EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Nehemiah 6:9
9All our enemies wanted to frighten us. They thought, ‘The Jews will be so afraid that they will not be able to work well. They will not finish building the wall.’ So I prayed to God, ‘Give me strength to continue the work.’
Nehemiah 6:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.
- New International Version (NIV)They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done." But now, O God, strengthen my hands.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.” Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.
Context of Nehemiah 6:9
7You have chosen some prophets to speak your message in Jerusalem. You have told them to say, “There is now a king in Judah!” The king of Persia will surely hear this news. So we must meet together and talk about it.’ 8I sent this reply: ‘What you say is not true. Nothing like that is happening. You are only speaking your own ideas.’ All our enemies wanted to frighten us. They thought, ‘The Jews will be so afraid that they will not be able to work well. They will not finish building the wall.’ So I prayed to God, ‘Give me strength to continue the work.’ 10One day I went to Shemaiah's house. He was the son of Delaiah, Mehetabel's son. He could not go out of his house. He said to me, ‘Meet me inside the temple of God. We will close the temple's doors. Our enemies are coming to kill you. One night soon, they will come to kill you.’ 11But I said, ‘I am not a man who would run away to be safe. I will not go into the temple to save my life.’
Read all of Nehemiah 6Nehemiah 6:9 word by word
כִּ֣י כֻלָּ֗ם מְיָֽרְאִ֤ים אוֹתָ֙נוּ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יִרְפּ֧וּ יְדֵיהֶ֛ם מִן־הַמְּלָאכָ֖ה וְלֹ֣א תֵעָשֶׂ֑ה וְעַתָּ֖ה חַזֵּ֥ק אֶת־יָדָֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For they all made us afraidיָרֵאyârê' · to fearH3372
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Their handsיָדyâd · handH3027
- shall be weakenedרָפָהrâphâh · to slackenH7503
- from the workמְלָאכָהmelâ'kâh · workH4399
- that it be not doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- strengthenחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: strengthenH2388
Cross-references for Nehemiah 6:9
- Nehemiah 6:14My 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.
- Nehemiah 4:10Then the people in Judah complained, ‘Our workers are becoming weak. There are so many stones and rubbish! We cannot finish the work on the wall!’
- 2 Chronicles 32:18Then Sennacherib's men shouted loudly to the people who were standing on Jerusalem's walls. They spoke in the language of Judah's people. They wanted to make the people very afraid so that they could take the city for themselves.
- 2 Chronicles 15:7But you must be strong. Continue to be brave. God will make your work successful.’
- Ezra 4:1The Israelites who had returned to Jerusalem from exile were building the temple for the Lord, Israel's God. The enemies of the people of Judah and Benjamin heard that the Israelites had begun to build.
- Isaiah 35:3If your hands feel weak, now be strong! If your knees are shaking, now be brave!
- Jeremiah 38:4When the officers heard that, they said to the king, ‘You must punish this man with death. He is making our soldiers who remain in the city afraid. The things that he says are making all the people in the city very afraid. He does not want to help our people. He wants to destroy them.’
- Hebrews 12:12So be strong as servants of God! If your hands feel weak, lift them up! If your knees are not strong, stand up straight!
- 1 Samuel 30:6David was very upset because his men were complaining. They wanted to kill him with stones. His men were very upset because they had lost their sons and their daughters. But David trusted the Lord his God to make him strong.
- Psalms 56:3But when I am afraid, I will trust in you.
- Psalms 71:1Lord, I have come to you to keep me safe. Never let me become ashamed.
- Psalms 68:35God, how great you are, as you come from your holy temple! He is the God of Israel. He gives power to his people, and he makes them strong. Praise God as he deserves!
- Psalms 138:3When I prayed to you, you answered me. You made me brave and strong.
- Isaiah 41:10I am with you, so do not be afraid. I am your God, so do not be upset. I will make you strong and I will help you. My powerful right hand will keep you safe.”
- Zechariah 10:12‘I will make my people strong. They will obey me because they love my name.’
- 2 Corinthians 12:9But he said to me, ‘I will be kind to you and I will help you. That will be enough for you. When you are weak, I will show that I am completely powerful to help you.’ So I am happy to be proud about my weakness. Then I know that Christ's power will be with me.
Commentaries on Nehemiah 6:9
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-19After solving the financial crisis (see Nehemiah 5), the story shifts back to how those against rebuilding tried to scare or stop Nehemiah.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5-95-9. Then sent Sanballat his servant ... the fifth time with an open letter in his hand--In Western Asia, letters, after being rolled up like a map, are flattened to the breadth of an inch; and instead of being sealed, they are pasted at the ends. In Eastern Asia, the Persians make up their letters in the form of a roll about six inches long, and a bit of paper is fastened round it with gum, and sealed with an impression of ink, which resembles our…Read the comment
Topics related to Nehemiah 6:9
In the dictionaries
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
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