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.
When Sanballat from Horon and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were deeply upset that someone had come to help and improve things for the people of Israel.
This verse shows that when God's people try to do good work, there will always be enemies who oppose them and hate to see God's people flourish.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Nehemiah, the Jewish people had returned from exile in Babylon and were facing opposition while trying to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem to protect their city and reestablish their community. Nehemiah, a Jewish official serving the Persian king, had just received royal permission to travel to Jerusalem and lead this reconstruction effort. Sanballat, a governor from Horon, and Tobiah, an Ammonite official, were distressed by this news because they viewed the strengthening of Jewish society as a threat to their regional influence and control.
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