Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.
They kept telling me about all the good things he had done, and they would repeat my words back to him. Tobiah also sent me letters trying to intimidate me.
Nehemiah is describing how his enemies had allies among his own people who were feeding information back and forth, while Tobiah was trying to frighten him with threatening letters.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Nehemiah, the Jewish people had returned from exile in Babylon and were working to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem under Nehemiah's leadership, facing opposition from neighboring groups who saw this as a threat. Tobiah, an Ammonite official, was one of Nehemiah's key enemies who used tactics like spreading rumors and sending intimidating letters to discourage the rebuilding efforts. This verse specifically highlights how Tobiah's allies praised him to Nehemiah while relaying Nehemiah's private words back to Tobiah, escalating the psychological pressure.
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