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Texts -- Nehemiah 2:12-20 (NET)

Context
2:12 I got up during the night , along with a few men who were with me. But I did not tell anyone what my God was putting on my heart to do for Jerusalem . There were no animals with me, except for the one I was riding . 2:13 I proceeded through the Valley Gate by night , in the direction of the Well of the Dragons and the Dung Gate , inspecting the walls of Jerusalem that had been breached and its gates that had been destroyed by fire . 2:14 I passed on to the Gate of the Well and the King’s Pool , where there was not enough room for my animal to pass with me. 2:15 I continued up the valley during the night , inspecting the wall . Then I turned back and came to the Valley Gate , and so returned . 2:16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I had been doing , for up to this point I had not told any of the Jews or the priests or the nobles or the officials or the rest of the workers . 2:17 Then I said to them, “You see the problem that we have: Jerusalem is desolate and its gates are burned . Come on ! Let’s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that this reproach will not continue .” 2:18 Then I related to them how the good hand of my God was on me and what the king had said to me. Then they replied , “Let’s begin rebuilding right away !” So they readied themselves for this good project. 2:19 But when Sanballat the Horonite , Tobiah the Ammonite official , and Geshem the Arab heard all this, they derided us and expressed contempt toward us. They said , “What is this you are doing ? Are you rebelling against the king ?” 2:20 I responded to them by saying , “The God of heaven will prosper us. We his servants will start the rebuilding . But you have no just or ancient right in Jerusalem .”

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Jerusalem

    [smith] (the habitation of peace), Jerusalem stands in latitude 31 degrees 46? 35" north and longitude 35 degrees 18? 30" east of Greenwich. It is 32 miles distant from the sea and 18 from the Jordan, 20 from Hebron and 36 from Samar...
    [nave] JERUSALEM Called Jebus, Josh. 18:28; Judg. 19:10; Zion, 1 Kin. 8:1; Zech. 9:13; City of David, 2 Sam. 5:7; Isa. 22:9; Salem, Gen. 14:18; Psa. 76:2; Ariel, Isa. 29:1; City of God, Psa. 46:4; City of the Great King, Psa. 48:2;...

  • Nehemiah

    [nave] NEHEMIAH 1. Son of Hachaliah, Neh. 1:1. Cupbearer of Artaxerxes, Neh. 1:11; 2:1. Is grieved over the desolation of his country, Neh. 1. Is sent by the king to rebuild Jerusalem, Neh. 2:1-8. Register of the people whom he...

  • Persia

    [nave] PERSIA An empire which extended from India to Ethiopia, comprising one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, Esth. 1:1; Dan. 6:1. Government of, restricted by constitutional limitations, Esth. 8:8; Dan. 6:8-12. Municipal gov...

  • Artaxerxes

    [nave] ARTAXERXES 1. A Persian king, probably identical with Ahasuerus. Prohibits the rebuilding of Jerusalem, Ezra 4:7-24. 2. King of Persia. Decrees of, in behalf of the Jews, Ezra 7; Neh. 2; 5:14.

  • Country

    [nave] COUNTRY. Love of Judg. 5:1-31; 2 Sam. 10:12; Neh. 1:1-11; Neh. 2:1-20 chapters 3-6.Neh. 5:1-18; Psa. 137:1-6 The Jews held church and country as one, therefore See: Church, Love for. See also Patriotism.

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • Rulers

    [nave] RULERS Appointed and removed by God. See: Government, God in. Chastised, Dan. 4. See: Nation. Monarchical, See: Kings. Patriarchal, Gen. 27:29, 37. Instances of Nimrod, Gen. 10:8-10. Abraham, Gen. 14:13-24; 17:6; 21:2...

  • Decision

    [nave] DECISION. Deut. 30:19; Josh. 23:8. Josh. 24:15; 1 Sam. 12:20; 1 Kin. 18:21; Psa. 37:34; Psa. 69:13; Prov. 4:25-27; Isa. 50:7; Matt. 24:13 Mark 13:13; Matt. 10:22. Matt. 25:23; Luke 7:23 Matt. 11:6. John 8:31; John 15:4, 5, ...

  • Prudence

    [nave] PRUDENCE. Job 34:3, 4; Psa. 39:1; Psa. 112:5; Prov. 6:1, 2; Prov. 8:12; Prov. 11:13, 15, 29; Prov. 12:8, 23; Prov. 13:16; Prov. 14:8, 15, 16, 18; Prov. 15:5, 22; Prov. 16:20, 21; Prov. 17:2, 18; Prov. 18:15, 16; Prov. 19:2;...

  • Geshem

    [ebd] or Gashmu, firmness, probably chief of the Arabs south of Palestine, one of the enemies of the Jews after the return from Babylon (Neh. 2:19; 6:1, 2). He united with Sanballat and Tobiah in opposing the rebuilding of the wal...
    [isbe] GESHEM - ge'-shem (geshem, gashmu; Gesam, "rain storm"): An Arabian, probably chief of an Arabian tribe that had either settled in Southern Palestine during the exile in Babylon, or had been settled in or near Samaria by Sar...
    [smith] and Gash?mu (rain), an Arabian, mentioned in (Nehemiah 2:19) and Nehe 6:1,2,6 (B.C. 446.) We may conclude that he was an inhabitant of Arabia Petraea or of the Arabian desert, and probably the chief of a tribe." Gashum said i...
    [nave] GESHEM, called also Gashmu, an Arabian. Opposed Nehemiah in building Jerusalem, Neh. 2:19; 6:1-6.

  • Horonite

    [ebd] the designation of Sanballat (Neh. 2:10, 19), a native of Horonaim, or of one of the two Beth-horons, the "upper" or the "nether," mentioned in Josh. 16:3,5.
    [isbe] HORONITE - hor'-o-nit, ho'-ro-nit (ha-choroni): an appellation of Sanballat (Neh 2:10,19; 13:28), as an inhabitant of BETH-HORON (which see).
    [smith] (native of Horonaim), The, the designation of Sanballat. (Nehemiah 2:10,19; 13:28) It is derived by Gesenius from Horonaim.
    [nave] HORONITE, Sanballat, the, Neh. 2:10, 19; 13:28.

  • JERUSALEM, 2

    [isbe] JERUSALEM, 2 - IV. General Topography of Jerusalem. From the foregoing description of the "natural site," it will be seen that we have to deal with 5 natural subdivisions or hills, two on the western and three on the eastern...

  • Gihon

    [nave] GIHON 1. A river in Egypt, Gen. 2:13. 2. Pools near Jerusalem, 1 Kin. 1:33, 38, 45. Hezekiah brings the waters of the upper pool by an aqueduct into the city of Jerusalem, 2 Chr. 32:4, 30; 33:14; Neh. 2:13-15; 3:13-16; Isa...

  • Sanballat

    [ebd] held some place of authority in Samaria when Nehemiah went up to Jerusalem to rebuild its ruined walls. He vainly attempted to hinder this work (Neh. 2:10, 19; 4:1-12; 6). His daughter became the wife of one of the sons of J...
    [smith] (strength), a Moabite of Horonaim. (Nehemiah 2:10,13; 13:28) He held apparently some command in Samaria at the time Nehemiah was preparing to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, B.C. 445, (Nehemiah 4:2) and from the moment of Neh...
    [nave] SANBALLAT, an enemy of the Jews in rebuilding Jerusalem after the captivity, Neh. 2:10, 19; 4; 6; 13:28.

  • Hezekiah

    [nave] HEZEKIAH 1. King of Judah, 2 Kin. 16:20; 18:1, 2; 1 Chr. 3:13; 2 Chr. 29:1; Matt. 1:9. Religious zeal of, 2 Chr. 29; 30; 31. Purges the nation of idolatry, 2 Kin. 18:4; 2 Chr. 31:1; 33:3. Restores the true forms of worshi...

  • FOUNTAIN

    [smith] (a spring in distinction from a well). The springs of Palestine, though short-lived, are remarkable for their abundance and beauty, especially those which fall into the Jordan and into its lakes, of which there are hundreds t...

  • Tobiah

    [smith] (goodness of Jehovah). "The children of Tobiah" were a family who returned with Zerubbabel, but were unable to prove their connection with Israel -- (Ezra 2:60; Nehemiah 7:62) (B.C. before 536.) "Tobiah the slave, the Ammoni...
    [nave] TOBIAH 1. Ancestor of a family of Babylonian captives, Ezra 2:60; Neh. 7:62. 2. An enemy of the Jews in the time of Nehemiah. Opposes the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem, Neh. 2:10, 19; 4:3, 7, 8. Conspires to injure a...

  • DRAGON WELL

    [ebd] (Neh. 2:13), supposed by some to be identical with the Pool of Gihon.
    [isbe] DRAGON WELL - (Neh 2:13 the King James Version). See JACKAL'S WELL.

  • Jackal

    [isbe] JACKAL - jak'-ol: (1) tannim, "jackals," the King James Version "dragons"; compare Arabic tinan, "wolf"; and compare tannin, Arab tinnin, "sea monster" or "monster" the English Revised Version "dragon" (Job 7:12 m; Ps 74:13;...
    [nave] JACKAL a carnivorous animal Neh. 2:13; Job 30:29; Psa. 44:19; 63:10; Isa. 13:21, 22; 34:13; 35:7; 43:20; Jer. 9:11; 10:22; 14:6; 49:33; 51:37; Lam. 4:3; 5:18; Ezek. 13:4; Mic. 1:8; Mal. 1:3

  • HINNOM, VALLEY OF

    [isbe] HINNOM, VALLEY OF - hin'-om (ge hinnom, Josh 15:8; 18:16; "valley of the son of Hinnom" (ge bhen hinnom), Josh 15:8; 18:16; 2 Ch 28:3; 33:6; Jer 7:31 f; 19:2,6; 32:35; "valley of the children (sons) of Hinnom" (ge bhene hinn...
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Arts

Hymns

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  • [Neh 2:18] The Fathers Built This City

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • The use of the first person identifies the author as Nehemiah, the governor of the Persian province of Judah (1:1-2:20; 13:4-31). His name means "Yahweh has comforted."The mention of Darius the Persian in 12:22 probably refer...
  • The years of history the book covers are 445-431 B.C. or perhaps a few years after that.In 445 B.C. (the twentieth year of Artaxerxes' reign, 1:1) Nehemiah learned of the conditions in Jerusalem that led him to request permis...
  • I. The fortification of Jerusalem chs. 1-7A. The return under Nehemiah chs. 1-21. The news concerning Jerusalem 1:1-32. The response of Nehemiah 1:4-113. The request of Nehemiah 2:1-84. The return to Jerusalem 2:9-20B. The re...
  • Because of the opposition of the Jews' neighbors, Artaxerxes sent a military escort to accompany Nehemiah to Jerusalem (v. 9). It is not certain how many Jews travelled with Nehemiah on this occasion. The writer gave us no nu...
  • The builders finished the walls only 52 days after construction had begun (v. 15). "Elul"is late August and early September. Israel's enemies viewed their rapid progress as evidence that God had helped the workers (v. 16)."Th...
  • Eliashib was the high priest (3:1, 20; 13:28). He was evidently a close relative of Tobiah, the Jewish Ammonite leader who had opposed Nehemiah's efforts to rebuild the walls (2:19; 6:1, 17-18). Probably Eliashib cleaned out ...
  • Here we have another remarkable example of how God controls the hearts of kings (v. 2; Prov. 21:1; cf. Gen. 39-41; Ezra 1:1-4; Neh. 2; Dan. 2; 3; 4; 5; Acts 2:23). "To half of the kingdom"(v. 3) is hyperbole and means, "I wil...
  • This concluding exhortation contains a title for God unique in the Psalter. It highlights His sovereignty and was a favorite of the postexilic community (2 Chron. 36:23; Ezra 2:1; 5:11-12; 6:9-10; 7:12, 21, 23 [twice]; Neh. 1...
  • This message to the people involved another symbolic act (cf. 13:1-11). This incident may have occurred between 609 and 605 B.C.19:1 Yahweh told Jeremiah to take some of Judah's elders and senior priests and to go and purchas...
  • What Jeremiah had predicted for so long finally became a reality for Judah. There are four chapters in the Bible that record the fall of Jerusalem reflecting the importance of this event (39; 52; 2 Kings 25; 2 Chron. 36).39:1...
  • The Ammonites lived north of the Moabites, north of the Arnon River for most of their history, and east of the tribal territories of Gad and Reuben. However, the Ammonites had taken over some Israelite territory in Transjorda...
  • Ezekiel previously recorded an oracle against Ammon (21:28-32). Its placement there was evidently due to the presence of "sword of the Lord"terminology in that oracle, which the other prophecies in that chapter also contain.2...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

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