Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Nehemiah
Book: Nehemiah
Chapter: 6
Overview:
Sanballat's plot to hinder
Nehemiah.
(1-9) False prophets try
to frighten
Nehemiah.
(10-14) The
Wall finished, Treachery of
some among the Jews.
(15-19)
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.
Nehemiah lifted up his
Heart to
Heaven in a short
Prayer. When, in our
Christian work and
warfare, we enter upon any service or conflict, this is a good
Prayer, I have such a duty to do, such a
Temptation to grapple
with; now, therefore, O
God, strengthen my hands. Every
Temptation to draw us from duty, should quicken us the more to
duty.
10-14 The greatest mischief our enemies can do us, is, to
frighten us from our duty, and to lead us to do what is sinful.
Let us never decline a good work, never do a bad one. We ought
to try all advice, and to reject what is contrary to the
Word of
God. Every
Man should study to be consistent. Should I, a
professed
Christian, called to be a
Saint, a
Child of
God, a
member of
Christ, a
Temple of the
Holy Ghost, should I be
covetous, sensual, proud, or envious? Should I yield to
impatience, discontent, or
Anger? Should I be slothful,
unbelieving, or unmerciful? What effects will such conduct have
upon others? All that
God has done for us, or
By us, or given to
us, should lead us to watchfulness, self-denial, and diligence.
Next to the sinfulness of
Sin, we should dread the scandal.
15-19 The
Wall was begun and finished in fifty-two days, though
they rested
On the sabbaths. A great
Deal of work may be done in
a little time, if we set about it in
Earnest, and keep close to
it. See the mischief of marrying with strangers. When men once
became akin to
Tobiah, they soon became sworn to him. A sinful
Love leads to a sinful
League. The enemy of souls employs many
instruments, and forms many projects, to bring reproach
On the
active servants of
God, or to take them from their work. But we
should follow the
Example of Him who laid down his
Life for the
Sheep. Those that simply cleave to the
Lord and his work will be
supported.