Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Nehemiah 6:11

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Nehemiah 6:11. Should such a man as I flee? — Shall I, who am governor of the people, appointed both by God and the king, shall I betray my trust, and leave the flock without a shepherd? Shall I be a traitor, and abandon the office to which I am appointed? - No! Who, in my situation, with such responsibility, and such prospects, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not: I will stand at my post, and be ready to receive my enemies whensoever they come; so let Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem look to themselves.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

The wall completed (6:1-7:73)

With the wall nearing completion, the enemies saw that their only hope lay in getting rid of Nehemiah himself. They tried to draw him out into the country where they could murder him, but Nehemiah was aware of their tricks (6:1-4). They then spread rumours, by means of an open letter, that Nehemiah was planning a revolt against Persia, but their efforts came to nothing (5-9).
The enemies thought of yet another plan. They tried to make Nehemiah act in a way that would ruin his reputation for fearlessness before opponents and reverence for the temple. Again they failed (10-14). Even the spies and traitors whom the enemies had planted in Jerusalem were unable to stop Nehemiah from completing the wall (15-19).
Jerusalem was now surrounded with a solid wall of defence. But as usual Nehemiah took no risks. The city was only thinly populated and special precautions were necessary. In case of a surprise early morning attack, Nehemiah ordered that the city gates remain closed until all the people were awake and about their daily business. In addition he formed a city-wide guard, arranged so that each household supervised an area close to it (7:1-4).

Nehemiah then made a register of all those living in Jerusalem. It was based on lists that went back to the very first group of returned exiles, who had come to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel almost a century earlier (5-73; see notes on Ezra 2:1-70, where the same list is given).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

A TRAITOR WITHIN JERUSALEM ATTEMPTS
TO BRING ABOUT NEHEMIAH'S DEATH

"And I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabel, who was shut up, and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the door of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee. And I said, should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being such as I, would go into the temple to save his life? And I discerned, and, lo, God had not sent him; but he announced this prophecy against me: and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. For this cause was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me. Remember, O My God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets who would have put me to fear."

There are many details of this plot which are not fully explained in the Bible, but enough is revealed to expose the traitors among the priests and prophets of Jerusalem. "Shemaiah, a hired traitor, pretended to be Nehemiah's friend, invited him into his home, told him of a plot to kill him that very night (a lie), and suggested that he hide within the temple. That suggestion about entering the temple exposed Shemaiah to Nehemiah, revealing that Shemaiah was a liar, for Nehemiah knew that God would not have led him to break the Mosaic injunction against entering the temple (Numbers 1:51)."Footnote is not available

The text does not say so; but given the treachery of Shemaiah and the hatred of the priesthood against Nehemiah, they would in all probability have murdered him for such a violation if they could have induced him to fall for their strategy. We do not know what part Noadiah and others of the prophets (and priests) had in this conspiracy; but evidently, the whole temple enclave were enemies of Nehemiah. That development, and the motivation for it, are revealed in the next paragraph.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Would go into the temple to save his life - Rather “could go into the temple and live.” For a layman to enter the sanctuary was a capital offence (see Numbers 18:7).

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 6

Now his enemies weren't yet through; they still continued to seek to hinder the work and discourage him. And so when Sanballat and Tobiah saw that the work was going on and the walls were getting up there, and there were just a few breaches left in the walls, that they sent a message to him saying, "Come on down into one of the cities, one of the villages, that we might talk with you, and that we might talk about détente and peaceful co-existence and all." And Nehemiah said, "I knew that they were intending mischief on me." And they kept sending these notes, "Come on down. We need to have a counsel. We need to meet together. We need to talk things over so that we can have an understanding." Four times they sent this kind of a message, but Nehemiah just ignored it. He said, "I'm too busy doing the work of God to take time out to talk." And he did not slow up the work, but just continued.

And then they sent the message and they said, "Now the rumor is that as soon as you get the walls built, you're going to proclaim yourself king and you're going to rebel against the king of Persia. And this is the message that is going to be sent to the king of Persia, so you better come down and so that we can get things straightened out." And so here is a little bit of extortion kind of a thing or blackmail. "If you don't come down and talk, we're going to send this message to the king of Persia that you are intending. Word is the rumor's out that you're intending as soon as the walls are up, you're going to proclaim yourself king and rebel against him." Of course, remember Nehemiah was in very good terms with Artaxerxes and he was a trusted servant to Artaxerxes. But when a fellow is gone for a while, you never know what might be upon his mind or heart, and such news going back to the king could be very bad. And yet, Nehemiah still refused to go down. He said there is no truth to it whatsoever and just affirmed the fact that it was a lie and that he was just going to go on continuing in the building. And he just said, "There's no truth to it." And he dismissed it.

Now he was willing to allow God to be his defense against the lies that were being circulated. And it's an important thing for us that we learn to allow God to become our defense. Now, if you seek to defend yourself, God often will not defend you. "You want to try to defend yourself, all right, go to it." But you know, you can get yourself so involved in trying to defend yourself from all of the attacks and all of the things that are being said that your whole life is just trying to go around and straighten out all the stories that are being told.

You'll be amazed at the stories that I have heard that are being told about me. My jets, and my yachts. My little grandson has a little yacht that he, with battery powered propeller that he puts in the swimming pool, but that's the closest thing to a yacht I have. And that's my grandson's. And I had a jet sweep one time, but never a jet airplane or never an airplane. But the Jehovah Witnesses have their story about me that they tell the people when they go door to door. The Mormons have their story that they tell the people about me when they go door to door, because we're one of the greatest threats to the Mormons and the Jehovah Witnesses in the county. Because we teach the Word of God and the truth is always the greatest threat to the lie.

Light is always the worst enemy of darkness. And because we just teach the Word of God, they have a difficult time with us. Because we don't have any Babylonish hang-ups. It makes it tough for them. And of course, you people do, too, because they've gotten wiped out so many times when they come to your doors they get skittish when they see a fish sign around or on the bumper. So a lot of times they'll just skip your house. And if you begin to challenge them with any kind of biblical intelligence at all, they'll usually say, "You go to Calvary Chapel? Well, Chuck Smith, you know," and then they got all kinds of interesting little stories of, "Well, someone talked to Chuck Smith and he said... " And this kind of stuff.

Now if I sought to go around defending myself from all of these things, "Who told you that?" I'm trying to trace it down. Get to the origin. I would be spending all my time trying to run down these stories. How the enemy would love that. Then I wouldn't have any time to study the Word of God, to prepare my heart before the Lord in order that I might feed you. He would love very much to detract us from our purpose of serving God. Detract you from your serving of the Lord. Getting you to try to build your defense and defend yourself against the attacks and the challenges or the lies or whatever.

He tried to distract Nehemiah. "This story has been told about you. It's going to be sent to the king. You better come down. We better talk about this." He said, "Nothing to it. It's a lie. I won't come down. I'm too busy doing the work of God. Busy in this work."

And so then they sent to him a fellow who came sort of in the guise of a prophet. "Thus saith the Lord, 'They're out to get you, Nehemiah. You better go into the temple and sleep at night so you'll be safe. Because they're apt to slip into the city at night and they're out to get you. And so you better get in the temple where you can get behind the closed doors and be safe in there.'" And Nehemiah said that he realized that this was an attempt to strike fear in his heart and to create a reaction out of fear.

Now so often our reactions out of fear are wrong. Fear can motivate us to wrong movement. And they were trying to strike fear in his heart. Trying to create this assailant. "Assassins are going to get you. You better go into the temple of God and close the doors and sleep in there at night lest you become assassinated." And he said, "I realize that he was not from God. That this was a lie. That they have paid him and put him up to this thing in order to strike fear in my heart." And he said, "Should such a one as I do this thing?" "Should such a one as I. I'm God's servant. God is watching over me. God is protecting me. Should I try to find refuge by hiding in the temple?"

My God, think upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to their works, and the prophecy, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear ( Nehemiah 6:14 ).

Satan tries to use fear so often because fear is an enemy of faith. I believe that fear and faith are mutually exclusive. If you have fear, you don't have faith. If you have faith, you don't have fear. Where fear is allowed to take over, faith departs. Where you have that strong faith and confidence in God, and of course, again, he encouraged the people not to be afraid, to remember God. And putting it into practice in his own life, remembering that God was watching over him.

Now again we do those things which are wise and prudent, but not motivated by fear or the fear of the enemy's attacks. And so he would not through fear seek to find shelter within the temple. If God wants to protect him, God can protect him out on the walls. And he doesn't have to hide in the temple.

So the wall was finished in the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul, in fifty-two days ( Nehemiah 6:15 ).

They completed this project of the rebuilding of the wall. It was many years before the city was completely rebuilt. The houses within the city were still pretty much rubble, but now, at least, they had protection from their enemies. The walls have now been built, and now, of course, is just the setting up of the gate that is left there in the walls. But in fifty-two days they had finished the building of the wall.

Now there were even some Jews that weren't totally loyal to Nehemiah, and he makes mention of them. And they were reporting on him to Tobiah and Sanballat. And again, the idea was to put him into fear, but Nehemiah was not the kind of a man that would be brought down by fear. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

4. The attacks against Nehemiah 6:1-14

Nehemiah recorded three separate plots the Jews’ enemies instigated to frustrate his effective leadership.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

The plot to deceive Nehemiah 6:10-14

Shemaiah claimed to have received a prophecy from God (Nehemiah 6:12). He tried to scare Nehemiah into thinking that assassins were after him so he would seek sanctuary inside the temple. The Mosaic Law prohibited anyone but the Lord’s anointed servants from entering the holy and the most holy places in the temple (Numbers 1:51; Numbers 3:10; Numbers 18:7). Nehemiah was not the kind of man his enemies could terrify with a death threat. Perhaps Shemaiah was suggesting that he and Nehemiah commandeer and take possession of the temple, [Note: A. L. Ivry, "Nehemiah 6, 10 : Politics and the Temple," Journal for the Study of Judaism 3 (1972):38.] though this possibility seems unlikely to me. Nehemiah saw through this "prophecy." It could not have been from God since it counseled disobedience to the Mosaic Law. The motive of Nehemiah’s enemies was to show the Jews that their leader had no real concern about the Law, but was rebuilding the walls for personal reasons (Nehemiah 6:13). This incident was only one of several in which false prophets tried to deceive Nehemiah (Nehemiah 6:14).

Satan still employs these three strategies as he seeks to destroy the effectiveness of spiritual leaders. One writer called them intrigue, innuendo, and intimidation. [Note: Cyril Barber, Nehemiah and the Dynamics of Effective Leadership, p. 97.]

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And I said, should such a man as I flee?.... The king's commissioner, who had the conducting and management of the whole affair of building the wall of Jerusalem, on whom it wholly depended; for, should he absent himself, the people would depart and leave their work, and the city and wall be left defenceless, which was what was hoped for from this scheme; and who had expressed such confidence in God, and had had such success:

and who is there, that, being as I am; in such a post, and in such circumstances, and on whom so much depended:

would go into the temple to save his life? or where there was little reason to believe it would be preserved long, should he take such a step as that:

I will not go in; as being neither lawful, nor honourable, nor safe.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and 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 will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.   11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.   12 And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.   13 Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.   14 My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.

      The Jews' enemies leave no stone unturned, no way untried, to take Nehemiah off from building the wall about Jerusalem. In order to this they had tried to fetch him into the country to them, but in vain; now they try to drive him into the temple for his own safety; let him be any where but at his work. Observing him to be a cautious man, they will endeavour to gain their point by making him cowardly. Observe,

      I. How basely the enemies managed this temptation.

      1. That which they designed was to bring Nehemiah to do a foolish thing, that they might laugh at him, and insult over him for doing it, and so lessen his interest and influence (Nehemiah 6:13; Nehemiah 6:13): That I should be afraid, and so they might have matter for an evil report, and might reproach me. This was indeed doing the devil's work, who is men's tempter that he may be their accuser, draws men to sin that he may glory in their shame. The greatest mischief our enemies can do us is to frighten us from our duty and bring us to do what is sinful.

      2. The tools they made use of were a pretended prophet and prophetess, whom they hired to persuade Nehemiah to quit his work and retire for his own safety. The pretended prophet was Shemaiah, of whom it is said that he was shut up in his own house, either under pretence of retirement for meditation and to consult the mind of God or to give Nehemiah a sign in like manner to make himself a recluse. It should seem, Nehemiah had a value for him, for he went to his house to consult him, Nehemiah 6:10; Nehemiah 6:10. Other prophets there were, and one prophetess, Noadiah (Nehemiah 6:14; Nehemiah 6:14), that were in the interest of the Jews' enemies, pensioners to them and traitors to their country. Whether they pretended to inspiration does not appear; they do not say, Thus saith the Lord, as the false prophets of old did; if not so, yet they would be thought to excel in divine knowledge, and human prudence, and to have uncommon measures of insight and foresight, and were therefore consulted in difficult cases, as prophets had been. These the enemies feed to be of counsel for them. Let us hence take occasion to lament, (1.) The wickedness of such bad men as these prophets, that ever any should be so perfidious as to betray the cause of God and their country even under the pretence of communion with God and concern for their country. (2.) The unhappiness of such good men as Nehemiah, who are in danger of being imposed upon by such cheats, and to whom no temptation comes with more force than that which comes under a colour of religion, of revelation and devotion, and is brought by the hand of prophets.

      3. The pretence was plausible. These prophets suggested to Nehemiah that the enemies would come and slay him, in the night they would slay him, which he had reason enough to believe was true; they would, if they could, if they durst. They pretended to be much concerned for his safety. The people would be all undone if any harm should come to him; and therefore they very gravely advised him to hide himself in the temple till the danger was over; that was a strong and sacred place, where he would be under the special protection of Heaven, Psalms 27:5. If Nehemiah had been prevailed upon to do this, immediately the people would both have left off their work and thrown down their arms, and every one would have shifted for his own safety; and then the enemies might easily, and without opposition, have demolished the works, broken down the wall again, and so gained their point. Though self-preservation is a fundamental principle of the law of nature, yet that is not always the best and wisest counsel which pretends to go upon that principle.

      II. See how bravely Nehemiah vanquished this temptation, and came off a conqueror.

      1. He immediately resolved not to yield to it, Nehemiah 6:11; Nehemiah 6:11. See here, (1.) What his reasonings are: "Should such a man as I flee? Shall I desert God's work, or discourage my own workmen whom I have employed and encouraged? Shall I be over-credulous of report, and over-solicitous about my own life? I that am the governor, on whom so many eyes are, both of friends and foes? Another might flee, but not I. Who is there that being as I am, in my post of honour, and power, and trust, would go into the temple, and lurk there, when business is to be done, yea, though it were to save his life?" Note, When we are tempted to sin we should remember who and what we are, that we may not do any thing unbecoming us, and the profession we make. It is not for kings, O Lemuel!Proverbs 31:4. (2.) What was the result of his reasonings. He is at a point: "I will not go in. I will rather die at my work than live in an inglorious retreat from it." Note, Holy courage and magnanimity will engage us, whatever it cost us, never to decline a good work, nor ever to do a bad one.

      2. He was immediately aware of what was the rise of it (Nehemiah 6:12; Nehemiah 6:12): "I perceived that God had not sent him, that he gave this advice, not by any divine direction, ordinary or extraordinary, but with a design against me." The wickedness of such mercenary wretches will sooner or later be brought to light. Two things Nehemiah says he dreaded in that which he was advised to:-- (1.) Offending God: That I should be afraid, and do so, and sin. Note, Sin is that which above any thing we should dread; and a good preservative it is against sin to be afraid of nothing but sin. (2.) Shaming himself: That they might reproach me. Note, Next to the sinfulness of sin we should dread the scandalousness of it.

      3. He humbly begs of God to reckon with them for their base designs upon him (Nehemiah 6:14; Nehemiah 6:14): My God, think thou upon Tobiah, and the rest of them, according to their works. As, when he had mentioned his own good services, he did not covetously or ambitiously prescribe to God what reward he should give him, but modestly prayed, Think upon me, my God (Nehemiah 5:19; Nehemiah 5:19), so here he does not revengefully imprecate any particular judgment upon his enemies, but refers the matter to God. "Thou knowest their hearts, and art the avenger of falsehood and wrong; take cognizance of this cause; judge between me and them, and take what way and time thou mayest please to call them to an account for it." Note, Whatever injuries are done us we must not avenge ourselves, but commit our cause to him that judgeth righteously.