And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?
He spoke in front of his fellow officials and the army of Samaria, saying, 'What are these weak Jews trying to do? Do they think they can fortify themselves? Do they plan to offer sacrifices? Do they think they can finish in a day? Can they bring these burned stones back to life from piles of rubble?'
This verse shows Sanballat mocking the Jewish people's efforts to rebuild Jerusalem's walls, ridiculing their strength, their faith, and their ability to restore what had been destroyed.
📚 Historical Context
This takes place around 445 BC when Nehemiah was leading the Jews in rebuilding Jerusalem's walls after their return from Babylonian exile. Sanballat was a Samaritan leader who opposed the reconstruction project, likely because a fortified Jerusalem would threaten his political influence in the region. The walls and much of the city had been destroyed by the Babylonians about 140 years earlier.
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