Nehemiah 6:16

Nehemiah 6:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.
• New International Version (NIV)When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.

Context of Nehemiah 6:16

14My God, please remember all the bad things that Tobiah and Sanballat have done. Also remember the prophetess, Noadiah, and the other prophets who have tried to frighten me. 15We finished the city's wall on the 25th day of the month Elul. It had taken 52 days to build the wall again. When our enemies heard this news, they were afraid. The people of all the nations who lived near Jerusalem were very afraid. They knew that our God had helped us to finish this great work. 17During this time, the leaders in Judah were sending letters to Tobiah. Tobiah was also sending his replies to them. 18Many people in Judah had promised to obey Tobiah. That was because his wife was the daughter of Arah's son, Shecaniah. Also, his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Berekiah's son, Meshullam.

Nehemiah 6:16 word by word

וַיְהִ֗י כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר שָֽׁמְעוּ֙ כָּל־א֣וֹיְבֵ֔ינוּ וַיִּֽרְא֗וּ כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר סְבִֽיבֹתֵ֔ינוּ וַיִּפְּל֥וּ מְאֹ֖ד בְּעֵינֵיהֶ֑ם וַיֵּ֣דְע֔וּ כִּ֚י מֵאֵ֣ת אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ נֶעֶשְׂתָ֖ה הַמְּלָאכָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And it came to pass, that when all our enemiesאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341
• heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• and all the heathenגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• about usסָבִיבsâbîyb sebîybâh · aroundH5439
• sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• they were muchמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
• cast downנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
• in their own eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: appearanceH5869
• for they perceivedיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• that this workמְלָאכָהmelâ'kâh · workH4399
• was wroughtעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• of our Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430

Cross-references for Nehemiah 6:16

• Nehemiah 2:10But two important men were not happy when they heard that I had come to help the Israelite people. They were Sanballat, who came from Horon, and Tobiah, an Ammonite officer.
• Nehemiah 4:1Sanballat heard that we were building the wall. He was very angry and upset. He laughed at the Jews.
• Nehemiah 6:1We had finished building the city's wall. There were no holes in it now, but we had not fixed the doors in the gates. Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem (the Arab) and all our enemies heard that we had finished building the wall.
• Exodus 14:25He stopped the wheels of their chariots, so that the Egyptians could not drive them properly. So the Egyptians said, ‘Let us run away from the Israelite army! It is the Lord who fights for them against Egypt.’
• Numbers 23:23Nobody can curse the Israelites. No magic has any power to hurt them. Now people will say about them, “See the great things that God has done for them!”
• Joshua 5:1Many people heard how the Lord had caused the Jordan River to become dry. This included all the Amorite kings on the west side of the Jordan River, and all the Canaanite kings who lived near the sea. They heard how the Lord had made the river become dry until all the Israelites had crossed to the other side. So the kings became very afraid of the Israelite people. They felt too weak to fight against them.
• Psalms 126:2At that time, we laughed a lot. We shouted because we were so happy! People in other countries said to each other, ‘The Lord has done great things for them!’
• Acts 5:38Now think about what is happening with these men. I tell you it would be better to leave them alone. Let them go free. If their message only comes from human ideas, all their work will fail.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 6:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16This work was wrought of our God - This is an additional reason why we should not wonder at the shortness of the time in which so great a work was done, for God helped them by an especial providence; and this was so very observable, that their carnal enemies could discover it.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-19Verses 15-19 The wall was begun and finished in fifty-two days, though they rested on the sabbaths. A great deal of work may be done in a little time, if we set about it in earnest, and keep close to it. See the mischief of marrying with strangers. When men once became akin to Tobiah, they soon became sworn to him. A sinful love leads to a sinful league. The enemy of souls employs many instruments, and forms many projects, to bring reproach on the active…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-16in fifty-two days: Everyone understood that God's help made this success possible (see also Nehemiah 1:11; 2:8, 18, 20; 4:15, 20).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-192-4. Then Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me--The Samaritan leaders, convinced that they could not overcome Nehemiah by open arms, resolved to gain advantage over him by deceit and stratagem. With this in view, under pretext of terminating their differences in an amicable manner, they invited him to a conference. The place of rendezvous was fixed "in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono." "In the villages" is, Hebrew, "in Cephirim," or "Chephirah,"…Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Feign
• Noble
• Versions, Georgian, Gothic, Slavonic

Commentaries on Nehemiah 6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings