Nehemiah 6 · Verse 5

Nehemiah 6:5

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

Nehemiah 6:5, King James Version

Nehemiah 6:5 in other translations

BSB	The fifth time, Sanballat sent me this same message by his young servant, who had in his hand an unsealed letter
WEB	Then Sanballat sent his servant to me the same way the fifth time with an open letter in his hand,
ASV	Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand,
YLT	And Sanballat sendeth unto me, according to this word, a fifth time, his servant, and an open letter in his hand;
DARBY	Then sent Sanballat his servant to me in this manner the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand,
BBE	Then Sanballat sent his servant to me a fifth time with an open letter in his hand;
Webster	Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;

What does Nehemiah 6:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Nehemiah 6:5-9

5-9. 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 printers' ink, but it is not so thick. Letters were, and are still, sent to persons of distinction in a bag or purse, and even to equals they are enclosed--the tie being made with a colored ribbon. But to inferiors, or persons who are to be treated contemptuously, the letters were sent open--that is, not enclosed in a bag. Nehemiah, accustomed to the punctillious ceremonial of the Persian court, would at once notice the want of the usual formality and know that it was from designed disrespect. The strain of the letter was equally insolent. It was to this effect: The fortifications with which he was so busy were intended to strengthen his position in the view of a meditated revolt: he had engaged prophets to incite the people to enter into his design and support his claim to be their native king; and, to stop the circulation of such reports, which would soon reach the court, he was earnestly besought to come to the wished-for conference. Nehemiah, strong in the consciousness of his own integrity, and penetrating the purpose of this shallow artifice, replied that there were no rumors of the kind described, that the idea of a revolt and the stimulating addresses of hired demagogues were stories of the writer's own invention, and that he declined now, as formerly, to leave his work.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 5 With an open letter in his hand - This was an insult to a person of Nehemiah's quality: as letters sent to chiefs and governors in the East are always carefully folded up, and put in costly silken bags, and these carefully sealed. The circumstance is thus marked to show the contempt he (Sanballat) had for him.

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 6:5 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.

וַיִּשְׁלַח֩vai.yish.Lachand he sentH7971

אֵלַ֨י'e.Laito meH413

סַנְבַלַּ֜טsan.va.LatSanballatH5571

כַּדָּבָ֥רka.da.Varaccording to the mannerH1697

הַזֶּ֛הha.Zeh<the> thisH2088

פַּ֥עַםPa.'ama timeH6471

חֲמִישִׁ֖יתcha.mi.ShitfifthH2549

אֶֽת\־'et-<obj.>H853

נַעֲר֑וֹna.'a.Roservant hisH5288

וְאִגֶּ֥רֶתve.'i.Ge.retand a letterH107

פְּתוּחָ֖הpe.tu.ChahopenH6605

בְּיָדֽוֹ\׃be.ya.Do[was] in hand hisH3027

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

Cross references for Nehemiah 6:5

2 Thessalonians 2:10
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
2 Corinthians 2:11
Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
2 Kings 18:26-28
Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rab–shakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and talk not with us in the Jews’ language in the ears of the people that are on the wall. But Rab–shakeh said unto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you? Then Rab–shakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and spake, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria:
Ephesians 6:11
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

with an open letter.This was a gross insult to a person of Nehemiah's quality; as the letters sent to chiefs and governors in the East are always carefully folded up, put in silk bags, and then sealed.
2Ki 18:26-28; 2Co 2:11; 11:13-15; Eph 6:11; 2Th 2:10

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

Context

Nehemiah 6:4
Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.
Nehemiah 6:5
Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;
Nehemiah 6:6
Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words.

Read all of Nehemiah 6

Nehemiah 6:5 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Envió entonces Sanballat á mí su criado, á decir lo mismo por quinta vez, con una carta abierta en su mano,
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et Sanballat m’envoya son serviteur, une cinquième fois, de la même manière, une lettre ouverte à la main.
German Elberfelder 1871	Da sandte Sanballat auf diese Weise zum fünften Male seinen Diener zu mir mit einem offenen Briefe in seiner Hand.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Et misit ad me Sanaballat juxta verbum prius quinta vice puerum suum, et epistolam habebat in manu sua scriptam hoc modo: