Nehemiah 2
2:1 a never ... sad in his presence: A servant was not to let his personal life interfere with serving the king.2:2 b Nehemiah was terrified because he had let his sadness show, and he did not know how the king would respond if he told him the reason for his sorrow (King Artaxerxes had previously ordered that Jerusalem not be rebuilt, Ezra 4:21-22 c). Nehemiah was not putting on an act; his deep mourning showed despite his best efforts to conceal it.
2:3 d Nehemiah affirmed his loyalty with the customary long live the king (cp. Dan 2:4 e), yet he did not deny his sadness.
2:4 f With a prayer: The king was subject to the God of heaven, and Nehemiah needed God’s guidance and provision as he made his request.
2:5 g send me to Judah to rebuild the city: Artaxerxes’ openness to this proposal seems surprising in light of Jerusalem’s history of rebellions against Persia (Ezra 4:17-23 h). The king might have viewed Nehemiah’s plan as a way to solidify his own control over a troubled area of his empire.
2:6 i How long will you be gone? (see 5:14 j): Nehemiah probably requested a short period of time initially, later asking for an extension.
2:8 k Temple fortress might refer to the Tower of Hananel or the Tower of the Hundred.
• the gracious hand of God was on me: Nehemiah knew that the king granted these requests because God was sovereignly guiding the king to do so.
2:9 l Because Nehemiah was a government official, he had an armed escort of officers and horsemen for his trip to Jerusalem (cp. Ezra 8:22 m).
2:10 n Some of the local, non-Jewish officials were very displeased because rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem would change the balance of political power in favor of the Jews.
• Sanballat was the main leader of opposition to Nehemiah’s rebuilding efforts.
• the Horonite: He was probably from Upper or Lower Horon (Beth-horon, Josh 16:3 o), approximately 12 miles (19 kilometers) northwest of Jerusalem. Sanballat’s name might indicate that he was a descendant of the Assyrian people imported by Sargon II after the fall of Samaria (2 Kgs 17:24 p). A document discovered in Egypt indicates that he eventually became governor of Samaria in 408 BC.
Summary for Neh 2:12-15: 2:12-15 q Nehemiah needed firsthand knowledge of the condition of the walls to present credible plans for their reconstruction and to rally the labor he would need. He conducted his survey secretly after dark to avoid detection by his opponents. His inspection covered only the southern part of the city.
2:13 r Jackal’s Well might have been En-rogel, a water source located about 400 yards [365 meters] south of the city, or the pool of Siloam, which is filled by water flowing through Hezekiah’s meandering, serpentine tunnel.
• The Dung Gate (called the “Gate of Broken Pots” in Jer 19:2 s) at the southern end of the western wall (see Neh 3:13 t) led to the Hinnom Valley, where inhabitants of the city threw their garbage.
2:14 u The King’s Pool was either the pool of Siloam or another pool southeast of the city; both were created from the overflow of the Gihon Spring (see 2 Kgs 20:20 v).
Summary for Neh 2:16-17: 2:16-17 w Nehemiah kept his inspection and rebuilding plans secret from both the Persian and Jewish leaders to prevent opposition from being organized. But now Nehemiah was effectively positioned to lead the rebuilding effort.
• what trouble we are in: The broken walls brought disgrace on the city and reflected negatively on God; Jerusalem certainly did not look like the “city of the great King” (Ps 48:2 x).
2:18 y Evidence of God’s clear involvement (2:8 z) is a strong motivator in any project. Nehemiah had God’s guidance, the king’s permission, the necessary letters to procure lumber, and a plan to lead the project. So the people enthusiastically agreed to begin working.
2:19 aa Nehemiah’s enemies immediately scoffed and tried to stop progress. These opponents were dangerous because of their potential ability to discourage the people and undermine Nehemiah’s credibility.
• Are you rebelling against the king? This serious charge could bring death (see also Ezra 4:6-23 ab).
2:20 ac The title God of heaven communicated to Persian audiences that Israel’s true God was not a minor local deity. Nehemiah remained focused on obeying his sovereign by building the walls.
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