Nehemiah 2:12

Nehemiah went out -by night" with only a few attendants. He did not wish to excite the curiosity of the people or to arouse the suspicion of his foes with respect to his intended project.

neither told Iany man He preserved a discreet silence, until he had personally formed some estimate of the nature and extent of the work to be undertaken in the rebuilding of the walls. It was also important to have the scheme thoroughly matured, so that upon its announcement he could anticipate objections and forestall opposition by immediate action.

had put R.V. put. The R.V. reproduces the present tense of the original more accurately. The consciousness of the Divine inspiration continued with him. For the expression cf. Nehemiah 7:5.

at Jerusalem R.V. for Jerusalem. Undoubtedly the right rendering of the preposition here. Nehemiah's project was primarily to renovate Jerusalem and to remove the shame of its position as described in Nehemiah 1:2-3. It was preeminently work forthe city.

neitherwas there any beast, &c. A cavalcade would have attracted notice. Nehemiah probably rode a mule or ass rather than a horse. Riding over rough places by night he would require the most surefooted animal.