Nehemiah 6:18
WEB
For there were many in Judah sworn to him because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah; and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah as wife.
BSB
For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, since he was a son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah.
KJV
For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H3588
conj — relative conjunction
Derivation: a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent;
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
KJV: and, (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), but, certainly, doubtless, else, even, except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, (al-) though, till, truly, until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.
conj — that
כִּי conj. that, for, when
1. that
2.
a. Of time, when, of the past
b. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם
c. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though
3. Because, since
relative conjunction
כִּי אם־
1. each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:
a. that if
b. for if
2. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—
a. limiting the prec. clause, except
b. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but
c. after an oath, surely
forasmuch as
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
H7227
a n-m — abundant
Derivation: by contracted from 7231;
abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality)
KJV: (in) abound(-undance, -ant, -antly), captain, elder, enough, exceedingly, full, great(-ly, man, one), increase, long (enough, (time)), (do, have) many(-ifold, things, a time), (ship-)master, mighty, more, (too, very) much, multiply(-tude), officer, often(-times), plenteous, populous, prince, process (of time), suffice(-lent).
n.m — chief
רַב 49 n.m. chief
adj — much
רַב 429 adj. much, many, great
1. (oft. opp. מְעַט)
a.
(1). much: of substances
(2). esp. of collectives, numerous
b. pl. many
c. רַב as subst. coll. pers.
d. cstr. = abounding in
e. מִן comp. = more numerous than
f. רַב = abundant, enough
g. as adv. much, exceedingly
2. less oft. great
H3063
n-pr-m — Jehudah
Derivation: from 3034; celebrated;
Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory
KJV: Judah.
n.pr.m — Judah
יְהוּדָה 820 n.pr.m. et terr. Judah
I. n.pr.m.
1. son of Jacob and Leah
2. tribe descended from Judah
3. nation, of southern kingdom under dynasty of David, as distinguished from northern kingdom of Ephraim or Israel
4. Levite, Ezra’s time
5. an overseer of Jerus.
6. Levite musician
7. priest
II. n.pr.terr. land of Judah
H1167
n-m — master, husband, owner
Derivation: from 1166;
a master; hence, a husband, or (figuratively) owner (often used with another noun in modifications of this latter sense)
KJV: archer, babbler, bird, captain, chief man, confederate, have to do, dreamer, those to whom it is due, furious, those that are given to it, great, hairy, he that hath it, have, horseman, husband, lord, man, married, master, person, sworn, they of.
n.m — Baal
בַּעַל 166 n.m. owner, lord
I.
1. owner
2. husband
3. citizens, inhabitants
4. rulers, lords
5. n. of relation
II. Esp. lord, specif. as divine name, Baal.
H7621
n-f — sworn, oath
Derivation: feminine passive participle of 7650;
properly, something sworn, i.e. an oath
KJV: curse, oath, × sworn.
n.f — oath
שְׁבוּעָה, שְׁבֻעָה n.f. oath, curse
H2860
n-m — relative by marriage, circumcised child
Derivation: from 2859;
a relative by marriage (especially through the bride); figuratively, a circumcised child (as a species of religious espousal)
KJV: bridegroom, husband, son in law.
n.m — daughter’s husband
חָתָן n.m. daughter's husband, bridegroom
1. in relation to a father, daughter’s husband, or bridegroom
2. in relation to the bride, bridegroom
H1931
p — he, she, it, self, same, this, that, as, are
Derivation: of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is הִיא; he a primitive word, the third person pronoun singular;
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or are
KJV: he, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.
m — he
הוּא m. הִיא f., pron. of the 3rd ps. sing. he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it
1. an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)
2. It resumes the subj. with emph.
3. Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible
4. It anticipates (as it seems) the subject
5. As an emph. predicate, of God
6. In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)
7. With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.
H7935
n-pr-m — Shekanjah
Derivation: or (prolonged) שְׁכַנְיָהוּ; from 7931 and 3050; Jah has dwelt;
Shekanjah, the name of nine Israelites
KJV: Shecaniah, Shechaniah.
n.pr.m — Shecaniah
שְׁכַנְיָה(וּ) n.pr.m. (י׳ hath taken up his abode)
1. descendant of Jehoiakin
2. Ezr 10:2
3. father of a wall-builder
4. father-in-law of Tobiah
5. priestly name
H1121
n-m — son
Derivation: from 1129;
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
KJV: afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ( ) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, (young) bullock, (young) calf, × came up in, child, colt, × common, × corn, daughter, × of first, firstborn, foal, very fruitful, postage, × in, kid, lamb, ( ) man, meet, mighty, nephew, old, ( ) people, rebel, robber, × servant born, × soldier, son, spark, steward, stranger, × surely, them of, tumultuous one, valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
n.m — son
בֵּן 4870 n.m. son
1. son, male child, born of a woman
2. children (male and female)
3. youth, young men
4. the young of animals
5. of plant shoots
6. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
7.
a. member of a guild, order or class
b. of animals son of (the) herd
8. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
9. n. relat. of age
n.pr.m — his son
בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.
H733
n-pr-m — Arach
Derivation: from 732; way faring;
Arach, the name of three Israelites
KJV: Arah.
n.pr.m — Arah
אָרַח n.pr.m. (traveller?)
1. a man of Asher
2. head of family of returning exiles
H3076
n-pr-m — Jehochanan
Derivation: from 3068 and 2603; Jehovah-favored;
Jehochanan, the name of eight Israelites
KJV: Jehohanan, Johanan. Compare 3110.
n.pr.m — Jehohanan
יְהוֹחָנָן, יוֹחָנָן n.pr.m.
1.
a. a priest
b. high priest
2. Levite
3. son of Tobiah
4. porter in David’s time
5. a Judaite captain
6. an Ephraimite
7. an Israelite, Ezra’s time
8. a Jewish captain, after fall of Jerus.
9. eldest son of king Josiah
10. a post-exilic prince of the line of David
11. father of Azariah, priest in Sol.’s time
12. two of David’s mighty men
13. a returning exile
H3947
v — take
Derivation: a primitive root;
to take (in the widest variety of applications)
KJV: accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, × many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.
vb — take
לָקַח 965 vb. take
Qal
1. take, take in hand
2. take and carry along with oneself
3.
a. take from, or out of
b. take, carry away
c. take away from, so as to deprive of
d. esp. take away life
4. take to or for a person
5. take up, upon = put upon
6. = fetch
7. take = lead, conduct (with or without contact)
8. take = capture, seize
9. take = carry off
10. in phr. take vengeance
Niph.
1. be captured, of ark
2. be taken away, removed
3. be taken, brought unto
Pu.
1. be taken from, out of
2. = be stolen from
3. be taken captive
4. be taken away, removed
Hoph.
1. be taken, brought unto
2. be taken out of
3. be taken away from
Hithp. lit. fire taking hold of itself, of lightning
H853
prt — self, even, namely
Derivation: apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity;
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
KJV: [as such unrepresented in English].
mark of the accusative
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
H1323
n-f — daughter
Derivation: from 1129 (as feminine of 1121);
a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)
KJV: apple (of the eye), branch, company, daughter, × first, × old, owl, town, village.
n.f — daughter
בַּת 587 n.f. daughter
1. daughter, female child
2. young women, women
3. with name of city, land, or people, poet. personif. of that city or inhabitants
4. pl. = villages, after name of city
5. in phrases denoting character, quality, etc.
6. ostrich
7. fig.
8. of vine = branch
9. as n. relat.
H4918
n-pr-m — Meshullam
Derivation: from 7999; allied;
Meshullam, the name of seventeen Israelites
KJV: Meshullam.
n.pr.m — Meshullam
מְשֻׁלָּם n.pr.m.
1. grandfather of Shaphan
2. son of Zerub.
3. in Benj.
4. in Gad
5. wall-builders
6. a chief
7. priests
8. Levites
9. Ezr 10:29.
H1296
n-pr-m — Berekjah
Derivation: or בֶּרֶכְיָהוּ; from 1290 and 3050; knee (i.e. blessing) of Jah;
Berekjah, the name of six Israelites
KJV: Berachiah, Berechiah.
n.pr.m — Berachiah
יְבֶרֶכְיָ֫הוּ n.pr.m. (Yah blesseth) father of a Zechariah in Isaiah’s time Is 8:2; usually in abbreviated form as foll.: בֶּרֶכְיָה,
1. son of Zerubbabel
2. a Levite guard of the ark
3. father of Meshullam, one of Nehemiah’s chiefs
4. father of prophet Zechariah
5. father of Asaph
6. Ephraimite chief
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Verses 15–19
Nehemiah 6:15–19
Nehemiah is here finishing the wall of Jerusalem, and yet still has trouble created him by his enemies.
I. Tobiah, and the other adversaries of the Jews, had the mortification to see the wall built up, notwithstanding all their attempts to hinder it. The wall was begun and finished in fifty-two days, and yet we have reason to believe they rested on the sabbaths, Neh 6:15. Many were employed, and there was room for them; what they did they did cheerfully, and minded their business because they loved it. The threats of their enemies, which were intended to weaken them, it is likely, quickened them to go on with their work the more vigorously, that they might get it done before the enemy came. Thus out of the eater came forth meat. See what a great deal of work may be done in a little time if we would set about it in earnest and keep close to it. When the enemies heard that the wall was finished before they thought it was well begun, and, when they doubted not but to put a stop to it, they were much cast down in their own eyes, Neh 6:16. 1. They were ashamed of their own confidence that they should cause the work to cease; they were crest-fallen upon the disappointment. 2. They envied the prosperity and success of the Jews, grieved to see the walls of Jerusalem built, while, it may be, the kings of Persia had not permitted them thus to fortify the cities of Samaria. When Cain envied his brother his countenance fell, Gen 4:5. 3. They despaired of ever doing them the mischief they designed them, of bringing them down and making a prey of them; and well they might, for they perceived, by the wonderful success, that the work was wrought of God. Even these heathens had so much sense as, [1.] To see a special providence of God conversant about the affairs of the church when they did remarkably prosper. They said among the heathen, The Lord has done great things for them; it is his doing, Psa 126:2. God fighteth for Israel and worketh with them. [2.] To believe that God's work would be perfect. When the perceived that the work was of God they expected no other than that it would go on and prosper. [3.] To conclude that, if it were of God, it was to no purpose to think of opposing it; it would certainly prevail and be victorious.
II. Nehemiah had the vexation, notwithstanding this, to see some of his own people treacherously corresponding with Tobiah and serving his interest; and a great grief and discouragement, no doubt, it was to him. 1. Even of the nobles of Judah there were those who had so little sense of honour and their country's good as to communicate with Tobiah by letter, Neh 6:17. They wrote with all the freedom and familiarity of friends to him, and welcomed his letters to them. Could nobles do a thing so mean? Nobles of Judah so wicked a thing? It seems great men are not always wise, not always honest. 2. Many in Judah were in a strict but secret confederacy with him to advance the interest of his country, though it would certainly be the ruin of their own. They were sworn unto him, not as their prince, but as their friend and ally, because both he and his son had married daughters of Israel, Neh 6:18. See the mischief of marrying with strangers; for one heathen that was converted by it ten Jews were perverted. When once they became akin to Tobiah they soon became sworn to him. A sinful love leads to a sinful league. 3. They had the impudence to court Nehemiah himself into a friendship with him: "They reported his good deeds before me, represented him as an intelligent gentleman and well worthy my acquaintance, an honest gentleman and one that I might confide in." We are indeed required to speak ill of no man, but never to speak well of bad men. Those that forsake the law praise the wicked, Pro 28:4. 4. They were so false as to betray Nehemiah's counsels to him; they uttered Nehemiah's words to him, perverting them, no doubt, and putting false constructions upon them, which furnished Tobiah with matter for letters to put him in fear and so drive him from his work and discourage him in it. Thus were all their thoughts against him for evil, yet God thought upon him for good.
Cross-references: Neh 6:15 · Neh 6:16 · Gen 4:5 · Ps 126:2 · Neh 6:17 · Neh 6:18 · Prov 28:4