Nehemiah 6:5 Made Simple

KJV ORIGINAL

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

Close to the original. Clear modern English.

✦ MADE SIMPLE

Then Sanballat sent his servant to me the fifth time in the same way, but this time he carried an unsealed letter in his hand.

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

This verse shows that Nehemiah's enemy Sanballat was persistently trying to intimidate him, now escalating to public accusations by sending an open letter that anyone could read.

📚 Historical Context

In the book of Nehemiah, the Jewish people had returned from Babylonian exile and were working to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem under Nehemiah's leadership as a governor appointed by the Persian king. Sanballat, a rival leader from Samaria, opposed this project because it threatened his regional influence and repeatedly sent messengers with accusations to distract and intimidate Nehemiah. This fifth attempt involved an open letter, which was publicly visible and intended to spread rumors or pressure Nehemiah into stopping the work.

Explore Similar Verses

Nehemiah 13:28

One of the sons of Joiada (who was the son of Eliashib the high priest) had married into Sanballat the Horonite's family. So I drove him away from me.

Nehemiah 2:10

When Sanballat from Horon and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were deeply upset that someone had come to help and improve things for the people of Israel.

Nehemiah 6:12

Then I realized that God had not sent him at all. He was speaking this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had paid him to do it.

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