Nehemiah 2:10

When R.V. And when.

This is the first mention of the opposition which Nehemiah encountered. The news of his mission quickly spread, although its precise object was not known (cf. Nehemiah 2:12; Nehemiah 2:16).

Sanballat and Tobiah appear throughout the book as the bitterest foes he had to encounter. -Sanballat," or, as perhaps it should be called, Saneballat (LXX. Σαναβαλλὰτ, Josephus Σαναβαλλέτης) is probably an Assyrian name, meaning -Sin (the moon-god of the Assyrians) giveth life," just as Nabubalitanni means -Nebo giveth the life." The name of the moon-god appears also in Sennacherib = -Sin gives many brothers." Sanballat is distinguished as -the Horonite," by which is probably meant -dweller in Beth-horon," a town on the borders of Ephraim (Joshua 16:3; Joshua 16:5; Joshua 18:13; Jos 21:22; 2 Chronicles 8:5; 2 Chronicles 25:13), about 18 miles N.W. of Jerusalem, upon the main road leading to the plain of the coast. Beth-horon commanded the pass into the mountains. Strategically it was a place of great importance. It is famous for its connexion with the victories of Joshua (Joshua 10:10), of Judas Maccabeus (Malachi 3:15; Malachi 3:15; 1Ma 7:39), and as the scene of the overthrow of Cestius Gallus (Joseph. Bell. J.ii. 19. 8).

Sanballat was evidently one of the leaders of the Samaritan community (see on Nehemiah 4:2). Some scholars imagine from the frequent conjunction of his name with that of Tobiah the Ammonite, that Sanballat must have been a Moabite, and that the title -Horonite" denotes a dweller in -Horonaim," a town in Southern Moab, mentioned in Isaiah 15:5; Jeremiah 48:3; Jeremiah 48:5; Jeremiah 48:34, and twice in the Inscription of the Moabite Stone.

Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite Why Tobiah is called -the servant" is not clear. It may denote that he once held some position under the Persian governor or under the king. Rawlinson's suggestion that he was Sanballat's secretary and councillor, and had originally been an Ammonite slave, is less probable. He is generally mentioned on an equality with Sanballat, and in Nehemiah 6:12; Nehemiah 6:14, his name stands first. Frequent mention is made of Tobiah's intrigues against the work and authority of Nehemiah. According to some, the termination --jah" shows him to have been a renegade Jew: cf. Ezra 2:60; Zechariah 6:10, where the same name occurs. His son's name, Jehohanan (Nehemiah 6:18), is also compounded of the Jewish Sacred Name.

The race-hatred between the Jews and the Ammonites and Moabites (see Nehemiah 13:1-2) may explain in some degree Tobiah's hostility. But in all probability the Samaritans and the neighbouring nations (Moabites, Ammonites, Arabians, &c.) were combined in the desire to foil any effort made to reinstate Jerusalem in her old position of being the most powerful town in Palestine. The policy of Nehemiah would weaken the neighbouring tribes in proportion as it would strengthen the Jews.

Tobiah may have in some way represented the Ammonites, possibly as governor of their small community, having received the position from the court where he had been a slave (cf. Ecclesiastes 10:6; Lamentations 5:8, -servants rule over us").

it grieved them exceedingly Cf. the same phrase in Jonah 4:1.

that there was come a man R.V. for that, &c.

a man Contemptuous reference to Nehemiah. His office and position as -pekhah" not referred to. The Hebrew -adam," not -ish," is used. For the difference when both occur together, cf. Psalms 49:2 (-both low and high"), Psalms 62:9; Isaiah 2:9; Isaiah 5:15.

to seek the welfare of Literally, -to seek good for." The phrase is not common; it is the antithesis of" to seek the hurt" (Esther 9:2). In Jeremiah 38:4, -this man seeketh not the welfareof this people, but the hurt," the word rendered -welfare" is -shalom" or -peace," here it is -tôbh," the good or prosperity.