Nehemiah 6:17
New International Version
Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them.

New Living Translation
During those fifty-two days, many letters went back and forth between Tobiah and the nobles of Judah.

English Standard Version
Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them.

Berean Standard Bible
Also in those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came back to them.

King James Bible
Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.

New King James Version
Also in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came to them.

New American Standard Bible
Also in those days many letters went from the nobles of Judah to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them.

NASB 1995
Also in those days many letters went from the nobles of Judah to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them.

NASB 1977
Also in those days many letters went from the nobles of Judah to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them.

Legacy Standard Bible
Also in those days many letters went from the nobles of Judah to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them.

Amplified Bible
Moreover, in those days many letters went from the nobles of Judah to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them.

Christian Standard Bible
During those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
During those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them.

American Standard Version
Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.

Contemporary English Version
All this time the Jewish leaders and Tobiah had been writing letters back and forth.

English Revised Version
Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
In those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah sent many letters back to them.

Good News Translation
During all this time the Jewish leaders had been in correspondence with Tobiah.

International Standard Version
Meanwhile, at that time the nobles of Judah continued to send many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah kept sending letters to them.

Majority Standard Bible
Also in those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came back to them.

NET Bible
In those days the aristocrats of Judah repeatedly sent letters to Tobiah, and responses from Tobiah were repeatedly coming to them.

New Heart English Bible
Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters came to them.

Webster's Bible Translation
Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came to them.

World English Bible
Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Also, in those days the nobles of Judah are multiplying their letters going to Tobiah, and those of Tobiah are coming to them;

Young's Literal Translation
Also, in those days the freemen of Judah are multiplying their letters going unto Tobiah, and those of Tobiah are coming in unto them;

Smith's Literal Translation
Also in these days the nobles of Judah were multiplying their letters going to Tobiah, and those to Tobiah came to them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Moreover in those days many letters were sent by the principal men of the Jews to Tobias, and from Tobias there came letters to them.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But also, in those days, many letters were being sent by the nobles of the Jews to Tobiah, and were arriving from Tobiah to them.

New American Bible
At that same time, however, many letters were going to Tobiah from the nobles of Judah, and Tobiah’s letters were reaching them,

New Revised Standard Version
Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came to them.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Also in those days the Princes of the Jews were multiplying their letters, and they were going to Tobia, and the letters of Tobia were coming to them.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And in those days letters came to Tobias from many nobles of Juda, and those of Tobias came to them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Completion of the Wall
16When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and disheartened, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God. 17Also in those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came back to them. 18For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, since he was a son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah.…

Cross References
Ezra 4:4-5
Then the people of the land set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to build. / They hired counselors against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Nehemiah 4:1-3
Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious and filled with indignation. He ridiculed the Jews / before his associates and the army of Samaria, saying, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Can they restore the wall by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?” / Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “If even a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!”

Nehemiah 2:19-20
But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked us and ridiculed us, saying, “What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” / So I answered them and said, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start rebuilding, but you have no portion, right, or claim in Jerusalem.”

Nehemiah 13:4-5
Now before this, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God / and had prepared for Tobiah a large room where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the temple articles, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests.

Ezra 9:1-2
After these things had been accomplished, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the surrounding peoples whose abominations are like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites. / Indeed, the Israelites have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed has been mixed with the people of the land. And the leaders and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness!”

Nehemiah 13:28-29
Even one of the sons of Jehoiada son of Eliashib the high priest had become a son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I drove him away from me. / Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.

Nehemiah 4:7-8
When Sanballat and Tobiah, together with the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites, heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they were furious, / and all of them conspired to come and fight against Jerusalem and create a hindrance.

Nehemiah 13:23-27
In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. / Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah. / I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves! ...

Nehemiah 2:10
But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were deeply disturbed that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites.

Nehemiah 4:11-12
And our enemies said, “Before they know or see a thing, we will come into their midst, kill them, and put an end to the work.” / At that time the Jews who lived nearby came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”

Nehemiah 5:1-5
About that time there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews. / Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous. We must get grain in order to eat and stay alive.” / Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to get grain during the famine.” ...

Nehemiah 13:10-11
I also learned that because the portions for the Levites had not been given to them, all the Levites and singers responsible for performing the service had gone back to their own fields. / So I rebuked the officials and asked, “Why has the house of God been neglected?” Then I gathered the Levites and singers together and stationed them at their posts,

Nehemiah 2:17-18
Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned down. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.” / I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me, and what the king had said to me. “Let us start rebuilding,” they replied, and they set their hands to this good work.

Nehemiah 4:14-15
After I had made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” / When our enemies heard that we were aware of their scheme and that God had frustrated it, each of us returned to his own work on the wall.

Nehemiah 5:14-19
Furthermore, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah, from his twentieth year until his thirty-second year (twelve years total), neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. / The governors before me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver. Their servants also oppressed the people. But I did not do this, because of my fear of God. / Instead, I devoted myself to the construction of the wall, and all my servants were gathered there for the work; we did not acquire any land. ...


Treasury of Scripture

Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came to them.

the nobles

Nehemiah 3:5
And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord.

Nehemiah 5:7
Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.

Nehemiah 13:28
And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son in law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me.

sent many letters unto Tobiah.

Jump to Previous
Chiefs Freemen Further Judah Kept Letters Moreover Multiplying Nobles Replies Sending Tobiah Tobi'ah Tobiah's Tobijah
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Chiefs Freemen Further Judah Kept Letters Moreover Multiplying Nobles Replies Sending Tobiah Tobi'ah Tobiah's Tobijah
Nehemiah 6
1. Sanballat practices by craft, by rumors, and by hired prophecies, to terrify Nehemiah
15. The work is finished, to the terror of the enemies
17. Secret intelligence passes between the enemies and the nobles of Judah














Also in those days
This phrase situates the events within a specific historical context, during the time Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. The phrase suggests continuity and ongoing challenges. Historically, this was a period of great tension and opposition, as Nehemiah faced external threats and internal dissent. The phrase underscores the persistence of these challenges, reminding us that spiritual and communal rebuilding often occurs amidst ongoing adversity.

the nobles of Judah
The "nobles" refers to the leading figures or aristocracy within the tribe of Judah. These individuals held significant influence and power. In the Hebrew context, the term for nobles often implies those who are expected to lead with wisdom and integrity. However, their actions in this verse reveal a compromise of their position, as they align with Tobiah, an adversary. This highlights the theme of internal betrayal and the complexity of leadership, where those expected to support God's work may sometimes falter.

sent many letters to Tobiah
The act of sending "many letters" indicates a sustained and deliberate communication. Tobiah, an Ammonite official, was a persistent opponent of Nehemiah's efforts. The Hebrew root for "letters" (אִגֶּרֶת, iggeret) suggests formal correspondence, which implies a level of conspiracy or collusion. This phrase reveals the depth of the internal threat Nehemiah faced, as the nobles were not merely passive but actively engaged with the enemy, undermining the work of God.

and Tobiah’s letters came to them
This reciprocal communication indicates a two-way relationship, suggesting that Tobiah had influence and perhaps leverage over the nobles. The exchange of letters signifies a breach in loyalty and a compromise of the community's integrity. Historically, Tobiah's connections through marriage and alliances with Jewish families gave him a foothold within Jerusalem. This phrase serves as a cautionary reminder of the dangers of divided loyalties and the subtle ways in which external influences can infiltrate and disrupt God's work.

(17-19) A supplementary account is here introduced, explaining the intrigues within Jerusalem to which reference has been made.

(17) Many letters.--There was a large correspondence between Tobiah and the nobles of Judah.

Verse 17. - Moreover in those days. Ewald supposes that the circumstances here related (vers. 17-19) were subsequent to the completion of the wall ('History of Israel,' vol. 5. p. 157); but the expression "in those days" seems rather to throw back the events into the time during which the wall was in building. The passage is a sort of explanatory note, showing us how Tobiah came to be able to raise those intrigues inside Jerusalem which have been mentioned in vers. 12-14. And the letters of Tobiah came unto them. Rather, "and many were the letters of Tobiah which came to them."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Also
גַּ֣ם ׀ (gam)
Conjunction
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

in those
הָהֵ֗ם (hā·hêm)
Article | Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

days,
בַּיָּמִ֣ים (bay·yā·mîm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3117: A day

the nobles
חֹרֵ֤י (ḥō·rê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2715: White, pure, noble

of Judah
יְהוּדָה֙ (yə·hū·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites

sent many
מַרְבִּ֞ים (mar·bîm)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 7235: To be or become much, many or great

letters
אִגְּרֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם (’ig·gə·rō·ṯê·hem)
Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 107: An epistle

to
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

Tobiah,
טוֹבִיָּ֑ה (ṭō·w·ḇî·yāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2900: Tobiah -- 'Yah is my good', three Israelites, also an Ammonite

and Tobiah’s
לְטוֹבִיָּ֖ה (lə·ṭō·w·ḇî·yāh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2900: Tobiah -- 'Yah is my good', three Israelites, also an Ammonite

letters
וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר (wa·’ă·šer)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

came back
בָּא֥וֹת (bā·’ō·wṯ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

to them.
אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ (’ă·lê·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to


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OT History: Nehemiah 6:17 Moreover in those days the nobles (Neh Ne)
Nehemiah 6:16
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