Nehemiah 4:3

_NOW TOBIAH THE AMMONITE WAS BY HIM, AND HE SAID, EVEN THAT WHICH THEY BUILD, IF A FOX GO UP, HE SHALL EVEN BREAK DOWN THEIR STONE WALL._ If a fox go up - the foxes were mentioned from their having been known, in great numbers, to infest the ruined and desolate places in the mount and city of Zion (Lamentations 5:18), as they frequently did vineyards, which in consequence were fenced not by stone-hedges only, but frequently by stone parapets (Numbers 22:24; Psalms 80:13; Proverbs 24:31; Song of Solomon 2:15

1-6 Many a good work has been looked upon with contempt by proud and haughty scorners. Those who disagree in almost every thing, will unite in persecution. Nehemiah did not answer these fools according to their folly, but looked up to God by prayer. God's people have often been a despised people, but he hears all the slights that are put upon them, and it is their comfort that he does so. Nehemiah had reason to think that the hearts of those sinners were desperately hardened, else he would not have prayed that their sins might never be blotted out. Good work goes on well, when people have a mind to it. The reproaches of enemies should quicken us to our duty, not drive us from it....

EXPOSTION OPEN OPPOSITION OFFERED TO THE WORK BY SANBALLAT AND TOBIAH, AND ARRANGEMENTS MADE BY NEHEMIAH TO MEET IT (Nehemiah 4:1.). It would seem that Sanballat and his friends, when they first heard that the wall was actually being restored, the working parties formed, and the work taken in hand, could scarcely bring themselves to believe it. "What! These feeble Jews undertake so heavy a task, attempt a work that must occupy so long a time, and for which they had not even the necessary materials? ...

CHAPTER 4 _ 1. The indignation and sneers of the enemies (Nehemiah 4:1)_ 2. Nehemiah's ejaculatory prayer (Nehemiah 4:4) 3. Conspiracy, and more prayer (Nehemiah 4:7) 4. Nehemiah's precautions and confidence (Nehemiah 4:10) Nehemiah 4:1. Sanballat (hate in disguise) having heard of the successful building of the wall, became very angry and mocked the Jews. And Tobiah the Ammonite used sarcasm. He said that which they build will be so weak that one of the foxes, which infested the broken-down walls ...

SAMARITAN ATTEMPT TO FRUSTRATE THE BUILDING OF THE WALLS. In Nehemiah 4:2 f. the text is very corrupt, though the general sense of the passage is fairly clear, viz. the Samaritans mock the efforts made by the Jews in building the walls; Sanballat's wrath in conjunction with his contempt is a little incongruous. The mention of the Samaritan army is difficult to account for; if an army had really been there some attempt would assuredly have been made there and then to stop the building; probably we must picture a crowd of Samaritans and not warriors. But the corrupt state of the text makes it impossible to feel sure what the meaning really is. Nehemiah 4:2. will they fortify themselves? The Heb. will they leave to them? is meaningless; Ryle emends the text so as to read, will they commit themselves t

TOBIAH. See note on Nehemiah 2:10....

_Even_that _which they build_&c. Whatever they are trying to build. _a fox_ R.V. marg. -Or, _jackal_". The light tread of some creeping animal was enough to bring down their weak wall stone though it was. The - _shuâl_" or fox is elsewhere mentioned in Judges 15:4; Psalms 63:10; Ezekiel 13:4; Lamentations 5:18; Song of Solomon 2:15. In the passages from Ps., Ez., Lam., it is spoken of in connexion with ruined places. The R.V. margin gives the alternative, -jackal" in each case, except in Ezek. and Cant., whe

TEXT AND VERSE-BY-VERSE COMMENT D. The enemies try ridicule and rumor to block construction. 1. Their enemies try to block them with ridicule. TEXT, NEHEMIAH 4:1-6 1. Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews. 2. And he spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy men of Samaria and said, What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones? 3. Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, Even what they are buildingif a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down! 4. Hear, O our God, how we are despised! Return their reproach on their own heads and give th

THE MACHINATIONS OF THE ENEMIES OF THE JEWS 1. Sanballat] His irritation at Nehemiah's arrival (Nehemiah 2:10) was increased by the work accomplished by the latter....

Sanballat and Tobiah were enemies of the *Jews. They did not want the *Jews to build the walls of Jerusalem again. They probably knew that Jerusalem would become an important city for trade again. So then, they would lose some of their trade. They knew that it was a big task to build the walls of the city again. But they saw that Nehemiah and the *Jews would work hard to build the walls. These men were not just opposing the *Jews. In fact, these men were opposing God’s work. It was God’s plan that the *Jews should live in Jerusalem. Jerusalem was in the country that God promised to give to the *descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The *Jews had to leave that country because of *sin. But God promised by the *prophets that some *Jews would return. So it was God’s plan that the *Jews would rebuild Jerusalem. But God’s plan did not only benefit the *Jews. God had decided, by means of t...