OET interlinear NEH 6:5

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: translate-ordinal

וַ⁠יִּשְׁלַח֩ אֵלַ֨⁠י סַנְבַלַּ֜ט כַּ⁠דָּבָ֥ר הַ⁠זֶּ֛ה פַּ֥עַם חֲמִישִׁ֖ית אֶֽת־נַעֲר֑⁠וֹ

(Some words not found in UHB: and,he_sent to=me Şanⱱallaţ according,the_manner the=this time fifth DOM servant_of,his and,a_letter_of open in=his/its=hand )

Alternate translation: [Sanballat sent his servant to me with this same message for a fifth time] or [this was time number five that Sanballat sent his servant to me with this same message]

וְ⁠אִגֶּ֥רֶת פְּתוּחָ֖ה בְּ⁠יָדֽ⁠וֹ

(Some words not found in UHB: and,he_sent to=me Şanⱱallaţ according,the_manner the=this time fifth DOM servant_of,his and,a_letter_of open in=his/its=hand )

This means that this fifth message was written in a letter, but the letter was unsealed. Alternate translation: [This time the message was written, but it was not sealed]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וְ⁠אִגֶּ֥רֶת פְּתוּחָ֖ה בְּ⁠יָדֽ⁠וֹ

(Some words not found in UHB: and,he_sent to=me Şanⱱallaţ according,the_manner the=this time fifth DOM servant_of,his and,a_letter_of open in=his/its=hand )

As a diplomatic communication, the letter should have been sealed. Because it was not, others could read it and spread its contents among the people of the region. It appears that Sanballat deliberately left the letter unsealed to pressure Nehemiah to meet with him. If it would be helpful in your language, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: [Sanballat left the letter unsealed so that others would find out what it said, because he wanted to pressure me to meet with him]