Nehemiah 6:2 (ASV)

Passage

that Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in [one of] the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.

Nearby Context

Nehemiah 6:1 Now it came to pass, when it was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah, and to Geshem the Arabian, and unto the rest of our enemies, that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though even unto that time I had not set up the doors in the gates;)

Nehemiah 6:2 that Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in [one of] the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.

Nehemiah 6:3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?

Nehemiah 6:4 And they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sanballat", "geshem", "sent", "saying", "come", "meet", "together", and "villages". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sanballat" and "geshem", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "Now it came to pass when it..." into verse 3's "And I sent messengers unto them saying...", so "sanballat" and "geshem" belong inside that flow. In Nehemiah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "sanballat" and "geshem" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.