Nehemiah 6:17 (GNV)

Passage

And in these dayes were there many of the princes of Iudah, whose letters went vnto Tobiah, and those of Tobiah came vnto them.

Nearby Context

Nehemiah 6:15 Notwithstanding the wall was finished on the fiue and twentieth day of Elul, in two and fiftie dayes.

Nehemiah 6:16 And when all our enemies heard thereof, euen all the heathen that were about vs, they were afraid, and their courage failed them: for they knew, that this worke was wrought by our God.

Nehemiah 6:17 And in these dayes were there many of the princes of Iudah, whose letters went vnto Tobiah, and those of Tobiah came vnto them.

Nehemiah 6:18 For there were many in Iudah, that were sworne vnto him: for he was the sonne in lawe of Shechaniah, the sonne of Arah: and his sonne Iehonathan had the daughter of Meshullam, the sonne of Berechiah.

Nehemiah 6:19 Yea, they spake in his praise before me, and tolde him my wordes, and Tobiah sent letters to put me in feare.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "dayes", "princes", "iudah", "whose", "letters", "went", "vnto", and "tobiah". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "dayes" and "princes", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "And when all our enemies heard thereof..." into verse 18's "For there were many in Iudah that...", so "dayes" and "princes" 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 "dayes" and "princes" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.