Nehemiah2

Nehemiah, cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, reveals his deep sorrow over Jerusalem's ruined walls. He requests and receives the king's permission, letters of passage, and timber to go and rebuild the city. Upon arriving in Jerusalem, he secretly inspects the extensive damage to the walls and gates. He then inspires the Jewish leaders and people to begin the work, despite the immediate scorn and opposition from adversaries like Sanballat and Tobiah.
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Nehemiah Requests Permission from the King

1
And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence. ​
2
Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid, ​
3
And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?
4
Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. ​
5
And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it.
6
And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. ​
7
Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;
8
And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me. ​

Arrival in Jerusalem and Initial Opposition

9
Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.
10
When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. ​

The Secret Inspection of the Walls

11
So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
12
And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon. ​
13
And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.
14
Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king's pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.
15
Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned.
16
And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.

Nehemiah Motivates the People

17
Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. ​
18
Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work. ​
19
But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king? ​
20
Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem. ​

Study Notes for Nehemiah 2

Verse 1

The twentieth year of Artaxerxes I corresponds to 445 BC. Nehemiah, as the king's cupbearer, held a highly trusted and visible position; appearing sad without permission was a risky breach of court etiquette.

Verse 2

The king's direct observation placed Nehemiah in immediate danger, as sorrow could be interpreted as dissatisfaction with the king's rule or even plotting rebellion, leading Nehemiah to be 'very sore afraid.'

Verse 4

Before answering the king's crucial question, Nehemiah offers a silent, instantaneous prayer. This demonstrates his habitual reliance on divine guidance (The God of heaven) in moments of high pressure and decision.

Verse 6

The queen's presence suggests this was a formal, high-level consultation. By setting a specific time for his return, Nehemiah assures the king of his loyalty and prevents the mission from being seen as an open-ended defection.

Verse 8

Nehemiah’s detailed requests for letters show strategic foresight, securing both safe passage and necessary materials (timber). The phrase 'the good hand of my God upon me' is a theological hallmark of Nehemiah, attributing all success to divine favor.

Verse 10

Sanballat (governor of Samaria) and Tobiah (a leader associated with Ammon) are introduced as the main adversaries. Their immediate grief stems from the political threat posed by a strong, autonomous Jewish community.

Verse 12

Nehemiah’s secrecy was strategic. He needed to assess the true scope of the damage and formulate a plan before mobilizing the people or alerting the hostile local leaders.

Verse 17

This verse marks the pivot from planning to action. Nehemiah frames the rebuilding not just as a construction project but as a means to remove the national 'reproach' (shame) caused by their defenseless state.

Verse 18

Nehemiah uses both theological evidence (God’s favor) and secular authorization (the king’s words) to persuade the leaders. This combined testimony strengthened their resolve, leading to the collective decision: 'Let us rise up and build.'

Verse 19

Geshem the Arabian joins the opposition, completing the encirclement of Jerusalem (Samaria, Ammon, Arabia). Their tactic is slander, accusing the builders of rebelling against the Persian king, a serious charge designed to halt the work.

Verse 20

Nehemiah firmly rejects the opponents’ claims to authority in Jerusalem. By declaring, 'ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial,' he asserts that the city belongs exclusively to the covenant people of God, who are acting under divine mandate.

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