Nehemiah 2:19

The Derision of the Enemy

19. Sanballat … Tobiah See Nehemiah 2:10.

Geshem the Arabian A third prominent adversary of Nehemiah is here introduced. His name occurs again in Nehemiah 6:1-2. In Nehemiah 6:6, the name is written as -Gashmu," a dialectical variety agreeing, as it is said, with North-Arabian usage. Geshem is clearly the chief of some Arabian tribe. But whether he represented Arabians on the Southern border of Judah or the Arabian community established by Sargon king of Assyria in the depopulated neighbourhood of Samaria (715) is a disputed point. If the former, then the movement, which he now took part in, must be regarded as a coalition of all the neighbouring peoples against the restoration of Jerusalem's greatness. If the latter, then the movement is to be chiefly connected with the hostility of the Samaritans.

the Arabian See on Nehemiah 4:7.

laughed us to scorn A strong word, familiar to us from its occurrence in the Psalter (Psalms 2:4; Psalms 22:7; Psalms 59:8; Psalms 80:6). We are not told whether this scorn was expressed by letter or in a personal interview.

despised us See the two words occurring together in 2 Kings 19:21; Ezekiel 36:4. The ground of the contempt here expressed is not quite obvious. Some suppose that the enemy scoffed in ignorance of the king's decree in favour of Nehemiah's action, and that, regarding the Jews as embarking upon a course of open rebellion, they derided an undertaking which they thought could have but one conclusion. On the other hand, it is hardly likely that Nehemiah would have kept in the background the royal authority for his undertaking. We know he had been to the -governors" of the province (Nehemiah 2:9).

It is more probable that in order to alienate the Persian officials and to frighten the more timid spirits among the Jews, they pretended to interpret Nehemiah's action as the first step towards a real rebellion. The insignificance of the Jewish community in size and strength its inability to take any political step of real importance presented an easy target for ridicule, which was calculated to arouse the suspicions of Persian officials at the same time that it promoted disaffection amongst the waverers in Jerusalem.

will ye rebel Or -are ye rebelling?" Vulg. Numquid contra regem vos rebellatis?LXX. ἀποστατεῖτε.