Now 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 (a) breach left therein; (though at that
time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)
(a) That is, that they were joined together, as... [ Continue Reading ]
And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I [am] doing a great work, so
that I cannot come down: (b) why should the work cease, whilst I leave
it, and come down to you?
(b) Meaning, that if he obeyed their request, the work God had
appointed would cease: showing by this that we should not commit
our... [ Continue Reading ]
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 (c) words.
(c) As the same goes.... [ Continue Reading ]
And thou hast also appointed (d) 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.
(d) You have bribed and set up false prophets, to make yourself king... [ Continue Reading ]
Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son
of Mehetabeel, who [was] (e) shut up; and he said, Let us meet
together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the
doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the
night will they come to slay th... [ Continue Reading ]
And I said, (f) Should such a man as I flee? and who [is there], that,
[being] as I [am], would go into the temple to save his life? I will
not go in.
(f) He did not doubt that God was able to preserve him and knew that
if he had obeyed this counsel he would have discouraged all the
people: thus Go... [ Continue Reading ]
My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their
works, and on the (g) prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the
prophets, that would have put me in fear.
(g) Grief caused him to pray against such, who under the pretence of
being the ministers of God, were adversaries to his glor... [ Continue Reading ]
So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth [day] of [the month]
(h) Elul, in (i) fifty and two days.
(h) Which was the sixth month and contained part of August, and part
of September.
(i) After I had sent Sanballat his answer.... [ Continue Reading ]
Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many (k) letters unto
Tobiah, and [the letters] of Tobiah came unto them.
(k) Thus the Church of God always has enemies within itself, which is
more dangerous than outward and professed enemies.... [ Continue Reading ]