Focused Passage

Nehemiah 6:15-19

The Wall Is Completed as Nehemiah Resists Distraction, Slander, Intimidation, and Compromise

As the wall nears completion, enemies attempt distraction, slander, and intimidation; Nehemiah discerns their schemes, prays for strength, refuses to sin, and the wall is completed by God's help despite ongoing compromise.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

15 So the wall was completed in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth of Elul.

16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and disheartened, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God.

17 Also in those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters kept coming to them.

18 For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, since he was a son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah.

19 Moreover, these nobles kept reporting to me Tobiah’s good deeds, and they relayed my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 15

Original words

So the wall הַֽחוֹמָ֔ה H2346 Article | Noun - feminine singular was completed וַתִּשְׁלַם֙ H7999 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular in fifty-two לַחֲמִשִּׁ֥ים H2572 Preposition-l, Article | Number - common plural . . . וּשְׁנַ֖יִם H8147 Conjunctive waw | Number - md days יֽוֹם׃פ H3117 Noun - masculine singular on the twenty-fifth בְּעֶשְׂרִ֥ים H6242 Preposition-b | Number - common plural . . . וַחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה H2568 Conjunctive waw | Number - masculine singular of Elul לֶאֱל֑וּל H435 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular

BSB notes

  • Elul is the sixth month of the Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occurring within the months of August and September.
Verse 16

Original words

- וַיְהִ֗י H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular When כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר H834 Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct our enemies א֣וֹיְבֵ֔ינוּ H341 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | first person common plural . . . וַיִּֽרְא֗וּ H3372 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural heard about this שָֽׁמְעוּ֙ H8085 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct the surrounding סְבִֽיבֹתֵ֔ינוּ H5439 Adverb | first person common plural nations הַגּוֹיִם֙ H1471 Article | Noun - masculine plural were afraid אֲשֶׁ֣ר H834 Pronoun - relative and disheartened וַיִּפְּל֥וּ H5307 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural . . . מְאֹ֖ד H3966 Adverb vvv בְּעֵינֵיהֶ֑ם H5869 Preposition-b | Noun - cdc | third person masculine plural for they realized וַיֵּ֣דְע֔וּ H3045 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural that כִּ֚י H3588 Conjunction this הַזֹּֽאת׃ H2063 Article | Pronoun - feminine singular task הַמְּלָאכָ֥ה H4399 Article | Noun - feminine singular had been accomplished נֶעֶשְׂתָ֖ה H6213 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person feminine singular by מֵאֵ֣ת H854 Preposition-m our God אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural
Verse 17

Original words

Also גַּ֣ם׀ H1571 Conjunction in those הָהֵ֗ם H1992 Article | Pronoun - third person masculine plural days בַּיָּמִ֣ים H3117 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural the nobles חֹרֵ֤י H2715 Noun - masculine plural construct of Judah יְהוּדָה֙ H3063 Noun - proper - masculine singular sent many מַרְבִּ֞ים H7235 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural letters אִגְּרֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם H107 Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural . . . הוֹלְכ֖וֹת H1980 Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural to עַל־ H5921 Preposition Tobiah טוֹבִיָּ֑ה H2900 Noun - proper - masculine singular and Tobiah’s לְטוֹבִיָּ֖ה H2900 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular letters וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - relative kept coming בָּא֥וֹת H935 Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural to them אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ H413 Preposition | third person masculine plural
Verse 18

Original words

For כִּי־ H3588 Conjunction many רַבִּ֣ים H7227 Adjective - masculine plural in Judah בִּֽיהוּדָ֗ה H3063 Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular were bound בַּעֲלֵ֤י H1167 Noun - masculine plural construct by oath שְׁבוּעָה֙ H7621 Noun - feminine singular to him ל֔וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular since כִּי־ H3588 Conjunction he ה֖וּא H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular was a son-in-law חָתָ֥ן H2860 Noun - masculine singular of Shecaniah לִשְׁכַנְיָ֣ה H7935 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular son בֶן־ H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct of Arah אָרַ֑ח H733 Noun - proper - masculine singular and his son בְּנ֔וֹ H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Jehohanan וִֽיהוֹחָנָ֣ן H3076 Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular had married לָקַ֕ח H3947 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the daughter בַּת־ H1323 Noun - feminine singular construct of Meshullam מְשֻׁלָּ֖ם H4918 Noun - proper - masculine singular son בֶּ֥ן H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct of Berechiah בֶּֽרֶכְיָֽה׃ H1296 Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 19

Original words

Moreover גַּ֣ם H1571 Conjunction these nobles kept הָי֤וּ H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural reporting אֹמְרִים֙ H559 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural to me לְפָנַ֔י H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular Tobiah’s good deeds טוֹבֹתָ֗יו H2896 Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular and they relayed מוֹצִיאִ֖ים H3318 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural my words וּדְבָרַ֕י H1697 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular to him ל֑וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular . . . הָי֥וּ H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural And Tobiah טוֹבִיָּ֖ה H2900 Noun - proper - masculine singular sent שָׁלַ֥ח H7971 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular letters אִגְּר֛וֹת H107 Noun - feminine plural to intimidate me לְיָֽרְאֵֽנִי׃ H3372 Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | first person common singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.