Nehemiah 2 Study Notes: Nehemiah Returns to Rebuild the Wall
King Artaxerxes notices Nehemiah’s sorrow, and after a quick prayer Nehemiah asks to go rebuild Jerusalem; by God’s kind hand the king grants letters and timber. Nehemiah inspects the ruins by night, rallies the leaders, and answers the scorn of Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem by declaring God will prosper the work.
General
When Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem mocked the builders, what did they accuse them of (Nehemiah 2:19)?
Answer: That they were plotting a revolt against the king
Now a third opponent appears: Geshem the Arab joins Sanballat and Tobiah. They laughed at the Jews and scorned them, asking what they thought they were doing and whether they were rising up against the king (2:19). This was a serious charge in the Persian empire, and it was false, since Nehemiah had the king’s own letters. The same kind of accusation had once been used to stop the work on Jerusalem (Ezra 4:12-13), and it would be raised against Nehemiah again later (6:6-7).
- Nehemiah 2:19 (BSB)“But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked us and ridiculed us, saying, “What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?””Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem respond to the start of the work with mockery and an accusation.
- Ezra 4:12-13 (BSB)“Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came from you to us have returned to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring its walls and repairing its foundations. Let it now be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, they will not pay tribute, duty, or toll, and the royal treasury will suffer.”Earlier opponents had written to the king calling Jerusalem rebellious to halt its rebuilding.
- Nehemiah 6:6-7 (BSB)“that read: “It is reported among the nations—and Geshem agrees—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and this is why you are building the wall. According to these reports, you are to become their king, and you have even appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim on your behalf: ‘There is a king in Judah.’ Soon these rumors will reach the ears of the king. So come, let us confer together.””Later, a letter repeats the claim that Nehemiah was building the wall in order to revolt.
Theological
What charge did Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem bring against the builders as they mocked them (Nehemiah 2:19)?
Answer: That they were plotting a revolt against the king
With Geshem the Arab now joining Sanballat and Tobiah, the opponents add scorn to suspicion: they deride the builders and insinuate that the work is rebellion against the king (2:19). The charge is baseless, since Nehemiah holds royal authorization, but it was a proven tactic, earlier used to halt the rebuilding of the city (Ezra 4:12-13) and later revived in the open letter alleging a plot to revolt (6:6-7).
- Nehemiah 2:19 (BSB)“But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked us and ridiculed us, saying, “What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?””Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem respond to the start of the work with mockery and an accusation.
- Ezra 4:12-13 (BSB)“Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came from you to us have returned to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring its walls and repairing its foundations. Let it now be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, they will not pay tribute, duty, or toll, and the royal treasury will suffer.”Earlier opponents had written to the king calling Jerusalem rebellious to halt its rebuilding.
- Nehemiah 6:6-7 (BSB)“that read: “It is reported among the nations—and Geshem agrees—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and this is why you are building the wall. According to these reports, you are to become their king, and you have even appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim on your behalf: ‘There is a king in Judah.’ Soon these rumors will reach the ears of the king. So come, let us confer together.””Later, a letter repeats the claim that Nehemiah was building the wall in order to revolt.
General
How did Nehemiah answer the mocking charge of Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem (Nehemiah 2:20)?
Answer: He said God would prosper the work and they had no part in it
Nehemiah did not argue his case by pointing to the king’s letters. He answered that the God of heaven Himself would give them success, that they, His servants, would build, and that the mockers had no share, rights or claim in the city (2:20). His confidence rested on God, not on royal backing. Any building succeeds only if the LORD builds (Psalm 127:1), and when God is for His people, no one can stand against them (Romans 8:31). The end of the story bore this out: even the enemies realized the wall had been finished by God (6:16).
- Nehemiah 2:20 (BSB)“So I answered them and said, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start rebuilding, but you have no portion, right, or claim in Jerusalem.””Nehemiah answers the mockers by pointing to God and refusing them any share in Jerusalem.
- Psalm 127:1 (BSB)“A song of ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.”The success of any building depends on the LORD, not on the builders alone.
- Romans 8:31 (BSB)“What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”If God is for His people, no opponent can prevail against them.
- Nehemiah 6:16 (BSB)“When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and disheartened, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God.”When the wall was finished, the enemies recognized the work had been done by God.
Theological
What was Nehemiah’s reply to the mockery and accusation of his opponents (Nehemiah 2:20)?
Answer: He said God would prosper the work and they had no part in it
Nehemiah’s reply grounds the enterprise not in Artaxerxes’ decree but in God: the God of heaven will prosper the work, His servants will build, and the opponents have no share, standing or stake in Jerusalem (2:20). The confidence is theological, not political. The outcome depends on the LORD (Psalm 127:1), and God’s being for His people renders opposition futile (Romans 8:31). The narrative later confirms it when the surrounding nations recognize that the completed wall was God’s work (6:16).
- Nehemiah 2:20 (BSB)“So I answered them and said, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start rebuilding, but you have no portion, right, or claim in Jerusalem.””Nehemiah answers the mockers by pointing to God and refusing them any share in Jerusalem.
- Psalm 127:1 (BSB)“A song of ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.”The success of any building depends on the LORD, not on the builders alone.
- Romans 8:31 (BSB)“What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”If God is for His people, no opponent can prevail against them.
- Nehemiah 6:16 (BSB)“When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and disheartened, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God.”When the wall was finished, the enemies recognized the work had been done by God.
General
Nehemiah asked for letters of safe passage and for timber. Why does he say the king granted his requests (Nehemiah 2:7-8)?
Answer: Because the kind hand of Nehemiah’s God rested on him
Nehemiah asked for letters to the regional governors along his route so he could travel safely, and a written order to Asaph, who kept the king’s forest, for timber for the temple fortress gates, the wall and his own house (2:7-8). The king granted everything, and Nehemiah gives the reason plainly: God’s gracious hand rested on him (2:8). The king made a real decision, yet God was the one directing it, for the LORD steers a king’s heart as He pleases (Proverbs 21:1). The same was said of Ezra, whose requests the king also granted because God’s hand rested on him (Ezra 7:6, 27-28).
- Nehemiah 2:7-8 (BSB)“I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may letters be given to me for the governors west of the Euphrates, so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah. And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I will occupy.” And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.”Nehemiah asks for letters of safe passage and timber, and explains why the king granted them.
- Proverbs 21:1 (BSB)“The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.”The LORD directs the heart of a king wherever He pleases.
- Ezra 7:6 (BSB)“this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.”The king had granted Ezra all his requests for the same reason: the hand of the LORD was upon him.
- Ezra 7:27-28 (BSB)“Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put into the heart of the king to so honor the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, and who has shown me favor before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful officials. And because the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, I took courage and gathered the leaders of Israel to return with me.”Ezra praised God for putting it into the king’s heart to honor His house and for showing him favor.
Theological
To what does Nehemiah attribute the king’s granting of his requests for letters and timber (Nehemiah 2:7-8)?
Answer: Because the kind hand of Nehemiah’s God rested on him
Nehemiah asks for letters to the provincial governors beyond the Euphrates for safe conduct and an order to Asaph, who oversaw the royal forest, for timber to frame the temple fortress gates, the wall and his residence (2:7-8). He attributes the king’s favorable answer to his God’s gracious hand upon him (2:8). Artaxerxes acts freely, yet God sovereignly directs his heart (Proverbs 21:1), the same explanation given for the favor shown to Ezra (Ezra 7:6, 27-28). Human decision and divine providence work together without contradiction.
- Nehemiah 2:7-8 (BSB)“I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may letters be given to me for the governors west of the Euphrates, so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah. And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I will occupy.” And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.”Nehemiah asks for letters of safe passage and timber, and explains why the king granted them.
- Proverbs 21:1 (BSB)“The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.”The LORD directs the heart of a king wherever He pleases.
- Ezra 7:6 (BSB)“this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.”The king had granted Ezra all his requests for the same reason: the hand of the LORD was upon him.
- Ezra 7:27-28 (BSB)“Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put into the heart of the king to so honor the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, and who has shown me favor before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful officials. And because the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, I took courage and gathered the leaders of Israel to return with me.”Ezra praised God for putting it into the king’s heart to honor His house and for showing him favor.
General
When King Artaxerxes asked why his face was sad, what reason did Nehemiah give (Nehemiah 2:1-3)?
Answer: The city of his ancestors’ graves was ruined and burned
Months after hearing the news (compare Chislev in 1:1 with Nisan in 2:1), Nehemiah was serving wine to King Artaxerxes. He had never looked sad before the king, and the king saw that this was not illness but sorrow of heart (2:1-2). Nehemiah was badly frightened, yet he answered honestly: how could he help being sad while the city of his ancestors’ graves lay in ruins with its gates burned (2:3)? This was the same news Hanani had brought (1:3). Nehemiah shared the love for Jerusalem expressed in the psalms (Psalm 137:5-6; Psalm 102:13-14).
- Nehemiah 2:1-3 (BSB)“Now in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence, so the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, though you are not ill? This could only be sadness of the heart.” I was overwhelmed with fear and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?””The king notices Nehemiah’s sad face, and Nehemiah, though afraid, explains the reason.
- Nehemiah 1:3 (BSB)“And they told me, “The remnant who survived the exile are there in the province, in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.””The sorrow traces back to the report Nehemiah had received months earlier.
- Psalm 137:5-6 (BSB)“If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand cease to function. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not exalt Jerusalem as my greatest joy!”A psalm written in exile expresses the same refusal to forget Jerusalem.
- Psalm 102:13-14 (BSB)“You will rise up and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show her favor—the appointed time has come. For Your servants delight in her stones and take pity on her dust.”God’s servants are said to cherish even the stones and dust of ruined Zion.
Theological
What explanation did Nehemiah give Artaxerxes for his sadness (Nehemiah 2:1-3)?
Answer: The city of his ancestors’ graves was ruined and burned
Some months after Hanani’s report (Chislev, 1:1; Nisan, 2:1), the king perceives that Nehemiah’s downcast face reflects sorrow of heart, not sickness (2:1-2). Though gripped by fear, Nehemiah answers with a courteous wish for the king’s life and an honest explanation: the city of his fathers’ graves is desolate and its gates consumed by fire (2:3), the very condition reported in 1:3. His grief reflects the devotion to Zion voiced in the psalms (Psalm 137:5-6; Psalm 102:13-14).
- Nehemiah 2:1-3 (BSB)“Now in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence, so the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, though you are not ill? This could only be sadness of the heart.” I was overwhelmed with fear and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?””The king notices Nehemiah’s sad face, and Nehemiah, though afraid, explains the reason.
- Nehemiah 1:3 (BSB)“And they told me, “The remnant who survived the exile are there in the province, in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.””The sorrow traces back to the report Nehemiah had received months earlier.
- Psalm 137:5-6 (BSB)“If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand cease to function. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not exalt Jerusalem as my greatest joy!”A psalm written in exile expresses the same refusal to forget Jerusalem.
- Psalm 102:13-14 (BSB)“You will rise up and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show her favor—the appointed time has come. For Your servants delight in her stones and take pity on her dust.”God’s servants are said to cherish even the stones and dust of ruined Zion.
General
When Nehemiah called the leaders to rebuild the wall, what did he tell them that moved them to agree (Nehemiah 2:17-18)?
Answer: He told them of God’s kind hand on him and the king’s words
Nehemiah spoke to the Jews and their leaders and pointed to the trouble they were in: Jerusalem lay in ruins, and as long as it stayed that way they were a disgrace (2:17). He called them to rebuild together. Then he told them how God’s gracious hand had rested on him and about the king’s words to him (2:18). Hearing of God’s help and the king’s backing, they committed themselves to the work and began this good task (2:18). The people would go on to work with all their heart (4:6). Their labor would count only because the LORD was building with them (Psalm 127:1), just as He had once moved a king to support their rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 6:22).
- Nehemiah 2:17-18 (BSB)“Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned down. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me, and what the king had said to me. “Let us start rebuilding,” they replied, and they set their hands to this good work.”Nehemiah calls the leaders to rebuild, and they respond by committing to the work.
- Nehemiah 4:6 (BSB)“So we rebuilt the wall until all of it was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.”The wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
- Psalm 127:1 (BSB)“A song of ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.”Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.
- Ezra 6:22 (BSB)“For seven days they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy, because the LORD had made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen their hands in the work on the house of the God of Israel.”God had earlier turned a king’s heart to strengthen His people’s hands in rebuilding.
Theological
What did Nehemiah report to the leaders that led them to commit to the rebuilding (Nehemiah 2:17-18)?
Answer: He told them of God’s kind hand on him and the king’s words
Nehemiah confronts the leaders with their shared distress, the ruined city and its burned gates, and calls them to rebuild so that their reproach will end (2:17). His encouragement rests on two facts: God’s gracious hand upon him and the king’s words (2:18). The people respond by resolving to build and taking up the task (2:18), a resolve later seen in their wholehearted labor (4:6). Divine favor and the king’s authorization go together, as when God turned a king’s heart to strengthen the temple builders (Ezra 6:22); all such labor depends on the LORD who builds (Psalm 127:1).
- Nehemiah 2:17-18 (BSB)“Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned down. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me, and what the king had said to me. “Let us start rebuilding,” they replied, and they set their hands to this good work.”Nehemiah calls the leaders to rebuild, and they respond by committing to the work.
- Nehemiah 4:6 (BSB)“So we rebuilt the wall until all of it was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.”The wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
- Psalm 127:1 (BSB)“A song of ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.”Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.
- Ezra 6:22 (BSB)“For seven days they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy, because the LORD had made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen their hands in the work on the house of the God of Israel.”God had earlier turned a king’s heart to strengthen His people’s hands in rebuilding.
General
As Nehemiah inspected the ruined walls by night, what does he say about the plan he carried (Nehemiah 2:12-16)?
Answer: That he had kept to himself the plan God put in his heart
Three days after reaching Jerusalem, Nehemiah went out after dark with a small group and only the animal he rode, circling from the Valley Gate past the ruined walls and burned gates until the way was too narrow to pass (2:11-15). He had told no one the plan his God had put in his heart for Jerusalem (2:12), and the officials, priests, nobles and workers had no idea where he had gone (2:16). Nehemiah calls the plan something God placed in his heart, just as God had stirred the spirits of the first returning exiles (Ezra 1:5). God gives His people both the desire and the ability to do His will (Philippians 2:13), and He guides the steps of those who plan (Proverbs 16:9).
- Nehemiah 2:12 (BSB)“I set out at night with a few men. I did not tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal with me was the one on which I was riding.”Nehemiah goes out at night with a few men, keeping his plan to himself.
- Nehemiah 2:16 (BSB)“The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews or priests or nobles or officials or any other workers.”The officials did not know what he was doing, for he had told no one yet.
- Ezra 1:5 (BSB)“So the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites—everyone whose spirit God had stirred—prepared to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.”God had earlier stirred the spirits of those who returned to rebuild the house of the LORD.
- Philippians 2:13 (BSB)“For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.”God works in His people both the desire and the doing of His good purpose.
- Proverbs 16:9 (BSB)“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”A man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
Theological
What does Nehemiah say about the purpose he carried during his secret night inspection (Nehemiah 2:12-16)?
Answer: That he had kept to himself the plan God put in his heart
After three days in Jerusalem, Nehemiah surveys the broken walls and burned gates by night with a small party, going out and returning by the Valley Gate (2:11-15). He has disclosed to no one the purpose his God had put into his heart for the city (2:12); even the officials, priests and nobles are unaware (2:16). He describes the undertaking as divinely prompted, as Ezra 1:5 describes the stirring of the first returnees. God works in His people both the desire and the doing (Philippians 2:13), while His providence governs the steps of those who plan (Proverbs 16:9).
- Nehemiah 2:12 (BSB)“I set out at night with a few men. I did not tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal with me was the one on which I was riding.”Nehemiah goes out at night with a few men, keeping his plan to himself.
- Nehemiah 2:16 (BSB)“The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews or priests or nobles or officials or any other workers.”The officials did not know what he was doing, for he had told no one yet.
- Ezra 1:5 (BSB)“So the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites—everyone whose spirit God had stirred—prepared to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.”God had earlier stirred the spirits of those who returned to rebuild the house of the LORD.
- Philippians 2:13 (BSB)“For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.”God works in His people both the desire and the doing of His good purpose.
- Proverbs 16:9 (BSB)“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”A man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
General
When the king asked what he wanted, what did Nehemiah do before he answered (Nehemiah 2:4-5)?
Answer: He prayed to God first, and only then replied
The king asked what Nehemiah wanted, and before replying Nehemiah turned to God in prayer (2:4). The prayer came between the king’s question and his own answer. Then he asked to be sent to Judah to rebuild the city (2:5). That prayer followed the days of fasting and prayer he had already spent asking God for success before the king (1:11). Scripture calls believers to pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and to bring every request to God (Philippians 4:6), whether over many days or in the middle of a conversation like this one.
- Nehemiah 2:4-5 (BSB)““What is your request?” replied the king. So I prayed to the God of heaven and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city where my fathers are buried, so that I may rebuild it.””Between the king’s question and his own reply, Nehemiah prays and then makes his request.
- Nehemiah 1:11 (BSB)“O Lord, may Your ear be attentive to my prayer and to the prayers of Your servants who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” (At that time I was the cupbearer to the king.)”This prayer follows days of earlier prayer for success before the king.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (BSB)“Pray without ceasing.”Believers are called to pray without ceasing, turning to God in every circumstance.
- Philippians 4:6 (BSB)“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”Every request, even an urgent one, may be brought to God in prayer.
Theological
What did Nehemiah do between the king’s question about his request and his reply (Nehemiah 2:4-5)?
Answer: He prayed to God first, and only then replied
Asked directly for his request, Nehemiah first prayed to God and only then answered the king (2:4-5). The prayer is set within the royal audience itself, and it follows the earlier days of fasting and prayer for mercy before this very man (1:11). The pattern shows dependence on God in the decisive moment, the habit of unceasing prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and of bringing every petition to God (Philippians 4:6).
- Nehemiah 2:4-5 (BSB)““What is your request?” replied the king. So I prayed to the God of heaven and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city where my fathers are buried, so that I may rebuild it.””Between the king’s question and his own reply, Nehemiah prays and then makes his request.
- Nehemiah 1:11 (BSB)“O Lord, may Your ear be attentive to my prayer and to the prayers of Your servants who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” (At that time I was the cupbearer to the king.)”This prayer follows days of earlier prayer for success before the king.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (BSB)“Pray without ceasing.”Believers are called to pray without ceasing, turning to God in every circumstance.
- Philippians 4:6 (BSB)“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”Every request, even an urgent one, may be brought to God in prayer.
General
True or False: Nehemiah requested to be sent to Judah so that he could rebuild the city, and the king agreed to send him, with Nehemiah setting a time.
Answer: True
This is true. Nehemiah asked respectfully to be sent to Judah so that he could rebuild the city of his ancestors’ graves (2:5). With the queen sitting beside him, the king asked how long the journey would take and when Nehemiah would come back. The king agreed to send him, and Nehemiah gave him a time (2:6). The prayer for mercy before the king (1:11) was being answered, just as Ezra had thanked God for showing His people favor before Persia’s rulers (Ezra 9:9).
- Nehemiah 2:5-6 (BSB)“and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city where my fathers are buried, so that I may rebuild it.” Then the king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I set a time.”Nehemiah asks to be sent to rebuild the city, and the king agrees once a time is set.
- Nehemiah 1:11 (BSB)“O Lord, may Your ear be attentive to my prayer and to the prayers of Your servants who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” (At that time I was the cupbearer to the king.)”Nehemiah had prayed that God would grant him mercy before the king.
- Ezra 9:9 (BSB)“Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but He has extended to us grace in the sight of the kings of Persia, giving us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and giving us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.”Ezra had thanked God for extending grace to His people in the sight of the kings of Persia.
Theological
True or False: Nehemiah requested to be sent to Judah to rebuild the city, and Artaxerxes consented to send him, with Nehemiah setting a time for the journey.
Answer: True
This is true. Nehemiah respectfully asks to be sent to Judah to rebuild the city of his fathers’ tombs (2:5). Artaxerxes, the queen at his side, asks about the length of the journey and the time of return, and is pleased to send him, and Nehemiah sets a time (2:6). The petition for mercy before this man (1:11) is answered, another instance of the grace God extended to His people before the Persian kings (Ezra 9:9).
- Nehemiah 2:5-6 (BSB)“and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city where my fathers are buried, so that I may rebuild it.” Then the king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I set a time.”Nehemiah asks to be sent to rebuild the city, and the king agrees once a time is set.
- Nehemiah 1:11 (BSB)“O Lord, may Your ear be attentive to my prayer and to the prayers of Your servants who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” (At that time I was the cupbearer to the king.)”Nehemiah had prayed that God would grant him mercy before the king.
- Ezra 9:9 (BSB)“Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but He has extended to us grace in the sight of the kings of Persia, giving us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and giving us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.”Ezra had thanked God for extending grace to His people in the sight of the kings of Persia.
General
What does the text say troubled Sanballat and Tobiah when Nehemiah arrived with the king’s letters (Nehemiah 2:10)?
Answer: That a man had arrived to work for Israel’s good
When Nehemiah delivered the king’s letters, he came with army officers and horsemen the king had sent (2:9). Sanballat, a Horonite, and Tobiah, an Ammonite official, were greatly upset by one thing: a man had arrived to work for the welfare of the Israelites (2:10). Their displeasure soon grew into open mockery of the builders (4:1-3), much as earlier opponents had tried to frighten Judah’s builders into stopping (Ezra 4:4).
- Nehemiah 2:10 (BSB)“But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were deeply disturbed that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites.”Sanballat and Tobiah react to Nehemiah’s arrival with the king’s letters.
- Nehemiah 4:1-3 (BSB)“Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious and filled with indignation. He ridiculed the Jews before his associates and the army of Samaria, saying, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Can they restore the wall by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?” Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “If even a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!””Their displeasure soon turned to open ridicule of the builders.
- Ezra 4:4 (BSB)“Then the people of the land set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to build.”Earlier opponents had likewise tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah from building.
Theological
According to Nehemiah 2:10, what disturbed Sanballat and Tobiah about Nehemiah’s arrival?
Answer: That a man had arrived to work for Israel’s good
Nehemiah arrives with the king’s letters and a royal escort of officers and cavalry (2:9). Sanballat, a Horonite, and Tobiah, an Ammonite official, are deeply displeased that a man has arrived to pursue the welfare of the Israelites (2:10). The opposition is introduced here and develops into ridicule (4:1-3), continuing the pattern of local resistance that had earlier sought to discourage and frighten Judah’s builders (Ezra 4:4).
- Nehemiah 2:10 (BSB)“But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were deeply disturbed that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites.”Sanballat and Tobiah react to Nehemiah’s arrival with the king’s letters.
- Nehemiah 4:1-3 (BSB)“Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious and filled with indignation. He ridiculed the Jews before his associates and the army of Samaria, saying, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Can they restore the wall by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?” Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “If even a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!””Their displeasure soon turned to open ridicule of the builders.
- Ezra 4:4 (BSB)“Then the people of the land set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to build.”Earlier opponents had likewise tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah from building.