Nehemiah 6:8
New International Version
I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.”

New Living Translation
I replied, “There is no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing.”

English Standard Version
Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.”

Berean Standard Bible
Then I sent him this reply: “There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind.”

King James Bible
Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.

New King James Version
Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say are being done, but you invent them in your own heart.”

New American Standard Bible
Then I sent a message to him saying, “Nothing like these things that you are saying has been done, but you are inventing them in your own mind.”

NASB 1995
Then I sent a message to him saying, “Such things as you are saying have not been done, but you are inventing them in your own mind.”

NASB 1977
Then I sent a message to him saying, “Such things as you are saying have not been done, but you are inventing them in your own mind.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then I sent a message to him, saying, “Such words as you are saying have not been done, but you are devising them in your own heart.”

Amplified Bible
I sent a message to him, saying, “Such things as you are saying have not been done; you are inventing them in your own mind.”

Christian Standard Bible
Then I replied to him, “There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then I replied to him, “There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind.”

American Standard Version
Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.

Contemporary English Version
I sent a message back to Sanballat, saying, "None of this is true! You are making it all up."

English Revised Version
Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then I sent someone to tell him, "None of your accusations are true. You are making them up out of your own imagination."

Good News Translation
I sent a reply to him: "Nothing of what you are saying is true. You have made it all up yourself."

International Standard Version
I sent word back to him, "Nothing has happened as you've claimed. You're making up these charges in your imagination."

Majority Standard Bible
Then I sent him this reply: “There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind.”

NET Bible
I sent word back to him, "We are not engaged in these activities you are describing. All of this is a figment of your imagination."

New Heart English Bible
Then I sent to him, saying, "There are no such things done as you say, but you imagine them out of your own heart."

Webster's Bible Translation
Then I sent to him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thy own heart.

World English Bible
Then I sent to him, saying, “There are no such things done as you say, but you imagine them out of your own heart.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And I send to him, saying, “It has not been according to these words that you are saying, for from your own heart you are devising them”;

Young's Literal Translation
And I send unto him, saying, 'It hath not been according to these words that thou art saying, for from thine own heart thou art devising them;'

Smith's Literal Translation
And I shall send to him saying, It was not according to these words which thou sayest, for from thy heart thou feignest them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
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.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And I sent to them, saying: “There has been nothing done according to these words, which you have spoken. For you are inventing these things from your own heart.”

New American Bible
I sent him this answer: “Nothing of what you report is happening; rather, it is the invention of your own mind.”

New Revised Standard Version
Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done; you are inventing them out of your own mind”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then I sent to him, saying, There is no truth in such words as these which you say; you are saying them out of your own heart.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I sent to him and I said to him: “It is not good that these matters would be according to what you speak, for from your heart you have spoken these things.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Then I sent unto him, saying: 'There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I sent to him, saying, It has not happened according to these words, even as thou sayest, for thou framest them falsely out of thy heart.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Sanballat's Conspiracy
7and you have even appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim on your behalf: ‘There is a king in Judah.’ Soon these rumors will reach the ears of the king. So come, let us confer together.” 8Then I sent him this reply: “There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind.” 9For they were all trying to frighten us, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will never be finished.” But now, my God, strengthen my hands.…

Cross References
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.”

Ezra 4:12-16
Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came from you to us have returned to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring its walls and repairing its foundations. / Let it now be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, they will not pay tribute, duty, or toll, and the royal treasury will suffer. / Now because we are in the service of the palace and it is not fitting for us to allow the king to be dishonored, we have sent to inform the king ...

Proverbs 19:5
A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who utters lies will not escape.

Proverbs 12:19
Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

Jeremiah 20:10
For I have heard the whispering of many: “Terror is on every side! Report him; let us report him!” All my trusted friends watch for my fall: “Perhaps he will be deceived so that we may prevail against him and take our vengeance upon him.”

Jeremiah 29:8-9
For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Do not be deceived by the prophets and diviners among you, and do not listen to the dreams you elicit from them. / For they are falsely prophesying to you in My name; I have not sent them, declares the LORD.”

Isaiah 8:12
“Do not call conspiracy everything these people regard as conspiracy. Do not fear what they fear; do not live in dread.

Psalm 31:13
For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side. They conspire against me and plot to take my life.

Psalm 109:2-3
For wicked and deceitful mouths open against me; they speak against me with lying tongues. / They surround me with hateful words and attack me without cause.

Psalm 27:12
Do not hand me over to the will of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.

Matthew 5:11
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

Matthew 10:22
You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.

Matthew 26:59-61
Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking false testimony against Jesus in order to put Him to death. / But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward / and declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”

Mark 14:56-59
For many bore false witness against Jesus, but their testimony was inconsistent. / Then some men stood up and testified falsely against Him: / “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this man-made temple, and in three days I will build another that is made without hands.’” ...

Luke 6:22
Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man.


Treasury of Scripture

Then I sent to him, saying, There are no such things done as you say, but you feign them out of your own heart.

There are

Acts 24:12,13
And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city: …

Acts 25:7,10
And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove…

thou feignest

Job 13:4
But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.

Psalm 36:3
The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.

Psalm 38:12
They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.

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Devising Feign Feignest Fiction Happening Head Heart Making Message Mind Words
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














I sent him this reply
In the context of Nehemiah, the act of sending a reply signifies a deliberate and thoughtful response to opposition. Nehemiah, as a leader, demonstrates wisdom and discernment. The Hebrew root for "sent" (שָׁלַח, shalach) often implies a mission or purpose. Nehemiah's response is not impulsive but calculated, reflecting his reliance on God for guidance. This teaches us the importance of responding to false accusations with clarity and purpose, rooted in truth.

There is nothing to these rumors
The phrase "there is nothing" underscores the baselessness of the accusations against Nehemiah. In Hebrew, the word "nothing" (אֵין, ayin) conveys non-existence or emptiness. Nehemiah's confidence in declaring the rumors as unfounded highlights his integrity and the strength of his character. Historically, rumors were a common tactic to undermine leaders, yet Nehemiah's steadfastness serves as an example of standing firm in truth amidst deceit.

you are spreading
The act of spreading rumors is akin to sowing seeds of discord. The Hebrew verb used here (יָצַר, yatsar) can imply forming or fashioning, suggesting that the rumors were crafted with intent to harm. Nehemiah's identification of the source of these rumors as external and malicious reflects his understanding of the spiritual battle against truth. This reminds believers to be vigilant against the spread of falsehoods and to uphold truth in their communities.

you are inventing them in your own mind
The phrase "inventing them in your own mind" reveals the origin of the rumors as fabrications of the adversaries' imaginations. The Hebrew word for "inventing" (בָּדָא, bada) implies creating or fabricating something that does not exist. Nehemiah's discernment in recognizing the deceitful intentions of his opponents is crucial. This insight encourages believers to seek wisdom and discernment from God to identify and counteract falsehoods, understanding that such fabrications often stem from the hearts of those opposed to God's work.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then I sent
וָאֶשְׁלְחָ֤ה (wā·’eš·lə·ḥāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

him
אֵלָיו֙ (’ê·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

this reply:
לֵאמֹ֔ר (lê·mōr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“There is
נִֽהְיָה֙ (nih·yāh)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

nothing
לֹ֤א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

to these
הָאֵ֔לֶּה (hā·’êl·leh)
Article | Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428: These, those

rumors
כַּדְּבָרִ֣ים (kad·də·ḇā·rîm)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

you
אַתָּ֣ה (’at·tāh)
Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

are spreading;
אוֹמֵ֑ר (’ō·w·mêr)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

you
אַתָּ֥ה (’at·tāh)
Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

are inventing them
בוֹדָֽאם׃‪‬ (ḇō·w·ḏām)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 908: To devise, invent

in your own mind.”
מִֽלִּבְּךָ֖ (mil·lib·bə·ḵā)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre


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OT History: Nehemiah 6:8 Then I sent to him saying There (Neh Ne)
Nehemiah 6:7
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