeth unto me, according to this word, a fifth time, his servant, and an open letter in his hand;
6it is written in it, `Among the nations it hath been heard, and Gashmu is saying: Thou and the Jews are thinking to rebel, therefore thou art building the wall, and thou hast been to them for a king--according to these words!
7And also, prophets thou hast appointed to call for thee in Jerusalem, saying, A king is in Judah, and now it is heard by the king according to these words; and now come, and we take counsel together.'
8And I send unto him, saying, `It hath not been according to these words that thou art saying, for from thine own heart thou art devising them;'
9for all of them are making us afraid, saying, `Their hands are too feeble for the work, and it is not done;' and now, strengthen Thou my hands.
1And it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobijah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left in it (though at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates),
2that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet together in the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.
3And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down. Why should the work cease, whilst I leave it and come down to you?
4And they sent to me four times after this sort; and I answered them in the same manner.
5Then sent Sanballat his servant to me in this manner the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand,
6in which was written: It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says [it, that] thou and the Jews think to rebel, for which cause thou buildest the wall, and according to these words thou wilt become their king.
7And thou hast also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning thee at Jerusalem saying, There is a king in Judah! And now it will be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.
8And I sent to him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.
9For they all would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be slackened from the work, that it be not carried out. — Now therefore strengthen my hands!
Meaning in one sentence
Nehemiah's enemies tried to stop him with lies and a meeting trap.
Context
Nehemiah led the rebuilding of Jerusalem's wall after the exile. The work faced opposition from the start. Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem mocked and threatened the builders. By chapter 6, the wall itself is complete, no breaches remain. But the gates are not yet installed. That small detail matters. The enemies see their chance. They cannot stop the wall, so they try to stop Nehemiah. First they invite him to a meeting outside the city, intending to harm him. When that fails four times, they send an open letter. It accuses Nehemiah of planning rebellion and crowning himself king. The letter is meant to frighten the workers and force Nehemiah to defend himself. Nehemiah refuses to be distracted. He denies the false charges plainly and prays a single prayer: strengthen my hands.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words carry the weight of this passage. First, melakah (work) in verse 3. Nehemiah says, “I am doing a great work.” This word often means a task assigned by a superior or a sacred duty. For Nehemiah, rebuilding the wall is not a personal project. It is the work God gave him to do. That is why he will not drop it for a meeting.
Second, the verb bada in verse 8 means “to invent” or “to devise”, always in a bad sense. Nehemiah tells Sanballat, “you imagine them out of your own heart.” The word pictures someone making up a story from nothing. The accusation has no root in reality. Nehemiah does not argue at length. He simply names the lie for what it is: a fabrication.
Third, the imperative chazzeq (strengthen) in verse 9 closes the scene. Nehemiah prays, “strengthen my hands.” The same root appears throughout the book when the people work with all their strength. Here Nehemiah turns to the only One who can supply the resolve to keep going. He does not ask for the enemies to be silenced or the rumors to stop. He asks for stronger hands to finish what God started.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have read this passage as a model for staying faithful under pressure. Matthew Henry, writing in the Reformed tradition, focused on Nehemiah's steady refusal to be drawn away from his duty. The Geneva Bible notes simply that the enemies “thought to do me evil,” and Nehemiah's answer was wise. Adam Clarke, a Methodist, pointed out that the enemies wanted to get Nehemiah away from his supporters. He also noted that an open letter was an insult meant to spread fear. Catholic readers in the Douay tradition have seen Nehemiah's prudence in avoiding unnecessary danger and his trust in God when falsely accused. All traditions agree that Nehemiah's focus on the work and his brief prayer reflect a heart committed to God's calling rather than human approval.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think Nehemiah was being arrogant when he said, “I am doing a great work.” They hear it as prideful boasting. In fact, Nehemiah was not comparing himself to others. He was stating a simple fact. The wall was a God-given assignment that required his full attention. The word “great” describes the importance of the work, not the greatness of the worker. Nehemiah refused to abandon his post for a meeting that would have put his life and the project at risk.
Living This Out
This week you may face a distraction that looks reasonable. Someone wants you to defend yourself against a rumor. A situation pulls you away from what you know God has given you to do. Before you jump, ask: Is this a meeting in the plain of Ono? Is this a trap dressed up as a conversation? Nehemiah shows you a better way. Name the lie plainly, one sentence is enough. Then turn your energy back to the work. And like Nehemiah, pray for stronger hands. You do not need to prove anything to those who are not listening. You need hands that keep building until the gates are hung.
Main takeaway: Nehemiah refused to abandon God's work because of threats and lies, and he prayed for strength to finish it.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Nehemiah was building a wall. Some people tried to stop him. They told lies and asked him to come away. Nehemiah said no. He asked God to make his hands strong.
For ages 9, 12
Nehemiah's enemies sent him a letter with lies. They said he was planning to be a king, but he was just doing his job. Nehemiah did not waste time arguing. He said, “That is not true,” and went back to work. When he felt scared, he prayed, “God, strengthen my hands.” That is a good prayer when people say mean things about you. You can still do what is right.
Questions People Ask
Why did Nehemiah include the detail that the gates were not yet installed?
The detail shows that the wall was completed enough to alarm the enemies but the work was not fully finished. This explains the timing of the enemy's attack: they saw a window of vulnerability and tried to stop Nehemiah before the gates were hung. It also shows Nehemiah's honesty, he does not claim more than what was done.
Where is the plain of Ono, and why did the enemies choose it?
The plain of Ono was about 25 to 30 miles from Jerusalem, on the border of Philistia. The enemies chose it because it was far from Nehemiah's supporters and allies. Their real goal was to draw him away from the city so they could harm him without witnesses.
What does 'open letter' mean, and why was it significant?
In that culture, official letters were usually sealed or placed in a bag. An open letter was unsealed, so anyone could read it as the messenger traveled. Sanballat sent it open to spread the rumor widely and frighten the Jewish workers into stopping the project.
Did Nehemiah sin by praying 'strengthen my hands' instead of forgiving his enemies?
No. Nehemiah's prayer is not a curse on his enemies. It is a cry for help to continue the good work. Throughout the Bible, people ask God to protect them from unjust attacks. Nehemiah's prayer shows dependence on God, not vengeance. Jesus teaches us to love enemies, but that does not mean we ignore injustice or refuse to ask for strength to stand.
What does 'I am doing a great work' mean for ordinary Christians today?
The work Nehemiah did was rebuilding a wall. Your 'great work' may be raising children, teaching, serving in your church, or doing honest labor. Whatever God has called you to do, it is worth your full attention. You do not have to drop it every time someone criticizes you or invites you into a conflict. Stay faithful to your assignment.
For pastors & researchers
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