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?
But when Sanballat from Horonaim, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arabian heard about our plans, they mocked us and looked down on us with contempt. They said, 'What do you think you're doing? Are you planning to rebel against the king?'
This verse shows how Nehemiah's enemies tried to stop the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls by mocking the work and falsely accusing the Jews of rebellion against the Persian king.
📚 Historical Context
In the 5th century BC, Nehemiah, a Jewish exile serving as cupbearer to the Persian King Artaxerxes, received permission to return to Jerusalem and rebuild its broken walls, which had lain in ruins since the Babylonian destruction decades earlier. This initiative threatened the power of neighboring leaders like Sanballat from Horon, Tobiah from Ammon, and Geshem from Arabia, who opposed any strengthening of Jewish autonomy. Their mockery and accusations of rebellion were aimed at undermining Nehemiah's efforts and maintaining their regional influence.
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