Enemies Mock the Builders
Study note
Sanballat was the governor of Samaria, the region north of Judah. He saw the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls as a threat to his power. Tobiah was an Ammonite official who mocked the builders by saying even a fox could knock down their wall. Despite the insults, the workers kept building. By this point, the wall was already half its full height all the way around the city.
1 Sanballat was livid when he found out we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and started mocking the Jews. But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
2 And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?
3 His pal Tobiah added, "What they build is so weak that a fox on it would knock it all down!" Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.
4 Listen to us, God! They are treating us with contempt. Let their insults boomerang back on them. Let them be taken away as prisoners to a foreign land. Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:
5 Do not overlook their guilt or erase their sin from your sight. They hurled insults right at the builders' faces. And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.
6 We kept building. Before long, the wall was joined together all the way around and stood at half its intended height. Everyone put their heart into it. So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
Enemies Plot an Attack
Study note
When mocking did not stop the work, the enemies formed an alliance to attack Jerusalem. The Arabians came from the south, the Ammonites from the east, and the people of Ashdod from the west. This meant enemies surrounded Judah on all sides. Nehemiah responded with both prayer and practical action by setting up guards. The Jewish workers were becoming tired and discouraged from the heavy labor.
7 Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and Ashdod's people heard news. The wall repairs were moving forward. The gaps were closing. This made them very angry. But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,
8 They all planned together to march on Jerusalem and cause chaos. And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
9 We responded by praying to God and posting guards around the clock. Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
10 At the same time, the workers from Judah started saying, "The laborers are wearing out. There is too much debris everywhere. We cannot keep going on the wall." And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
11 Our enemies were saying, "Before they spot us or know what hit them, we will be right in the middle of them. We will kill them and shut the project down for good." And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.
12 Jewish families near enemy land kept warning us. "They plan to attack from every side." And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you.
Armed Builders
Study note
Nehemiah organized the people by families so they would fight to protect their loved ones. He reminded them that God was great and powerful. When the enemies learned that their plot had been discovered, they backed down. From then on, half the workers built while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and armor. Even the builders kept a sword at their side. A trumpet signal system was set up so workers could quickly gather if any section was attacked.
13 So I stationed armed guards at the lowest and most exposed points of the wall. I grouped families together, armed with swords, spears, and bows. Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14 I surveyed the situation and then stood up to address the nobles, officials, and everyone else. I said, "Do not be scared of them! Keep in mind how great and powerful the Lord is. Fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!" And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
15 Our foes found out we knew their plan. God had wrecked it. We all went back to the wall to keep working. And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
16 From that point on, half my workforce handled construction while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and body armor. The leaders stayed positioned behind all the workers. And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
17 The supply carriers worked with a building tool in one hand and a weapon in the other. They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.
18 Every builder wore a sword strapped to his waist while he worked. The trumpeter stayed right next to me at all times. For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.
19 I told the nobles and officials and all the rest, "This project covers a great area. We are spread far apart on the wall." And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.
20 "Whenever you hear the trumpet blast, drop what you are doing and rush to that location. Our God will fight alongside us!" In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.
21 We worked from first light in the morning until the stars appeared at night, with half the men always on guard duty. So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
22 I also told everyone, "Every worker and his helper must spend the night inside Jerusalem. That way we have guards at night and workers during the day." Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.
23 None of us changed our clothes -- not me, not my brothers, not my servants, not the guards. Everyone kept their weapon at arm's reach at all times, even when going to get water. So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.