Nehemiah 6:13 - He hired so that I would be afraid, do so, and sin, and that they might have material for an evil report, that they might reproach me.

Generated Verse: Nehemiah 6:13

What does "Nehemiah 6:13" mean?


This verse from Nehemiah 6:13 describes the motivation behind an enemy's plot to deceive Nehemiah. Let's break it down:

"He hired so that I would be afraid...": Nehemiah's enemies were paying someone (likely a false prophet or informant) to scare or intimidate him. Fear was their initial weapon.

"...do so, and sin...": The goal of the fear was to manipulate Nehemiah into taking some action that would be considered sinful or against God's law. In the context of Nehemiah's story (rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem), this action might involve breaking a religious law or compromising his integrity.

"...and that they might have material for an evil report...": The ultimate goal was to gather evidence of Nehemiah's wrongdoing, even if the wrongdoing was manufactured or the result of manipulation. This "material" would be used to spread a false and negative reputation.

"...that they might reproach me.": Finally, the purpose of the evil report was to publicly shame and disgrace Nehemiah. This would undermine his authority, disrupt his work on the wall, and damage his standing with the people.

In essence, Nehemiah's enemies wanted to use fear to trick him into sinning, so they could then use that "sin" as a pretext to slander him and destroy his reputation. It's a strategy of manipulation, entrapment, and character assassination.

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