The Meaning of Nehemiah 6:4 Explained

Nehemiah 6:4

KJV: Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.

YLT: and they send unto me, according to this word, four times, and I return them word according to this word.

Darby: And they sent to me four times after this sort; and I answered them in the same manner.

ASV: And they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Yet they sent  unto me four  times  after this sort;  and I answered  them after the same manner. 

What does Nehemiah 6:4 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 6:4 mean?

But they sent me message this four times and I answered them in manner this -
וַיִּשְׁלְח֥וּ אֵלַ֛י כַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּ֖ה אַרְבַּ֣ע פְּעָמִ֑ים וָאָשִׁ֥יב אוֹתָ֖ם כַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה ס

וַיִּשְׁלְח֥וּ  But  they  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
אֵלַ֛י  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
כַּדָּבָ֥ר  message 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַזֶּ֖ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
אַרְבַּ֣ע  four 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: אַרְבַּע  
Sense: four.
פְּעָמִ֑ים  times 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: פַּעַם  
Sense: stroke, beat, foot, step, anvil, occurrence.
וָאָשִׁ֥יב  and  I  answered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
כַּדָּבָ֥ר  in  manner 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַזֶּֽה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation