The Meaning of Nehemiah 6:6 Explained

Nehemiah 6:6

KJV: 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 words.

YLT: it 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!

Darby: in 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.

ASV: wherein 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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 words. 

What does Nehemiah 6:6 Mean?

Study Notes

Gashmu
Called Geshem, Nehemiah 6:2 .

Context Summary

Nehemiah 6:1-19 - A Great Task-A Safeguard From Danger
How often Satan tries to call us off from our work for God! He cannot endure to see us engaged so eagerly on our Master's business and therefore raises up all sorts of hindrances and hostilities. Amid all these we have but one duty to perform. We must lose ourselves in our work. Ours to reply, "I am doing a great work, I cannot come down; why should the work cease?" If we will see to God's business, He will see to our safety. False friends, who prophesy in God's name, are more to be dreaded than open foes. We must learn to discern the spirits. The counsel which savors of self is always to be suspected. Note that Nehemiah considered that to have fear would have been to sin. But God was with the little band through dangers, and the wall was finished in spite of all opposition, 1 Corinthians 15:58. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 6

1  Sanballat practices by craft, by rumors, and by hired prophecies, to terrify Nehemiah
15  The work is finished, to the terror of the enemies
17  Secret intelligence passes between the enemies and the nobles of Judah

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 6:6 mean?

[was] written in it among the nations it is reported and Geshem says [that] you and the Jews plan to rebel upon thus you are rebuilding the wall that you may be their king according to rumors these
כָּת֣וּב בָּ֗הּ בַּגּוֹיִ֤ם נִשְׁמָע֙ וְגַשְׁמ֣וּ אֹמֵ֔ר אַתָּ֤ה וְהַיְּהוּדִים֙ חֹשְׁבִ֣ים לִמְר֔וֹד עַל־ כֵּ֛ן אַתָּ֥ה בוֹנֶ֖ה הַחוֹמָ֑ה וְאַתָּ֗ה הֹוֶ֤ה לָהֶם֙ לְמֶ֔לֶךְ כַּדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵֽלֶּה

כָּת֣וּב  [was]  written 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
בָּ֗הּ  in  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
בַּגּוֹיִ֤ם  among  the  nations 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
נִשְׁמָע֙  it  is  reported 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
וְגַשְׁמ֣וּ  and  Geshem 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֶּשֶׁם 
Sense: an Arabian foe of Nehemiah.
אֹמֵ֔ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אַתָּ֤ה  [that]  you 
Parse: Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
וְהַיְּהוּדִים֙  and  the  Jews 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: יְהוּדִי  
Sense: Jew.
חֹשְׁבִ֣ים  plan 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: חָשַׁב 
Sense: to think, plan, esteem, calculate, invent, make a judgment, imagine, count.
לִמְר֔וֹד  to  rebel 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: מָרַד  
Sense: to rebel, revolt, be rebellious.
עַל־  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
כֵּ֛ן  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
בוֹנֶ֖ה  are  rebuilding 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
הַחוֹמָ֑ה  the  wall 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֹומָה  
Sense: wall.
וְאַתָּ֗ה  that  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
הֹוֶ֤ה  may  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: הָוָה 
Sense: Qal).
לְמֶ֔לֶךְ  king 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
כַּדְּבָרִ֖ים  according  to  rumors 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הָאֵֽלֶּה  these 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.