Nehemiah 6 · Verse 3

Nehemiah 6:3

And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
Nehemiah 6:3, King James Version

Nehemiah 6:3 in other translations

BSBSo I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to go down to you?”
WEBI sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I can’t come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you?”
ASVAnd I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
YLTAnd I send unto them messengers, saying, ‘A great work I am doing, and I am not able to come down; why doth the work cease when I let it alone, and have come down unto you?'
DARBYAnd I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down. Why should the work cease, whilst I leave it and come down to you?
BBEAnd I sent men to them saying, I am doing a great work, so that it is not possible for me to come down: is the work to be stopped while I go away from it and come down to you?
WebsterAnd I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?

What does Nehemiah 6:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Nehemiah 6:2-4

Ne 6:1-19. Sanballat Practises against Nehemiah by Insidious Attempts. 2-4. 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…

Read the full comment on Nehemiah 6:2-4 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 I am doing a great work - Though he knew their design, he does not think it prudent to mention it. Had he done so, they would probably have gone to extremities, finding that they were discovered; and perhaps in a formidable body attacked Jerusalem, when ill provided to sustain such a shock. They wished to effect their purpose rather by treachery than by open violence. I know not any language which a man who is employed on important labors can use more suitably, as an answer to the thousand invitations and provocations he may have to remit his work, enter into useless or trivial conferences, or notice weak, wicked, and malicious attacks on his work and his motives: "I am doing a great work, so I cannot stoop to your nonsense, or notice your malevolence. Why should the work cease, while I leave it, and come down to such as you?"

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Nehemiah 6:1-9

Let those who are tempted to idle merry meetings by vain companions, thus answer the temptation, We have work to do, and must not neglect it. We must never suffer ourselves to be overcome, by repeated urgency, to do anything sinful or imprudent; but when attacked with the same temptation, must resist it with the same reason and resolution. It is common for that which is desired only by the malicious, to be falsely…

Read the full comment on Nehemiah 6:1-9 →

Nehemiah 6:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וָאֶשְׁלְחָ֨הva.'esh.le.Chahand I sent !H7971
עֲלֵיהֶ֤ם'a.lei.Hemto themH5921
מַלְאָכִים֙mal.'a.KhimmessengersH4397
לֵאמֹ֔רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
מְלָאכָ֤הme.la.Khaha workH4399
גְדוֹלָה֙ge.do.LahgreatH1419
אֲנִ֣י'a.NiIH589
עֹשֶׂ֔ה'o.Seh[am] doingH6213
וְלֹ֥אve.Lo'and notH3808
אוּכַ֖ל'u.KhalI am ableH3201
לָרֶ֑דֶתla.Re.detto go downH3381
לָ֣מָּהLa.mah<to> why?H4100
תִשְׁבַּ֤תtish.Batwill it ceaseH7673
הַמְּלָאכָה֙ha.me.la.Khahthe workH4399
כַּאֲשֶׁ֣רka.'a.Sher<just> whenH834
אַרְפֶּ֔הָ'ar.Pe.haI will let drop itH7503
וְיָרַדְתִּ֖יve.ya.rad.Tiand I will go downH3381
אֲלֵיכֶֽם\׃'a.lei.Khemto youH413

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Nehemiah 6:3

  • Matthew 10:16

    Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

  • John 9:4

    I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

  • 1 Timothy 4:15-16

    Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

  • Proverbs 14:15

    The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.

  • Luke 14:30

    Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

  • Ecclesiastes 9:10

    Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
And I sent.
Pr 14:15; Mt 10:16
I am doing.
Ec 9:10; Lu 14:30; Joh 9:4; 1Ti 4:15,16

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Nehemiah 6:2

    That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.

  • Nehemiah 6:3

    And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?

  • Nehemiah 6:4

    Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.

Read all of Nehemiah 6

Nehemiah 6:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y enviéles mensajeros, diciendo: Yo hago una grande obra, y no puedo ir; porque cesaría la obra, dejándola yo para ir á vosotros.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et je leur envoyai des messagers, disant: Je fais un grand travail et je ne puis descendre. Pourquoi le travail cesserait-il pendant que je le quitterais et que je descendrais vers vous?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und ich sandte Boten zu ihnen und ließ ihnen sagen: Ich führe ein großes Werk aus und kann nicht hinabkommen. Warum sollte das Werk ruhen, wenn ich es ließe und zu euch hinabkäme?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Misi ergo ad eos nuntios, dicens: Opus grande ego facio, et non possum descendere, ne forte negligatur cum venero, et descendero ad vos.