6:1 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and no breach remained in it (even though up to that time I had not positioned doors in the gates),
“Among the nations it is rumored 1 (and Geshem 2 has substantiated 3 this) that you and the Jews have intentions of revolting, and for this reason you are building the wall. Furthermore, according to these rumors 4 you are going to become their king.
1 tn Heb “heard.”
2 tn Heb “Gashmu”; in Neh 2:19 this name appears as Geshem. Since it is important for the modern reader to recognize that this is the same individual, the form of the name used here in the translation is the same as that in v. 19.
3 tn Heb “is saying.”
4 tn Heb “words.” So also in v. 7.