Nehemiah 2:1–20
2 In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. 2 And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid. 3 I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” 4 Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.” 6 And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time. 7 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, 8 and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.
9 Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. 10 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel.
11 So I went to Jerusalem and was there three days. 12 Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode. 13 I went out by night by the Valley Gate to the Dragon Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. 14 Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal that was under me to pass. 15 Then I went up in the night by the valley and inspected the wall, and I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned. 16 And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, and I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest who were to do the work.
17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.” 18 And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work. 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” 20 Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim1 in Jerusalem.”
1 Or memorial
Section Overview
The events of the prior chapter lead naturally to the events that follow. Nehemiah, aware of the “great trouble and shame” confronting the remnant (Neh. 1:1–3), has confessed sin and implored God’s favor based on his covenantal faithfulness to a repentant people (1:6–10). More specifically, Nehemiah asked for success before “this man,” one we assume to be the king before whom he functions as cupbearer (1:11).
Temporally, the narrative advances several months and is told in two larger scenes. First, Nehemiah gains permission from Artaxerxes to return to Judah (2:1–8). Next, Nehemiah pursues action in Jerusalem in the days following his arrival (vv. 9–20). Each scene ends by ascribing all glory to God for any success (vv. 8b, 20).
These scenes may be considered more closely. After an initial introduction to the chapter (v. 1), the opening scene begins as a series of three royal inquiries (vv. 2, 4, 6), followed immediately by Nehemiah’s replies (vv. 3, 5, 7–8a). The concluding verses advance beyond simple answers as Nehemiah requests authorizing letters and supplies to enable his work.
The second scene (vv. 9–20) takes place in the province “Beyond the River” (v. 9) and may also be further subdivided. Nehemiah’s arrival, though supported by the king, is met with opposition from specific persons (vv. 9–10). We then read of Nehemiah’s nighttime expedition through Jerusalem as he inspects the walls and gates of the city (vv. 11–16). The chapter concludes with Nehemiah openly discussing his plans with leaders and issuing a call to “rise up and build” (vv. 17–18). The scene ends as it had begun, with reference to the specific individuals who opposed the rebuilding effort (vv. 19–20; cf. v. 10).
Section Outline
II.D.2. Nehemiah Receives Permission and Arrives in Jerusalem (2:1–20)
a. Nehemiah Requests and Receives Permission to Go to Judah (2:1–8)
b. Nehemiah Arrives, Inspects the Walls, and Proposes to Rebuild (2:9–20)
(1) Nehemiah Arrives in Jerusalem; Adversaries Hear (2:9–10)
(2) Nehemiah Inspects the Walls at Night (2:11–16)
(3) Nehemiah Exhorts the Community to Rise and Rebuild (2:17–18)
(4) Adversaries Hear and Accuse Nehemiah of Rebellion (2:19–20)
Response
Nehemiah’s prayers bear fruit. The King of kings has redeemed his servants before, and Nehemiah trusts that he will do so again (1:10–11; cf. 2:20). It is God’s goodness that prompts Nehemiah’s courage to speak to Artaxerxes, to evaluate his situation realistically in order to challenge his people, and to remain steadfast when threatened by opposition.
Nehemiah speaks not without significant fear, however. But God-empowered courage bridges the gap between fear and the voicing of his concerns (vv. 2–3). Artaxerxes’s unexpected support for Nehemiah’s mission, freeing him from his cupbearing duty, provides evidence of the good hand of the Lord, who does more than Nehemiah can ask or imagine (vv. 8, 20). This assures us that God hears our short, passionate pleas (v. 4). Through God’s providence we trust that this world’s powers will support the kingdom advancement they may have once so adamantly resisted (Ezra 4:8–22).
God opens these remarkable doors and Nehemiah steps through, embracing his assigned mission to restore God’s glory by alleviating Jerusalem’s shame (Neh. 2:17; Isa. 62:6–7). In this it is not personal aggrandizement but his people’s “welfare” that motivates him (Neh. 2:10). More importantly, he states that he has acted upon what “God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem” (v. 12). Effective service for God means knowing what needs to be done and doing it. This includes assessing whether we are actually seeking the best for those under our care and whether the actions we envision are in keeping with the Lord’s will. This demands a candid analysis of the situation and planning for our task.
The Holy Spirit’s leading and godly motivation are consistent with prudence and evaluation, as is evident in Nehemiah’s inconspicuous nighttime evaluation (vv. 11–16). While it is unlikely that Nehemiah circumnavigates the whole city (cf. comment on 2:11–16), he sees enough of the city’s demise to know “the trouble we are in” (v. 17). Whether the church thrives or struggles in our time, only a realistic evaluation of its situation and challenges will enable its members to “rise up and build” (vv. 17–18), a primary task to which God’s people are called.
In Ezra 4, opponents adopted a progressive strategy advancing from infiltration to discouragement to full-blown intimidation. In Nehemiah 2 there is no pretense; the enemies of God, sensing the slightest aroma of kingdom advancement, move immediately to displeasure and accusation (vv. 10, 19). There are times when friendship with the Lord means hostility with the world, and seeking the welfare of God’s people may end in ridicule (v. 19; cf. James 4:4). When confronted with opposition, Nehemiah remains steadfast in his hope that God’s good hand will prosper his servants in their calling and exclude enemies from the holy city (Neh. 2:8, 18, 20; cf. Josh. 1:8). When facing opposition in our service to the Lord, we can be assured of no less.
Or memorial
2:1 This verse’s temporal notice, providing historical context, leaps ahead approximately four months, from the ninth month, Chislev (November/December; 1:1), to the first month, Nisan (March/April; 2:1). However, both months occur in the “twentieth year” (1:1; 2:1). Thus both months (Chislev, Nisan) likely occur within the twentieth regnal year, rather than calendar year, of Artaxerxes (c. 445 BC). The text further defines the setting as “when wine was before him,” meaning a time when wine was served. Whether a private dinner or a banquet is in view is left unstated, though the language makes the latter more likely given the importance of the “wine banquet” as an institution for the Persians. During the preceding four months Nehemiah constantly prays (cf. comment on 1:4), seeking just the right time to bring his needs to the king.
We also learn that the ensuing dialogue takes place at the precise moment in the dinner when Nehemiah actually presents the wine to the king. As the end of the prior chapter marked background information with “Now” (1:11b), so here the narrative pauses briefly to provide relevant detail also marked with “Now.” Nehemiah “had not been sad in his presence”—we may assume that to this moment he has silently borne the heavy emotional toll and pastoral concern for his people and for their city.
2:2–3 Three concise questions from the king (vv. 2, 4, 6) are followed by Nehemiah’s responses (vv. 3, 5, 7–8a). In the interlude, just before each of his own replies, Nehemiah provides further information for his readers.
Nehemiah’s facial cues give rise to the king’s first question concerning the source of his “sadness of the heart,” since it clearly does not arise from illness (v. 2). The three words translated “sad,” “sadness,” and in the next verse “be sad” are all built on the same Hebrew root (raʻ; “evil, sad, misfortune”) and underline Nehemiah’s heightened state of sorrow. Significantly, his internal distress matches the external “trouble” (raʻah) of Jerusalem’s current state (1:3; 2:17). These are countered below with words built on an opposite root (tob; “good”) and translated as “pleases” (vv. 5, 7), “find favor” (v. 5), “it pleased” (v. 6), and the “good” hand of God (v. 8). The relevance of this will be seen in verse 10.
Before Nehemiah’s reply, readers learn that he is “very much afraid,” although he does not tell us why. Generally speaking, he may simply fear the king’s negative response. More specifically, however, his facial sadness is a serious breach of court etiquette, placing him at risk for rebuke or demotion (cf. Est. 4:11). For a Zoroastrian king like Artaxerxes, cheerfulness is viewed as gratitude toward the god Ahura Mazda. On the other hand, he would consider sadness a “sign of ingratitude and evil intentions” attributed to the god of evil. As a “weapon of evil,” sadness would strike at a core religious value for Zoroastrians. Equally damaging, Nehemiah’s goal of rebuilding Jerusalem may be viewed as seditious, as will soon be confirmed (Neh. 2:19; 6:6). Artaxerxes has previously demanded the cessation of wall construction in Jerusalem for exactly this reason (Ezra 4:12–13, 21–22).
Wishing the king a long life, though customary (Neh. 2:3; Dan. 2:4; 3:9; 5:10; 6:6, 21), is all the more pertinent since, above all else, the cupbearer must evidence unimpeachable loyalty. This may also provide insight into Nehemiah’s prayer for “mercy” in the king’s sight (Neh. 1:11). He tells the king what readers already know: his sorrowful countenance is due to the unhappy state of the city. He only describes the city as the place where his ancestors are buried (cf. 2:5). “Jerusalem,” the focus of denunciation as “that rebellious and wicked city” (Ezra 4:12), is wisely unmentioned. With a personal appeal to his obligations to the dead (“my fathers’ graves”), Nehemiah hopes to provoke a sympathetic response from the king and distance himself further from political motivations.
2:4–5 The king’s second question probes exactly what Nehemiah wants, transitioning into the second bit of information in the pause. Recognizing the tipping point of the conversation, Nehemiah prays, likely offering up little more than “give success and grant mercy” (cf. 1:11). Such concise prayers are characteristic of Nehemiah (4:4–5, 9; 5:19; 6:9) and especially those asking God to “remember” (5:19; 6:14; 13:14, 22, 29, 31). As in his first reply, Nehemiah remains highly deferential, submitting himself to the king’s wishes and identifying himself clearly as a servant before the king. With Nehemiah’s response, Artaxerxes learns that he desires to be sent to an unnamed city, that this city is in Judah, and that he seeks to rebuild it.
2:6–8a With the queen present, the king finally questions the length of Nehemiah’s stay and the time of his return. In narrating his reply, Nehemiah moves away from dialogue, only recording the king’s favorable response and that Nehemiah “had given him a time.” This functions as the third interlude before Nehemiah’s final bold requests (vv. 7–8a); the phrase “So it pleased the king” is an amazing reversal of the prior decree (Ezra 4:21) and a strong statement of support for Nehemiah’s request.
Seizing the opportunity, Nehemiah presses further by asking Artaxerxes for two specific letters. The first, “to the governors,” will provide safe passage and perhaps necessary supplies along the journey. The word translated “governors” is a somewhat malleable term applying equally to rulers of a larger province or to those of smaller districts within a province (Neh. 3:7; cf. Ezra 8:36). These officials, akin to the earlier Rehum and Shimshai (Ezra 4:8), are the sort of high-ranking administrators that might challenge Nehemiah’s authority. Nehemiah knows that he must prepare for opposition.
The second letter, to a Jewish official named Asaph, requests timber from Artaxerxes’s forest for three construction projects. First, wood is needed for the gates of “the fortress of the temple.” This defensive structure may be associated with the Tower of the Hundred or the Tower of Hananel (Neh. 3:1; cf. 7:2) found on the less defensible northern side of the temple complex and a likely precursor to the Antonia Fortress of Herod’s temple. In addition, wood is needed to beam the various other gates within the city wall and for wall reconstruction itself (cf. 3:3, 6; Ezra 5:8). Finally, Nehemiah needs wood for his own residence, likely to repair one previously constructed.
2:8b The heightened concern expressed at the end of Nehemiah’s lengthy prayer (1:11), the succinct prayer of verse 4, the daring of Nehemiah’s request, and Artaxerxes’s prior aversion to wall construction make the favorable reply of the king all the more remarkable. As predominantly in Ezra (7:6, 9, 28; 8:18, 22, 31), so here in Nehemiah: human benevolence is attributed to divine sovereignty expressed in bountiful blessing, a fact that Nehemiah will relate later for a final time (Neh. 2:18).
2:9–10 After the completion of Nehemiah’s audience with Artaxerxes (v. 8b), a geographical notice signals a new paragraph. This short subscene establishes Nehemiah’s authority derived from both Artaxerxes’s letter (v. 7) and his military escort. This show of strength may indicate that Nehemiah already holds the position of governor (5:14).
Evidence for authority is necessary, given the introduction of Sanballat the Horonite (2:10, 19; 4:1, 7; 6:1, 2, 5, 12, 14; 13:28). A nonbiblical letter from the area of Elephantine testifies to his position as governor of Samaria at a much later date (407 BC), although he may already hold the position in Nehemiah’s day. His daughter marries into the family of the high priest Eliashib (13:28). Joining Sanballat in opposition to Nehemiah is Tobiah (2:10, 19; 4:3 [cf. 4:1], 7; 6:1, 12, 14), “the Ammonite servant” (2:10) well connected to the nobles of Judah (6:17–18) and related to another priest named Eliashib (13:4, 7). Tobiah may be a fellow Jew and Sanballat’s equivalent, with a Persian appointment as governor to Transjordan Ammon. Alternatively, he may be an Ammonite (Neh. 13:1; cf. Judges 11; 2 Sam. 10:1–14) with Persian rank, though ultimately subordinate to Sanballat. Whatever the case, these men do enjoy some measure of power and authority.
The way their response is described is significant. Earlier, words built on the root for “evil” to describe Nehemiah’s own emotional state gave way to words built on the root for “good” to describe the ways in which the Lord was answering Nehemiah’s prayer and showing him favor (cf. comment on Neh. 2:2–3). Clearly, bringing about such good is the Lord’s desire. Now there is a reversal: as Nehemiah seeks the city’s “welfare” (also built on the root for “good”), this results in Sanballat and Tobiah’s great displeasure (v. 10) and clearly puts them in opposition not only to Nehemiah but also to the Lord. This is especially ironic in light of the meaning of Tobiah’s name (“Yahweh is good”). And why such a strong response? Likely because Nehemiah’s authority now threatens the political, economic, or even religious status of Sanballat and Tobiah.
2:11–16 A new paragraph begins with another geographical and temporal notice (v. 11; cf. Ezra 8:32). In what follows, Nehemiah narrates his out-and-back inspection of the wall and gates, the evaluation stage of his mission. The description of this inspection—from the triple reminder that all these events occur at “night” (vv. 12, 13, 15) to the “few men” with him to the solitary beast Nehemiah rides—all build a picture of covert activity. The plans God has placed within him (“into my heart”; v. 12) remain unspoken, perhaps even to the men with him and certainly from all others, and the theme of secrecy also closes the paragraph (v. 16). It seems that Nehemiah fears the potential damage done by opponents or resistance from within the Jerusalem community if his plans are exposed prematurely.
Nehemiah exits through the Valley Gate, likely located on southwest side of Jerusalem’s wall and providing access to the Central (or Tyropoeon) Valley. He journeys southward to the Dung or “Rubbish” Gate at the southernmost tip of the City of David. The verbal forms communicate ongoing inspections all along the 500-yard (c. 450-meter) stretch between these two gates (cf. 3:13). The Dragon Spring location is uncertain, but given the word order it was probably located somewhere between the two gates. The locations for the Fountain (or Spring) Gate and the King’s Pool remain debated, though it is conjectured that the former was located near the southeast corner, where it led to the water source called En-rogel located 650 feet (200 m) south of the city. Given the increased destruction debris, Nehemiah then proceeds on foot (2:14).
The verbal forms “ascending” and “inspecting” suggest that although he has abandoned the line of the wall due to increased rubble, he continues his examination as he travels northward along the floor of the Kidron Valley located east of the city. Given the sudden loss of topological details, it seems likely that “and I turned back” (v. 15) means he does not continue north to circumnavigate the city but retraces his steps. The scene ends, again stressing Nehemiah’s success in hiding his activities from everyday citizens (“Jews”), priests, the “nobles” and “officials,” and any others (“the rest”).
2:17–18 The timing of the next event is unstated. However, the sudden quotation (“Then I said to them”) and repetition of terms that had first prompted Nehemiah to action (“trouble,” “gates burned,” “derision” = “shame”; cf. 1:3), along with his use of “us” and “we,” suggest a rhetorical strategy designed to elicit immediate reaction from the community. Furthermore, as a concluding flourish, Nehemiah testifies that due to the Lord’s good hand Artaxerxes had altered the king’s policy regarding the wall (cf. 2:8b). The community must hear unequivocally that Nehemiah comes with both divine and royal approval.
The prompt and unified response, “Let us rise up and build,” reveals unequivocal success. These verbs not only summarize the postexilic task of building that binds the people of Ezra and Nehemiah’s era with those who returned under Zerubbabel and Jeshua (Ezra 1:5; 3:2; 5:2). They also echo David’s original charge to Solomon (1 Chron. 22:19), fulfill prophecy (Isa. 44:26; 58:12), and anticipate the future messianic servant’s ministry (Isa. 61:4; Amos 9:11). The people will indeed arise and build (Neh. 2:18; 3:1).
Finally, it may be noted that in other contexts the idiom “weaken the hands” describes discouragement leading to work stoppages due to hostility (Ezra 4:4; Neh. 6:9). The very opposite occurs now: God’s work surging through Nehemiah steels community resolve so that they “strengthened their hands for the good.” As the community adopts a courageous resolve to do the Lord’s work, they also wait patiently to receive “the good” from him. As 2:20 will show, any prospering of their work in the face of resistance comes only through God’s benevolence (2 Sam. 10:12).
2:19–20 Sanballat and Tobiah move from displeasure (v. 10) to mocking taunts upon hearing of the actual determination to rebuild Jerusalem. They are joined by a powerful though less engaged opponent, “Geshem the Arab” (v. 19; 6:1, 2, 6). Several extrabiblical inscriptions attest to his fame and influence in northwest Arabia and beyond; one names him “king of Kedar” (cf. Isa. 21:13–17). Jerusalem is therefore surrounded by enemies to the north (Samarians), east (Ammonites), southeast (Arabs), and west (city of Ashdod; cf. 4:7). In 2:19 they accuse the entire community (the “you” is plural) of rebellion, a view earlier espoused (Ezra 4:12–13, 21–23; cf. Neh. 6:5–6).
Rather than defending himself by referring to the “king’s letters” (2:9), Nehemiah demarcates a firm line between “us” and “you” (v. 20). His words remind God’s “servants,” who have recently determined to “arise and build,” that they must trust in the “God of heaven” (cf. 1:5; 2:4) to prosper their work. At the same time, Nehemiah excludes his opponents and declares independence by using legal terminology. First, they have “no portion,” meaning that they have no political association within the nation (cf. 2 Sam. 20:1; 1 Kings 12:16). Their lack of “right” refers to their loss of legal authority. The meaning of “claim” (or “memorial”; cf. ESV mg.) is unclear, though in this context it probably refers to a denial of participation in worship (cf. Ezra 4:3). In summary, Nehemiah lets his opponents know that they have “no civic, legal, or religious rights” in the city.