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._ Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me. The Samaritan leaders, satisfied that they could not overcome Nehemiah by open arms, resolved to gain advantage over him by deceit and stratagem. With this view, under pretext of terminating their differences in an amicable manner, they invited him to a conference. The place of rendezvous was fixed "in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono." 'In the villages' (Heb.), 'in Cephirim,' or Cephirah, the name of a town in the territory of Benjamin (Joshua 9:17; Joshua 18:26). Nehemiah, however, apprehensive of some intended mischief, prudently declined the invitation; and, though it was repeated fou

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 represented by them as desired by the many. But Nehemiah knew at what they aimed, he not only denied that such things were true, but that they were reported; he was better known than to be thus suspected. We must never omit any known duty for fear it should be misconstrued; but, while we keep a good conscience, let us trust God with our good name. God's people, though loaded with reproach, are not really fallen so low in reputation as some would have them thought to be. Ne...

Verse Nehemiah 6:2. _COME, LET US MEET TOGETHER IN - THE PLAIN OF ONO._] They wished to get him out of Jerusalem from among his friends, that they might either carry him off, or murder him. _Ono_ is supposed to have been in the tribe of Benjamin, near Jordan....

The choice made of Ono, on the skirts of Benjamin, 25 or 30 miles from Jerusalem, as the meeting-place, was, no doubt, in order to draw Nehemiah to a distance from his supporters, that so an attack might be made on him with a better chance of success....

EXPOSITION SECRET PROCEEDINGS OF SANBALLAT AND HIS FRIENDS TO HINDER THE BUILDING OF THE WALL, AND THEIR FAILURE. THE WALL COMPLETED (Nehemiah 6:1.). When the open opposition failed, when it was found that Nehemiah's arrangements for guarding the wall (Nehemiah 4:13) were such that success was not likely to attend the employment of force by the confederates, with such resources as they had at their disposal, and the idea of an assault was therefore give

CHAPTER 6 _ 1. The attempt to entice Nehemiah (Nehemiah 6:1)_ 2. The attempt to intimidate him (Nehemiah 6:5) 3. The attempt through a false prophet (Nehemiah 6:10) 4. The wall finished (Nehemiah 6:15) 5. The conspiracy between Jewish nobles and Tobiah (Nehemiah 6:17) Nehemiah 6:1. Defeated in all previous efforts to hinder the work and to do harm to the builders of the wall, the enemies made new attempts to make

NEHEMIAH'S ENEMIES MAKE A FURTHER ATTEMPT TO FRUSTRATE HIS WORK. The narrative about the rebuilding of the walls, which was broken by ch. 5, is here taken up again. Sanballat and his confederates seek to allure Nehemiah to a conference in order thus to get him into their power. Nehemiah refuses to go to this meeting on the ground that he is too busy with the work which he has in hand. Sanballat, having tried four times in vain to persuade Nehemiah to come, at length tries to intimidate him by sending him a letter in which he accuses him of aspiring to the kingship, and threatens to report this to the king. Sanballat thinks that by this means he may induce Nehemiah to come and meet him. Nehemiah, however, merely denies Sanballat's allegations, telling him that he has made them up. Nehemiah 6:2. the plain of Ono: _cf._...

SOME ONE OF THE VILLAGES. in _Cepherim_ (Nehemiah 7:29; Ezra 2:25); now _Kefr 'Ana,_ twenty-five miles from Jerusalem; eight miles east of Jaffa; six miles north of Lydda. PLAIN. valley, or combe. ONO. Now _Kefr 'Ana,_ five miles north of Lydda (Ezra 2:33). Compare Ch. Nehemiah 11:31. MISCHIEF: to kill or capture Nehemiah. Compare Proverbs 26:24....

_Sanballat and Geshem_ It is noticeable that Tobiah's name is not also mentioned. Some commentators have held that this omission is to be accounted for by the fact of Tobiah being -the mere servant of Sanballat" (see Nehemiah 2:10). But the explanation seems very improbable when we consider the prominence of Tobiah in Nehemiah 2:10; Nehemiah 2:19; Nehemiah 4:7; Nehemiah 6:17; Nehemiah 6:19;...

TEXT AND VERSE-BY-VERSE COMMENT F. The enemies resort to tactics of diversion, but the wall is completed. 1. Sanballat and Geshem plot treachery through invitation to a conference. TEXT, NEHEMIAH 6:1-4 1 Now it came about when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, to Geshem the Arab, and to the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall, and that no breach remained in it although at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates, 2 that Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me, saying, Come, let us meet together at Chephirim in the plain of Ono. But they were planning to harm me. 3 So I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you? 4 And they sent messages to me four times in this manner, and I answered them in t