Verses 7-23
Sanballat And His Allies Determine Violence Against the Builders Of The Walls With The Aim Of Preventing Their Completion Only To Be Thwarted By Nehemiah’s Precautions (Nehemiah 4:7-23 ).
Their derision having failed in its purpose, and their anger still being aroused, Sanballat and his allies now determined to bring the work to a stop by using violence. To the already formidable opponents were added the Ammonites to the east of Judah (although Tobias was an Ammonite) and the Ashdodites to the west. Ashdod was the name of the overall province that included former Philistine territory. These plotted an incursion into Jerusalem with the hope of causing confusion. Nehemiah responded by praying to God and setting a watch, with half his builders ready at arms, and all his builders armed in case they were needed.
‘But it came about that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very angry,’
The frequency with which Jerusalem must have suffered unofficial raids is suggested by the number of adversaries who were angry at the repairing of the breaches in the walls. They realised that any future plans that they might have for unofficial raids were now being thwarted. Furthermore it indicated that Jerusalem was once again becoming a power in the land.
The phrase ‘the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem’ in Hebrew uses the figure of bandaging up a wound. For this metaphor compare 2 Chronicles 24:13; Isaiah 30:26; Jeremiah 8:22; Jeremiah 30:17; Jeremiah 33:6. Its similar use in 2 Chronicles 24:13 may suggest that it was a common phrase, a reminder that YHWH is the One Who heals them (Exodus 15:26)
The fact that Tobias (the Ammonite) is mentioned separately from the Ammonites would appear to be against the suggestion that he was governor over the Ammonites, although he may well have had influence among them. Thus the Ammonites and the Ashdodites were ‘new’ enemies. It is worthwhile considering the strength of the opposition:
o Sanballat, with his deputy Tobias, would appear to have been governor and deputy governor over Samaria, to the north.
o The Arabians, headed by their paramount chieftain Geshem (see on Nehemiah 2:19) would be to the east and south, and would be a formidable foe. They probably included the Idumaeans/Edomites now settled in southern Judah.
o The Ammonites were to the east of Judah. That Tobias, although an Ammonite, was not their governor is suggested by the order given for the adversaries, but he would almost certainly have had influence among them. They were a fierce, only half civilised tribal nation. Members of a Tobiad family (who may not, however, have been related to Tobias) were certainly governors of Ammon in later centuries.
o The Ashdodites represented the peoples to the west, for Ashdod was the name of the Persian province (taken over from the Assyrians) which included the whole of former Philistia.
‘And they conspired all of them together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion in it.’
The different groups described conspired together to send bands of armed men against Jerusalem in order to cause confusion among the builders (Nehemiah 4:8), and kill some of them (Nehemiah 4:11), thus hoping to disillusion them and bring about a cessation of their labours. These were apparently to be lightning strikes, totally unexpected by the builders, and taking them by surprise. What was planned was thus not an invasion or war against Judah in the normal sense (something which the Persian overall authorities would not have permitted) but a series of incursions only against Jerusalem, causing destruction and death, something which was intended to prevent the walls being built. That this was so comes out in the fact that Nehemiah’s response in defending Jerusalem succeeded. Judah could hardly have resisted an all out war conducted and coordinated by their neighbours on all sides. The whole emphasis of both sides was on Jerusalem alone.
Even so Sanballat would know that he could be called to account by the Satrap over Beyond the River for his actions. Thus he must have reasoned, 1) that he could suggest that much of it was the work of brigands who were difficult to control, and/or 2) that as regards his own activities he could point to the previous instruction from Artaxerxes calling on him to enforce the cessation of the building of the walls (Ezra 4:22-23), no further decree to allow the building of the walls having been received by him, and that he was thus acting in accordance with instructions, and/or 3) that he could count on the matter not being treated too seriously, being dismissed as simply resulting from local feuds, or indeed a combination of all three. These arguments would depend on the attacks not seeming to be too coordinated or too severe.
On the other hand he would count on the fact that many of the Jews would be aware of what had happened previously when the Persian authorities had come down hard on them for seeking to rebuild the walls (Ezra 4:22-23), and might therefore easily capitulate. And on the fact that they would not want to see extra problems arising for their families as a result of their activities, for the passing through a country of invading bands inevitably left a trail of destruction behind them, especially when their aim was punitive. Indeed had Nehemiah not been there, with his supreme confidence in his own position, their adversaries might well have succeeded. But Nehemiah knew that there were limits on how far their adversaries would dare to go, and was clearly confident therefore that his defensive measures would, with the help of God, succeed.
‘But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.’
Nehemiah’s response was to pray to God and set a twenty four hour watch. There is the important lesson here that faith and practicality must go hand in hand. In Jesus’ words, we must ‘not put to test the Lord our God’ (Matthew 4:7). Without God’s help the watch may well not have succeeded. But to have relied on God without setting a watch would have been to wrongly put God to the test.
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