But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall ,.... Or were building it; for as yet it was not finished, see Nehemiah 4:6 , he was wroth, and took great indignation ; inwardly, though outwardly he pretended to treat the work with contempt, as if it never would be accomplished, which yet he feared: and mocked the Jews ; as a set of foolish builders, and unable to finish what they had begun. read more
And he spake before his brethren ,.... Tobiah the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, and perhaps some other governors of the king of Persia in those parts: and before the army of Samaria : which, and the inhabitants of it, were implacable enemies of the Jews: and said, what do these feeble Jews ? what do they pretend to do, or what can they do? will they fortify themselves ? by building a wall about their city; can they think they shall ever be able to do this, or that it will be... read more
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him ,.... Who was one of his brethren he spake before, Nehemiah 4:2 , and he said ; in the like contemptuous and scoffing manner: even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall break down their stone wall ; signifying not only that it was so low that a fox could easily get up to it, or leap over it; but that the materials were so bad, and the work so poorly done, that the weight of a fox would break it down; of which creatures many were... read more
Hear, O our God, for we are despised ,.... Here begins the prayer of Nehemiah, who had been informed of what these men said in contempt of him, and his builders, and to whom he sent no answer, but applied to God: and turn their reproach upon their own head ; as they have despised and reproached us, let them be despised and reproached by their neighbours: give them for a prey in the land of captivity ; let them be carried captive, as we have been, and become a prey and booty to their... read more
The army of Samaria - As he was governor, he had the command of the army, and he wished to excite the soldiers to second his views against Nehemiah and his men. What do these feeble Jews ? - We may remark here, in general, that the enemies of God's work endeavor by all means to discredit and destroy it, and those who are employed in it. They despise the workmen: What do these feeble Jews? They endeavor to turn all into ridicule: Will they fortify themselves? They... read more
Turn their reproach upon their own head - A prayer of this kind, understood literally, is not lawful for any Christian. Jesus, our great master, has said, "Love your enemies; do good to them that hate you; and pray for them that despitefully use you." Such sayings as the above are excusable in the mouth of a Jew, under severe irritation. See the next verse, Nehemiah 4:5 ; (note). read more
Ridicule of a good work. Sanballat and his friends had at first thought it impossible that Nehemiah would attempt to repair and restore the wall of Jerusalem, But when they found that the work was actually begun, and making good progress, their anger was equalled only by their astonishment, and they gave vent to their wrath in scoffs and ridicule. Happily they seem to have been so misled by their contempt for the feebleness of the Jews as to have deemed it impossible that they could really... read more
Derision and devotion. Not the first nor the last instance was this one here recorded of— I. DEVOTION ASSAILED BY DERISION ( Nehemiah 4:1-3 ). Sanballat and Tobiah were contemptuously angry when they heard that the Jews had actually begun to build: they "took great indignation, and mocked the Jews" ( Nehemiah 4:1 ). "What do these feeble Jews?" said Sanballat ( Nehemiah 4:2 ). "If a fox go up, he shall break down their stone wall," said Tobiah ( Nehemiah 4:3 ), using... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Nehemiah 4:1-6
Here is, I. The spiteful scornful reflection which Sanballat and Tobiah cast upon the Jews for their attempt to build the wall about Jerusalem. The country rang of it presently; intelligence was brought of it to Samaria, that nest of enemies to the Jews and their prosperity; and here we are told how they received the tidings. 1. In heart. They were very angry at the undertaking, and had great indignation, Neh. 4:1. It vexed them that Nehemiah came to seek the welfare of the children of Israel... read more