2:8 and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest. Lumber was a very precious commodity. This is illustrated in a document from one ancient city in Mesopotamia in which a forest official is taken to court for cutting down a tree. Forests were carefully guarded, and written permission from the king would assure Nehemiah of the lumber he would need to build the citadel, wall reinforcements, and his own residence from which he would administrate the reconstruction. citadel. This edifice located next to the temple on the NW side was a fortified building for the purpose of guarding the temple. It was subsequently rebuilt by Herod and named Antonia. the good hand of my God upon me. This refrain is common to both Ezra and Nehemiah. It is a frequent reminder in these inspired books that God works through His servants to accomplish His will (cf. Ezra 1:5; 7:6).
2:9—3:1 The journey from Persia to Jerusalem and the preparation period was to be 3–4 months (cf. 2:1 with 6:15).
2:9 I went to the governors. Nehemiah’s encroachment upon their provincial control posed a tremendous threat to these officials. If handled improperly, disregard for the other local officials would have put Nehemiah’s life and the lives of those in Jerusalem in jeopardy. To prevent such a reaction, God had moved the Persian king to dispatch royal army captains and horsemen to accompany Nehemiah and to guard against such attacks.
2:10 Sanballat…Tobiah. These men were probably also behind the opposition described in Ezra 4:7–23 which stopped the work in Jerusalem. Sanballat served as governor of Samaria (Horonaim being a town in Moab, he was probably a Moabite) and Tobiah of the region E of the Jordan. These district magistrates were leaders of Samaritan factions (see chap. 6) to the N and E. They had lost any recourse to prevent Judah from rebuilding since God’s people were authorized to fortify their settlement against attack from enemies such as these two officials. To overtly attack or oppose the Jews would be to oppose the Persian king.
2:11–16 Nehemiah spent 3 days discerning what course to follow before informing anyone of his plan; then, he wisely viewed the terrain in secret and surveyed the southern end of the city, noting the broken and burnt conditions of the walls and gates.
2:13, 15 Valley Gate. Nehemiah began and ended his trip at the same spot (cf. 3:13) on the W side.
2:13 Serpent Well. The exact location is unknown, although it is somewhere in the southern section of Jerusalem. Refuse Gate. A.k.a. Dung Gate. At the southern tip of the city (cf. 3:13; 12:31) a common sewer ran to the Kidron Brook into the Valley of Hinnom.
2:14 Fountain Gate. The exact location is unknown, although it was somewhere in the southern section of Jerusalem, probably on the E side. King’s Pool. Possibly the pool of Siloam (cf. 3:15).
2:15 the valley. The Kidron Valley, running N and S to the E of the temple mount.
Neh. 2:16
Jerusalem in Nehemiah’s Day
2:17 we may no longer be a reproach. The destruction of the city by Nebuchadnezzar brought great reproach upon Israel, but particularly upon their God. Nehemiah assured the Jews (v. 20) that because God would prosper them in this endeavor for His glory, they should move ahead.
2:18 The sight of Nehemiah’s credentials and his motivating message revived their drooping spirits to begin the building despite the bitter taunts of influential men (vv. 19, 20).
2:19 Sanballat…Tobiah. See note on 2:10. Geshem the Arab. This ruler most likely officiated to the S of Jerusalem.
2:20 God of heaven. Cf. Neh. 1:5 and see note on Ezra 1:2. Not only did Nehemiah have the king’s permission and was not rebelling, but he had God’s protection. Those enemies who tried to intimidate against the work had neither, since they were not commissioned by God or the king.
Nehemiah 3
3:1—7:3 A detailed account of rebuilding the wall is given.
3:1 Eliashib the high priest. The grandson of Jeshua the High-Priest in Zerubbabel’s era (cf. Neh. 12:10). built. On the fourth of Ab, (Jul./Aug.) 445 B.C. (cf. 6:15). Sheep Gate. This is located in the NE section of Jerusalem (cf. 3:32; 12:39). The narrative moves around the perimeter of Jerusalem in a counterclockwise direction. Tower of the Hundred…Tower of Hananel. This northern section of Jerusalem opened up to the central Benjamin plateau where enemy forces could attack most easily from the N. The rest of the perimeter of the city was protected by the natural valley topography.
3:3 Fish Gate. So named because merchants sold fish on the northern side of Jerusalem. Men of Tyre and other coastal towns routinely brought fish to sell (cf. 12:39; 13:16).
3:5 nobles did not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord. One explanation, beyond just the laziness of the rich, is that these nobles had been pledged to Tobiah for personal gain (6:17–19).
3:6 the Old Gate. Believed to be in the NW corner of Jerusalem (cf. 12:39).
3:8 the Broad Wall. On the western side of the northern sector (cf. 12:38).
Neh. 3:10
Seven Attempts to Stop Nehemiah’s Work
1. 2:19 Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem mocked Nehemiah.
2. 4:1–3 Sanballat and Tobiah mocked Nehemiah.
3. 4:7–23 The enemy threatened a military attack.
4. 6:1–4 Sanballat and Geshem attempted to lure Nehemiah outside of Jerusalem to Ono.
5. 6:5–9 Sanballat threatened Nehemiah with false charges.
6. 6:10–14 Shemaiah, Noadiah, and others were paid to prophesy falsely and discredit Nehemiah.
7. 6:17–19 Tobiah had spies in Jerusalem and wrote Nehemiah letters in order to frighten him.
3:11 Tower of the Ovens. On the western side of Jerusalem (cf. 12:38).
3:13 the Valley Gate. See note on 2:13, 15. the Refuse Gate. See note on 2:13.
3:15 Pool of Shelah. See note on 2:14. the King’s Garden. In the SE sector.
3:16 tombs of David. Cf. 2:5. Presumably in the SE sector. House of the Mighty. This location is probably associated with David’s mighty men (cf. 2 Sam. 23:8–39).
3:19 the Armory. Located on the eastern side of Jerusalem.
3:26 Ophel. An area S of the temple mount, near the Water Gate, where the Nethinim lived (cf. 2 Chr. 27:3; 33:14; Neh. 11:21). the Water Gate. Near the Gihon Spring on the E side of Jerusalem (cf. 8:16; 12:37).
3:28 the Horse Gate. In the NE sector.
3:29 the East Gate. Possibly located to the E of the temple mount.
3:31 the Miphkad Gate. In the NE sector.
3:32 the Sheep Gate. Having traveled around Jerusalem in a counterclockwise direction, the narrative ends where it began (cf. 3:1; 12:39).
Nehemiah 4
4:1–23 This section describes the intimidation and opposition to the project.
4:2 the army of Samaria. While it is a possibility that his intentions were to provoke the military force to action, since that would have brought the Persian overlord down on Samaria swiftly, harassment and mockery (v. 3) became the primary strategy to prevent the reconstruction of the walls.
4:4, 5 Nehemiah’s dependence on his sovereign God is never more evident than in his prayer (cf. 1:5–11; 2:4).
4:7, 8 the Ashdodites. Added to the list of enemies already given are the dwellers of Ashdod, one of the former Philistine cities to the W of Jerusalem. Apparently they came to the point where they were at least contemplating a full-scale attack on Jerusalem because of the rapid progress of the wall.
4:9 The Jews exhibited a balance between faith in God and readiness, employing some of the wall builders as guards.
4:10 so much rubbish. Lit. “dust,” the term refers to the rubble or ruins of the prior destruction (586 B.C.), which they had to clear away before they could make significant progress on the rebuilding of the walls.
4:11, 12 Part of the strategy of the enemy coalition was to frighten and intimidate the Jews by making them think their army would soon surprise them with a massive force that would quickly engulf them.
4:13–15 positioned men. Nehemiah and the others had received word that Sanballat had mustered the army of Samaria (4:2). In fact, God made sure the strategy was kn
own by letting the nearby Jews know, so they would report it to Judah’s leaders. Though vigilant, armed, and ready, Nehemiah and those he led consistently gave God the glory for their victories and construction successes.
4:16–18a The threats cut the work force in half, and even those who worked carried weapons in case of attack (cf. v. 21).
4:18b–20 trumpet. Among other functions, trumpets were used to sound an alarm in the event of danger or to summon soldiers to battle. Nehemiah kept a trumpeter at his side always, so that the alarm could be sounded immediately. His plan also included perpetual diligence (vv. 22, 23).
Nehemiah 5
5:1–13 Enemy opposition and difficult times in general had precipitated economic conditions which had a devastating effect on Judah’s fragile life. The effect of this extortion on the morale of the returnees was worse than the enemy opposition.
5:1–5 Jewish brethren. Perhaps this refers again to the nobles who would not work and had alliances with the enemies (see note on 3:5). The people were fatigued with hard labor, drained by the relentless harassment of enemies, poor and lacking the necessities of life, lacking tax money and borrowing for it, and working on the wall in the city rather than getting food from the country. On top of this came complaints against the terrible exploitation and extortion by the rich Jews who would not help, but forced people to sell their homes and children, while having no ability to redeem them back. Under normal conditions, the law offered the hope of releasing these young people through the remission of debts which occurred every 7 years or in the 50th year of Jubilee (Lev. 25). The custom of redemption made it possible to “buy back” the enslaved individual at almost any time, but the desperate financial situation of those times made that appear impossible.
5:7 I rebuked the nobles and rulers. The commitment of the nobles and rulers to the reconstruction project was negligible (cf. 3:5), while their loyalty to Tobiah and others in opposition added to their opportunistic attitudes, placing them close to the status of opposition. They had become the enemy from within. exacting usury. Usury can refer to normal interest or it can signify excessive interest. According to Mosaic law, the Jews were forbidden to take interest from their brothers on the loan of money, food, or anything else. If the person was destitute, they should consider it a gift. If they could pay it back later, it was to be without interest (see Lev. 25:36, 37; Deut. 23:19, 20). Such generosity marked the godly (see Ps. 15:5; Jer. 15:10; cf. Prov. 28:8). Interest could be taken from foreigners (Deut. 23:20). Interest loans were known to exceed 50 percent at times in ancient nations. Such usury took advantage of people’s desperation and was virtually impossible to repay, consuming their entire family assets and reducing the debtors to permanent slavery. See notes on Deut. 23:19, 20; 24:10–13.
5:8 we have redeemed. Nehemiah denounced with just severity the evil conduct of selling a brother by means of usury. He contrasted it with his own action of redeeming with his own money some of the Jewish exiles, who through debt had lost their freedom in Babylon.
5:10 I also. Nehemiah set the example again by making loans, but not in exacting usury.
5:11 Restore now to them. To remedy the evil that they had brought, those guilty of usury were to return the property they had confiscated from those who couldn’t pay the loans back, as well as returning the interest they had charged (see notes on Luke 19:2–10).
5:12 an oath. The consciences of the guilty were struck by Nehemiah’s words, so that their fear, shame, and contrition caused them to pledge the release of their loans and restore property and interest, including setting slaves free. This cancellation of debt had a profoundly unifying effect on both sides of the indebtedness. The proceedings were formally consummated with the people binding themselves by a solemn oath from the priests (with them as administrators) that they would be faithful to the pledge.
5:13 shook out the fold. This curse rite from the governor, Nehemiah, called down God’s wrath upon anyone who would not follow through with his commitment to release debts. The people agreed and did as they had promised.
5:14 twentieth year. See note on 1:1. thirty-second year. The year Nehemiah returned to Artaxerxes in Persia (ca. 433 B.C.; cf. 13:6). ate the governor’s provisions. This refers to the provisions from the Persian administration, but from which he had chosen not to partake because it would have to come from taxing his poverty-stricken people (v. 15). The statement is testimony to the wealth of Nehemiah gained as the king’s cupbearer in Persia. Verses 17, 18 record that he supported 150 men with abundant provisions who ruled with him (and their families), indicating the personal wealth he had brought from Babylon.
5:15 forty shekels. Approximately one lb. of silver. because of the fear of God. Nehemiah would not exact usury from his fellow countrymen as his predecessors had, because he viewed it as an act of disobedience toward God.
5:16 we did not buy any land. Even though the time to purchase property from those forced to sell couldn’t have been better, Nehemiah maintained a consistent personal policy not to take advantage of another’s distress. He worked on the wall rather than spending his time building personal wealth.
5:18 governor’s provisions. See note on 5:14. In the ancient Near East, it was customary to calculate the expense of a king’s establishment, not by the quantity of money, but by the quantity of his provisions (cf. 1 Kin. 4:22; 18:19; Eccl. 5:11).
5:19 Remember me. The first of 4 such prayers (cf. 13:14, 22, 31).
Nehemiah 6
6:1 Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem. See notes on 2:10, 19.
6:2 sent to me. This suggests either a letter or an oral message delivered by messenger to Nehemiah. Satisfied that they could not prevent Nehemiah’s project from succeeding by open military engagement (see note on 4:13–15), they decided to overcome him by deception. plain of Ono. Located S of Joppa on the western extremity of Judah along the seacoast.
6:3 So I sent messengers. Because he knew they were luring him into a trap, he sent representatives, who themselves might have been killed or imprisoned for ransom.
6:5 open letter. Official letters were typically rolled up and sealed with an official signet by the letter’s sender or one of his assisting officials. An open or unsealed letter was not only a sign of disrespect and open criticism, but also suggested the information therein was public knowledge. The goal of this document was to intimidate Nehemiah into stopping the work.
6:6 It is reported among the nations. The letter suggested that Nehemiah’s intent to revolt was common knowledge which would get back to the king of Persia if he didn’t come to the requested conference. you and the Jews plan to rebel. This information would have brought Persian troops against the Jews had it been true. Even though Judah had a reputation for breaking its allegiances with its overlord kings, on this occasion that was not the case. rebuilding the wall, that you may be their king. Artaxerxes had commissioned the rebuilding of the wall based on his relationship of trust with Nehemiah. Once the project was accomplished, the king expected Nehemiah to return to Susa. Allegations that Nehemiah was fortifying the city so that he might be made king would seriously violate the Persian king’s trust, if not create a war. The plot was an attempt to intimidate Nehemiah with the idea that a wedge was to be driven between Nehemiah and Artaxerxes so that Nehemiah would come to the meeting with those enemies—a meeting that would have featured his death.
6:7 appointed prophets to proclaim. If there were such prophets, Sanballat actually hired them to feed incorrect information generating the false rumor (cf. 6:10–14). By dispatching such prophets to make public proclamations that Nehemiah had made himself king, the Persian imperial rule would have appeared to be supplanted.
6:10 secret informer. When the open letter failed to intimidate Nehemiah into stopping the work and coming to a meeting, his enemies decided to try intimidation from within. They hired a false prophet (v. 12), Shemaiah, to lure Nehemiah into the Holy Place in the temple for refuge from a murder plot. To enter and shut himself in the Holy Place would have bee
n a desecration of the house of God and would have caused people to question his reverence for God. Shemaiah was the son of a priest who was an intimate friend of Nehemiah. This plan would give them grounds to raise an evil report against Nehemiah, who was not a priest and had no right to go into the Holy Place (cf. 6:13). It could also make the people question his courage (v. 11). Other disloyal Jews included: 1) the nobles (3:5; 6:17); 2) Jews who lived near Sanballat (4:12); 3) Noadiah (6:14); 4) Meshullam (6:17–19); 5) Eliashib (13:4, 7); and 6) the High-Priest’s grandson (13:28). the house of God. This is a frequently used name for the temple (cf. 8:16; 10:32–39; 11:11, 16, 22; 12:40; 13:4, 7, 9, 11, 14).
6:15 Elul. Aug./Sept., 445 B.C. Knowing that the project lasted 52 days, it commenced on the fourth of Ab (Jul./Aug.) 445 B.C.
6:16 this work was done by our God. While modern readers might be tempted to exalt the leadership qualities which brought the work to completion, Nehemiah’s conclusion was seen through the eyes of his enemies, i.e., God works through faithful people, but it is God who works. This is a change from the attitudes indicated in 4:1 and 5:9.
6:17–19 the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah. Nehemiah added a footnote that in the days of building the wall, the nobles of Judah who refused to work (3:5) were in alliance and correspondence with Tobiah because, although his ancestors were Ammonites (2:19), he had married into a respectable Jewish family. Shemaiah was from the family of Arah (Ezra 2:5); his son Jehohanan was the son-in-law of Meshullam who shared in the work of building (3:4, 30). According to 13:4, the High-Priest, Eliashib, was related to Tobiah (which is a Jewish name). The meddling of these nobles, by trying to play both sides through reports to Tobiah and to Nehemiah (v. 19), only widened the breach as Tobiah escalated efforts to frighten the governor.
Nehemiah 7
7:2 Hanani. Cf. 1:2. the citadel. See note on 2:8.
The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV Page 233