Nehemiah 4:2

And he spake before his brethren Sanballat's -brethren" would be the chiefs of the Samaritan community.

and the army of Samaria -the army" (LXX. δύναμις): the word here used is the one generally employed for -armed forces," see Nehemiah 2:9; Ezra 8:22; Esther 1:3. The Samaritans seem to have hastily summoned their forces to consider whether it would be practicable to compel the Jews by a sudden onslaught to desist from an undertaking so menacing to Samaritan independence. -The army" therefore is not equivalent to -an assembly (Vulg. frequentia)," but to the population trained in war and capable of bearing arms, collected in face of a sudden emergency. Some have supposed that a body of regular Persian troops stationed at Samaria under a Governor (Nehemiah 2:7) is intended.

What dothese feeble Jews? The word rendered -feeble" only occurs here in the O.T. It denotes the languor of weakness. It is akin to a word found in 1 Samuel 2:5, -And she that hath many children languisheth" (A.V. -is waxed feeble").

will they fortify themselves? so R.V. text. R.V. marg. -Or, will they leave to themselvesaught? Or, will men let them alone?"

This short interrogative clause has occasioned much difficulty, on account of the word rendered -fortify," the natural rendering of which (as in Nehemiah 3:8, where see note) would be -leave." The versions, LXX. ὄτι οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι οὗτοι οἰκοδομοῦσι τὴν ἑαυτῶν πόλιν, Vulg. num dimittent eos gentes, fail to throw any light upon the passage.

(a) The rendering of the English versions gives a clear and intelligible meaning. But (1) the use of the word in the sense of -fortify" belongs to late Hebrew and is very rare: (2) in Biblical Hebrew it can only be supported by the uncertain testimony of Nehemiah 3:8: (3) there is no mockery in such a question, corresponding to the tone of the other queries.

(b) -will they leave to themselves aught?" This rendering which preserves the usual meaning of the disputed word, is open to the two very strong objections that, (1) the point of the question is conveyed by a word which is not found in the text, i.e. -aught," (2) the full meaning, obtained from this rendering (i.e. -do they expect to survive such an attempt? the Persian Empire will extirpate a people of such presumption; and nothing will be left to them"), is read into the words rather than derived from them.

(c) -will men let them alone?" i.e. will the Persian Government or the neighbouring races permit the Jews to carry out their design? Against this rendering, which gives a very intelligible meaning, it must be urged, that (1) it necessitates an awkward change of subject introducing a new subject between two clauses in which -the Jews" are the subject, (2) it treats the Jewish project with serious indignation instead of with the contempt expressed in the other queries.

(d) -will they commit themselves unto them?" i.e. will the Jews entrust themselves and so great a work to their leaders? But we should expect a greater definiteness of expression in a short scornful question.

(e) -will they on their own behalf (lit. for themselves) commit themselves (i.e. unto God)?" According to this rendering Sanballat is quoting a cant Jewish phrase -to commit oneself," leaving his hearers to understand its special application. This use of the word may be illustrated from Psalms 10:14, -the helpless committeth (lit. leaveth) himself unto thee." The mockery of such a question is quite in harmony with the general tone of Sanballat's question.

(f) But it is more probable that the great obscurity of the words arises from an early error in the text, a scribe omitting two syllables very similar to those which followed, and writing -lâhem" = -to them" for -lêlôheyhem" = -to their God." The sense then would be, -Will they commit themselves to their God?" The same textual error occurs in 1 Samuel 3:13 (see R.V. marg.). It may then be compared with Rabshakeh's words in 2 Kings 18:30; 2Ki 18:32; 2 Kings 18:35.

will they sacrifice? A mocking question; equivalent to -do the Jews imagine that they have only to collect together and propitiate their God with sacrifices, and their work will be done?"

will they make an end in a day? Is it to be all done so simply and so quickly? -In a day" might be rendered -in the day," as if they said, -will they make a beginning and an end in this day?" (LXX. σήμερον, Vulg. in una die).

will they revive …? Are they going to work miracles? The LXX. renders -will they heal?" (ἰάσονται). Cf. -the repairing" (R.V.) in Nehemiah 4:7.

of the heaps of the rubbish which are burnt R.V. out of the heaps of rubbish, seeing they are burned? The word -burned" refers to -the stones." Compare on the accumulation of rubbish Sir C. Warren's statements respecting the excavations at Jerusalem, e.g. in his paper -The site of the Temple of the Jews" (Trans. Bibl. Arch. vol. vii. p. 320), -We … found that the old wall exists to the enormous depth of 125 feet below the rubbish, with stones of very great size."