Verse Lens · Context pointer
Nehemiah 6:13 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 13. 13Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Role in This Section
This verse explains the alleged trap as fear leading to sin and a damaging report.
Read It With
- Nehemiah 6:10–6:14
Read Nehemiah 6:10–6:14 together. This verse explains the alleged trap as fear leading to sin and a damaging report. Read Nehemiah 6:10–6:14 as one complete scene: Shemaiah urges Nehemiah to hide in the temple; Nehemiah refuses and concludes that Tobiah and Sanballat hired him to induce sin and reproach.
Why It Needs Context
This line performs one particular step inside Nehemiah 6:10–6:14; read it with the unit's movement. Noadiah's prophecy is not quoted, and the text does not disclose how Nehemiah knew every alleged arrangement. Specifically, this verse explains the alleged trap as fear leading to sin and a damaging report.
Read Nehemiah 6:10–14 together
Why these verses belong together: Shemaiah's sanctuary proposal, Nehemiah's refusal, discernment of hire, stated trap, and prayer naming Noadiah and other prophets form one compromised-prophecy scene.
Verse 10. 10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.
Verse 11. 11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.
Verse 12. 12 And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
Verse 13. 13 Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.
Verse 14. 14 My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Nehemiah 6:10–6:14 — A hired temple message is rejectedSources used for this context pointer
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact reader-facing KJV wording, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage for this thought unit.
Exact location: Nehemiah 6:10–6:14, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Nehemiah
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Hebrew wording, morphology, clause relationships, repeated roots, Persian titles, names, and translation controls.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v.2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Neh.xml, Masoretic words and morphology for 6:10–6:14
Open source ↗