Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Alliance and society with the enemies of God » The wicked tempt saints to
Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they intended to do me harm. And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave to come down to you? They sent to me four times this way, and I answered them as before.
Fellowship » Instances of those who avoided fellowship with the wicked » Nehemiah
Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they intended to do me harm. And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave to come down to you? They sent to me four times this way, and I answered them as before.
Join now, with their brethren, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God's Law which was given to Moses the servant of God and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes: We shall not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. And if the peoples of the land bring wares or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we shall not buy it on the Sabbath or on a holy day; and we shall forego raising crops the seventh year [letting the land lie fallow] and the compulsory payment of every debt.
Geshem » Opposed nehemiah in building jerusalem
But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked us and regarded us with contempt and said, “What is this thing you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”
Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it, although at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates, Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they intended to do me harm. And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave to come down to you? read more.
They sent to me four times this way, and I answered them as before. Then Sanballat sent his servant to me again the fifth time with an open letter. In it was written: It is reported among the neighboring nations, and Gashmu says it, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore you are building the wall, that you may be their king, according to the report.
They sent to me four times this way, and I answered them as before. Then Sanballat sent his servant to me again the fifth time with an open letter. In it was written: It is reported among the neighboring nations, and Gashmu says it, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore you are building the wall, that you may be their king, according to the report.
Tobiah » An enemy of the jews in the time of nehemiah » Conspires to injure and intimidate nehemiah
Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it, although at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates, Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they intended to do me harm. And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave to come down to you? read more.
They sent to me four times this way, and I answered them as before. Then Sanballat sent his servant to me again the fifth time with an open letter. In it was written: It is reported among the neighboring nations, and Gashmu says it, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore you are building the wall, that you may be their king, according to the report. Also you have set up prophets to announce concerning you in Jerusalem, There is a king in Judah. And now this will be reported to the [Persian] king. So, come now and let us take counsel together. I replied to him, No such things as you say have been done; you are inventing them out of your own heart and mind. For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, Their hands will be so weak that the work will not be done. But now strengthen my hands! I went into the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut up. 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 are coming to kill you -- "at night they are coming to kill you. But I said, Should such a man as I flee? And what man such as I could go into the temple [where only the priests are allowed to go] and yet live? I will not go in. And behold, I saw that God had not sent him, but he made this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He was hired that I should be made afraid and do as he said and sin, that they might have matter for an evil report with which to taunt and reproach me. My God, think on Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who would have put me in fear.
They sent to me four times this way, and I answered them as before. Then Sanballat sent his servant to me again the fifth time with an open letter. In it was written: It is reported among the neighboring nations, and Gashmu says it, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore you are building the wall, that you may be their king, according to the report. Also you have set up prophets to announce concerning you in Jerusalem, There is a king in Judah. And now this will be reported to the [Persian] king. So, come now and let us take counsel together. I replied to him, No such things as you say have been done; you are inventing them out of your own heart and mind. For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, Their hands will be so weak that the work will not be done. But now strengthen my hands! I went into the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut up. 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 are coming to kill you -- "at night they are coming to kill you. But I said, Should such a man as I flee? And what man such as I could go into the temple [where only the priests are allowed to go] and yet live? I will not go in. And behold, I saw that God had not sent him, but he made this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He was hired that I should be made afraid and do as he said and sin, that they might have matter for an evil report with which to taunt and reproach me. My God, think on Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who would have put me in fear.
Also, they were speaking about Tobiah’s good deeds in my presence, and reporting to him what I said. Then Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.