Nehemiah 6:9 (DRB)

Passage

For all these men thought to frighten us, thinking that our hands would cease from the work, and that we would leave off. Wherefore I strengthened my hands the more:

Nearby Context

Nehemiah 6:7 Thou hast also set up prophets, to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying: There is a king in Judea. The king will hear of these things: therefore come now, that we may take counsel together.

Nehemiah 6:8 And I sent to them, saying: There is no such thing done as thou sayest: but thou feignest these things out of thy own heart.

Nehemiah 6:9 For all these men thought to frighten us, thinking that our hands would cease from the work, and that we would leave off. Wherefore I strengthened my hands the more:

Nehemiah 6:10 And I went into the house of Samaia the son of Delaia, the son of Metabeel privately. And he said: Let us consult together in the house of God in the midst of the temple: and let us shut the doors of the temple, for they will come to kill thee, and in the night they will come to slay thee.

Nehemiah 6:11 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.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thought", "frighten", "thinking", "hands", "cease", "leave", "wherefore", and "strengthened". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thought" and "frighten", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "And I sent to them saying There..." into verse 10's "And I went into the house of...", so "thought" and "frighten" 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 "thought" and "frighten" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.