The Meaning of Nehemiah 6:1 Explained

Nehemiah 6:1

KJV: 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 breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)

YLT: And 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,)

Darby: And 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),

ASV: Now 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;)

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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 breach  left  therein; (though  at that time  I had not set up  the doors  upon the gates;  ) 

What does Nehemiah 6:1 Mean?

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 6:1 mean?

And it came to pass when heard Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt - the wall and [that] no there were left in it breaks though at time that the doors not I had hung in the gates
וַיְהִ֣י כַאֲשֶׁ֣ר נִשְׁמַ֣ע לְסַנְבַלַּ֣ט וְ֠טוֹבִיָּה וּלְגֶ֨שֶׁם הָֽעַרְבִ֜י וּלְיֶ֣תֶר אֹֽיְבֵ֗ינוּ כִּ֤י בָנִ֙יתִי֙ אֶת־ הַ֣חוֹמָ֔ה וְלֹא־ נ֥וֹתַר בָּ֖הּ פָּ֑רֶץ גַּ֚ם עַד־ הָעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔יא דְּלָת֖וֹת לֹא־ הֶעֱמַ֥דְתִּי בַשְּׁעָרִֽים

וַיְהִ֣י  And  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
נִשְׁמַ֣ע  heard 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
לְסַנְבַלַּ֣ט  Sanballat 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: סַנְבַלַּט  
Sense: a Moabite of Horonaim and the opponent of Nehemiah and the returned exiles in their goal of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.
וְ֠טוֹבִיָּה  and  Tobiah 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: טֹובִיָּה 
Sense: head of a family who returned from exile with Zerubbabel but who were unable to prove their connection with Israel.
וּלְגֶ֨שֶׁם  and  Geshem 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֶּשֶׁם 
Sense: an Arabian foe of Nehemiah.
הָֽעַרְבִ֜י  the  Arab 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַרְבִי 
Sense: an inhabitant of Arabia.
וּלְיֶ֣תֶר  and  the  rest 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יֶתֶר 
Sense: .
אֹֽיְבֵ֗ינוּ  of  our  enemies 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
כִּ֤י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
בָנִ֙יתִי֙  I  had  rebuilt 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַ֣חוֹמָ֔ה  the  wall 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֹומָה  
Sense: wall.
וְלֹא־  and  [that]  no 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
נ֥וֹתַר  there  were  left 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַר  
Sense: to be left over, remain, remain over, leave.
בָּ֖הּ  in  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
פָּ֑רֶץ  breaks 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פֶּרֶץ  
Sense: breach, gap, bursting forth.
גַּ֚ם  though 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
עַד־  at 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
הָעֵ֣ת  time 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
הַהִ֔יא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person feminine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
דְּלָת֖וֹת  the  doors 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: דַּל 
Sense: door, gate.
הֶעֱמַ֥דְתִּי  I  had  hung 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
בַשְּׁעָרִֽים  in  the  gates 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.