Nehemiah 6 5

Nehemiah 6:5 kjv

Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;

Nehemiah 6:5 nkjv

Then Sanballat sent his servant to me as before, the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand.

Nehemiah 6:5 niv

Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter

Nehemiah 6:5 esv

In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand.

Nehemiah 6:5 nlt

The fifth time, Sanballat's servant came with an open letter in his hand,

Nehemiah 6 verses

Nehemiah 6 5 Meaning

Nehemiah 6:5 describes the escalation of Sanballat's attempts to stop Nehemiah's work on rebuilding Jerusalem's walls. After four previous failed attempts to lure Nehemiah into a trap, Sanballat sent an emissary to Nehemiah a fifth time. Crucially, this message was delivered not through a sealed, private letter, but through an "open letter" – a public document intended for wider dissemination. This act signaled a shift from covert schemes to overt public defamation, aiming to spread false accusations against Nehemiah and incite unrest or suspicion from the Persian authorities, thereby forcing him to abandon his divine commission.

Nehemiah 6 5 Context

Nehemiah 6 finds Nehemiah and the Jewish people nearing the completion of Jerusalem's wall, a monumental undertaking symbolizing the restoration of God's people in their land. Their adversaries – Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem, and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites – grew increasingly frustrated and desperate as their initial attempts to hinder the work through mockery, military threats, and ambushes failed (Neh 4). Chapter 6 details a new phase of the enemy's strategy:

• Deceptive Invitations (6:1-4): Four times, Sanballat and Geshem tried to lure Nehemiah out of the city walls to a meeting in the plain of Ono, with the clear intention of harming him. Nehemiah, discerning their evil intent, steadfastly refused, declaring he was engaged in a "great work" and could not come down.
• The Open Letter (6:5-7): This verse, 6:5, introduces Sanballat's fifth and escalating attempt: a public, defamatory accusation of rebellion. This open letter was designed to sow distrust among the Jewish people and provoke Persian imperial authorities against Nehemiah and the wall project, leveraging the extreme penalty for rebellion.
• Hiring False Prophets (6:10-14): When the public accusation failed, enemies attempted to intimidate Nehemiah into taking refuge in the temple, which would compromise his priestly duties and undermine his credibility. This also failed, as Nehemiah again discerned their motives and refused to sin against God.Historically, in the post-exilic period, the Persian Empire, while allowing return, maintained strict control over its provinces. Any accusation of rebellion was a grave charge, punishable by death. The "open letter" was particularly insidious because it sought to make a case to a broader audience, perhaps even expecting word to reach Persian ears through general rumor and unrest, leveraging fear to achieve what force and private deceit could not. This strategy was intended to exploit any underlying suspicion the Persian authorities might have regarding re-empowered Judah and to pressure Nehemiah through internal discord or external imperial intervention.

Nehemiah 6 5 Word analysis

• Then Sanballat (וַיִּשְׁלַח סַנְבַלַּט – Vayyishlach Sanballat): "Vayyishlach" from שָׁלַח (shalach), meaning "to send forth," indicates a deliberate action on Sanballat's part. Sanballat was the governor of Samaria, Nehemiah's chief antagonist. His persistent opposition highlights the relentless nature of spiritual warfare against God's work.
• sent his servant to me (אֵלַי עַבְדּוֹ – elai avdo): Sanballat dispatches a servant, not coming himself, which underscores his calculated distance and perhaps disdain. Sending a servant implies formality yet also a lack of respect for Nehemiah, avoiding direct negotiation and possibly protecting himself from direct confrontation.
• in the same way (כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה – kaddavar hazzeh): This phrase, meaning "according to this word/matter" or "in this manner," explicitly links this attempt to the previous four. It signifies a repeated tactic, but here it's coupled with a significant escalation: the letter's open nature. This persistence reflects a determined and unrelenting enemy.
• for the fifth time (פַּעַם חֲמִשִּׁית – pa'am chamishith): The numerical repetition emphasizes Sanballat's extreme persistence and Nehemiah's unwavering commitment (as seen in his steadfast refusal in Nehemiah 6:4). It highlights a progression in the enemy's desperation as their initial methods fail, pushing them towards more public and audacious forms of attack.
• with an open letter (וּמִכְתָּב פָּתוּחַ – umikhetav patuach): This is the most significant detail. "Mikhetav" means "a writing" or "letter." "Patuach" from פָּתַח (patach), meaning "to open," "unsealed." In ancient Near Eastern diplomatic practice, important or sensitive letters were always sealed. An "open letter" was a public document, much like a modern broadside or manifesto. It served as a public accusation, signaling a lack of courtesy and diplomatic respect, and its intention was to spread its contents widely to incite suspicion and fear among the people and provoke attention from higher authorities. It was a form of public shaming and accusation designed to achieve maximum political pressure. This act shifts the conflict from a private matter between leaders to a public one, seeking to leverage public opinion and official Persian authority against Nehemiah.
• in his hand (בְּיָדוֹ – b'yado): Referring to the servant's hand. This further highlights the public and intentional nature of the open letter, ensuring it was presented for all to see or read.

• "Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in the same way for the fifth time": This phrase underlines the enemy's relentless and escalating harassment. Having failed with covert schemes, they double down with continued overtures that only serve as a façade for deeper malice. It shows the spiritual battle is often characterized by repeated assaults using varied strategies.
• "with an open letter in his hand": This specific action marks a critical turning point. It demonstrates the enemy's shift from private enticement or threats to public defamation. The intention was to bypass normal communication protocols and ensure widespread dissemination of damaging falsehoods, creating an atmosphere of distrust and fear. It targets Nehemiah's reputation and legitimacy, attempting to dismantle his support base and alert hostile authorities.

Nehemiah 6 5 Bonus section

• The fact that Nehemiah's enemies continued their attempts suggests they saw the imminent completion of the wall as a significant threat to their regional influence and desired continued subservience of the Jewish people. The wall's completion symbolized the re-establishment of Jewish sovereignty and identity under Persian oversight, an outcome they strongly resisted.
• The persistence "for the fifth time" is not just a chronological detail but also underscores the determined, often escalating, nature of spiritual warfare. Adversaries do not give up easily; they adapt their strategies and increase the intensity or visibility of their attacks when earlier efforts prove futile.
• The act of sending an "open letter" rather than a sealed one was highly unorthodox and provocative for communications among officials. It was essentially a public declaration or accusation intended to embarrass Nehemiah and bypass diplomatic channels, signaling contempt and a desire for broader public manipulation.
• This episode can be understood as an ancient form of information warfare, where spreading disinformation was used as a weapon to achieve political objectives and derail legitimate projects. Nehemiah's ability to discern these tactics and stand firm demonstrates the wisdom needed to navigate such challenges.

Nehemiah 6 5 Commentary

Nehemiah 6:5 serves as a crucial moment in the narrative of opposition against God's work, detailing Sanballat's desperate escalation from cunning deception to overt public attack. The consistent "fifth time" signals his relentless persistence, characteristic of those who resist divine plans. The "open letter" reveals the true nature of his malice; it was a deliberate act of public defamation and propaganda, designed to disseminate serious accusations of rebellion against Nehemiah and the Jewish people (as elucidated in the subsequent verses). Such an accusation, if credited by Persian authorities, would have brought dire consequences. Sanballat aimed to instill fear, create division, undermine Nehemiah's credibility, and ultimately, stop the crucial wall-building project by leveraging the power of rumor and political pressure. Nehemiah's enemies sought not merely to delay but to entirely crush the rebuilding efforts by discrediting its leader in the most public and damaging way possible. This episode highlights how adversaries often escalate their attacks, turning to public slander when private conspiracies fail, to discourage, distract, or dismantle God-given assignments.

• Examples: This can be seen today when individuals pursuing righteous endeavors face character assassination or public ridicule from opponents once other tactics prove ineffective. It serves as a reminder for believers to maintain integrity and discern enemy tactics, relying on God's truth against the schemes of deception.