Matthew Poole and continuators on Nehemiah 4

1 BUt it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we built the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews .

Pretending contempt in his words when he had grief in his Heart.

Marginal references: Ch. 2. 10.

2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria , and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortifie 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 burnt ?

Tobiah, v. 3. and Geshem, ch. 2. 19. and others, whom he calls his brethren, because of their conjunction with him in office and interest.

Whom he designed hereby to incense against them, or at least to understand their minds herein.

Do they intend to begin, and finish the work, and keep the feast of dedication by sacrifice all in one day? for if they spend any long time about it, they cannot think that we and the rest of their Neighbours will suffer them to do it. Thus he persuaded himself and his companions, that their attempt was ridiculous; and this mistake kept him from giving them any disturbance, till it was too late. So God infaruated him to his own grief and shame, and to the advantage of his people.

Will they pick up their broken stones out of the ruines, and patch them together, for other materials they want.

i. e. Which stones were burnt, and broken, or consumed to powder, to wit, by the Chaldeans when they took the City. See on ch. 1. 3.

Marginal references: Heb. leave to themselves.

3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, even that which they build, if a fox go up , he shall even break down their stone-wall .

He mentions the Foxes, because they were very numerous in those parts and because in the late desolations the Foxes did walk in the Mount, and City of Zion, Lamen. 5. 18. wherewith he seems to upbraid them.

It is so low, that a Fox can easily get to the top of it, and so weak, and done so hastily and carelesly, that the least thrust will tumble it down.

4 Hear, O our God, for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head , and give them for a prey in the land of captivity :

Let them be really as contemptible as they represent us to be. This and the following requests may seem harsh, but they were both just, as being directed against such malicious, inveterate, and implacable enemies to God, and to his People, and necessary for the vindication, and defence of Gods Honour, and Worship, and People.

let them be removed from our Neighbourhood, and carried into Captivity; and there let them find no favour, but further severity. Or, give them for a prey to their enemies, and let these carry them into the land of captivity.

Marginal references: Heb. despite.

5 And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee ; for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders .

Let their wickedness be in thy sight, so as to bring down deserved judgments upon them, that either they may be convinced and reformed, or others may be warned by their example. God is said to cover or hide sin when he forbears to punish it.

i. e. They have not only provoked us builders, but thee also. Or, they have provoked or derided the builders to their face. i. e. openly and impudently, in contempt of God, and of this work which is done by his direction and encouragement.

Marginal references: Psal. 109. 14. 15.

6 So built we the wall: and all the wall was joyned together unto the half thereof : for the people had a mind to work.

Either, 1. in length, or rather, 2. in heighth: for the whole circumference of the wall was distributed among the builders, who also had carried on the work, beginning at the sheep-gate, and ending there also, as appears from ch. 3. 1, 32. and the walls of Ierusalem are said to be made up, here v. 7.

7 But it came to pass that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped , then they were very wroth,

i. e. That the breaches which the Chaldeans had made, and left in the walls, were well-nigh stopped up.

Marginal references: Heb. healing went up to the wall. 2 Chr. 24. 13.

10 And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish , so that we are not able to build the wall :

i. e. The Jews now dwelling in Iudah, to wit, some of them being partly terrified by their enemies, and partly wearied with hard and continual labours.

More than we are able suddenly to remove.

Being forced to spend our time in removing the rubbish, and other works imposed upon us; and therefore we must desist, at least for a season.

11 And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them , and cause the work to cease.

We will come secretly, and unexpectedly upon them, so as they shall neither foresee their danger, nor be able to prevent it.

12 And it came to pass that when the Jews which dwelt by them , came, they said unto us ten times , From all places, whence ye shall return unto us, they will be upon you .

Or, among them: whereby they came to the knowledge of their counsels.

i. e. very often. A certain number for an uncertain.

i. e. They will invade you every way, by which we can come to you, or you to us; and therefore do you keep watches on every side. But these words may be otherwise rendred thus, On all parts where you shall be quiet, or at rest. (i. e. secure: for the Hebrew, Sc[illegible: 1+ letters]ub signifies not only to return, but also to be quiet, or at ease, as Hebricians know: they will be upon us, i. e. upon our people, and city Ierusalem, where you are. And they rather say upon us than upon you, to manifest their affection to them, and conjunction with them, and that they looked upon themselves as Members of the same Body and Church with them, and took what was designed or done against them, as if it were against themselves, and therefore gave them this friendly notice. Or the place may be rendred thus, They told this (to wit, the enemies intentions) to us ten times, coming from all places where they dwelt or rested (Heb. you rested. The second person being put for the third, as it is both in the Hebrew language, as Gen. 10. 19. 30. & 25. 18. and in the Hebrew Text, Psal. 22. 9. and in other languages and authors: of which, see my Latine Synopsis upon Gen. 10. 19. and that it is so here, we have the consent of the Seventy, and Arabick, and of some modern, and accurate Interpreters, who render it by a verb of the third person) about us; whence they came purposely to inform and warn us. Or thus, They told this to us ten times from all places whence they did return to us. Which phrase of returning to us, i. e. to Ierusalem, suits very well with those persons who came up with their brethren from Babylon to Ierusalem, and went thence into several parts of the country to dwell where they thought meet, and returned now, and at other times as they had occasion, to their brethren at Ierusalem.

Marginal references: Or, [illegible: 1 word] from [illegible: 1 word] ye [illegible: 1 word] to u[illegible: 1+ letters].

13 Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall , and on the higher places , I even set the people after their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

To stand by, and within the walls where they were lowest and not yet raised to their due heighth, and therefore most liable to the enemies assault.

Upon the tops of the walls where they were finished, and the Towers which were built here and there upon the wall; whence they might shoot arrows, or throw stones against their enemies, when they made their approaches.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] of [illegible: 1 word]

15 And it came to pass when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work .

Our enemies being frustrated in their hopes, which were wholly built upon the secrecy, and suddenness of their attempt, we knowing this, returned to our business.

16 And it came to pass from that time forth , that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons ; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah .

Le[illegible: 1+ letters]t our enemies should repeat their enterprize.

Of my domestick servants, and of my guards, who should have attended upon my own person.

i. e. All their weapons: they stood in their arms prepared for battel.

Partly to encourage them in their work, and sometimes to assist with their own hands: and partly to direct and command them in case of an assault.

i. e. The Jews who were upon the wall.

17 They which built on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon .

This is not to be taken properly, for they could never have done their work with one hand, and the next verse tells us the sword was not in their hands, but by their sides; but figuratively; this being a proverbial speech, such as is frequent amongst the Latines, as when they say of a man pretending kindness with evil design, He carries bread in one hand, and a stone in another.

18 For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so built: and he that sounded the trumpet was by me.

To call the people together, when, and where it was fit and necessary.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word] loyns,

21 So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the Spears, from the rising of the morning, till the stars appeared .

Working very early, and very late.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word]

22 Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodg within Jerusalem , that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.

No[illegible: 1+ letters] in the Suburbs, or adjoining Villages, as probably many of them did, returning thence to their work in the morning.

23 So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our cloth[illegible: 1+ letters] , saving that every one put them off for washing .

Neither by day, not by night, as the manner is when we go to Bed, they constantly kept themselves in a readiness for fighting.

When they were to wa[illegible: 1+ letters]h and cleanse themselves from some natural or moral impurity which might befal them or their Garments.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 span]