Approximately four months have passed since Nehemiah received the news about the Jews, Nehemiah 2:1 / Nehemiah 1:1-3. Nisan was the first month of the Jewish year, Nehemiah 2:1, the Aramaic name is Abib, which is around March or April.
As a cupbearer to the king, it was his responsibility to drink some of the king’s wine before the king partook in order to see if it was poisoned, Nehemiah 2:1. Whenever someone went before the king, they were always to show a spirit of cheer and joy, but here, Nehemiah couldn’t before the king in his usual manner because of the lengthy mourning, fasting and praying he had been experiencing for Jerusalem, Nehemiah 1:4 / Esther 4:2. Many commentators suggest that the king had several cupbearers, who all took it in turn to serve the king.
He goes before the king to serve him his wine as had probably done many times in the past, Nehemiah 2:1, but this time he had a sad expression on his face. Obviously, this wasn’t the first time Nehemiah went before the king to serve him his wine, probably with a smile on his face, but this time the king notices that Nehemiah is looking sad and so, he asks him what was happening, Nehemiah 2:2.
When the king asked him this, Nehemiah became fearful because a servant wasn’t supposed to show sadness before the king and he knew it could cost him his life. Overcoming his fear, Nehemiah tells him what the problem was but first, he tells the king how much he respects him by saying, ‘may the king live forever,’ Nehemiah 2:3. Then he goes on to tell the king how his ancestor’s city was in ruins, Nehemiah 2:3.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following, concerning ‘the city where my ancestors’.
‘We may conclude from this that Nehemiah was of the tribe of Judah, as Eusebius and Jerome say that he was.’
We can only imagine what was going through Nehemiah’s mind as we awaits an answer from the king. Artaxerxes him now asks Nehemiah what his request was, Nehemiah 2:4, and the response must have been one of rejoicing because God had answered his prayers, Nehemiah 1:11.
Nehemiah prays to God again, Nehemiah 2:4, possibly thanking Him or asking for courage to continue. After his prayer, he continues to show respect for the king as he makes his request known. He wants to go to Judah to help get his ancestor’s city rebuilt, Nehemiah 2:5.
Broadman, Bible Commentary, says the following.
‘Artaxerxes had commissioned Rehum and Shimshai to bring a stop to the rebuilding and fortifying of Jerusalem, Ezra 4:8-23.’
Notice the king with the queen sitting beside him wants to know how long he would be gone and Nehemiah gave him a time, Nehemiah 2:6.
Wycliff, Bible Commentary, says the following.
‘Polygamy was popular among Persian kings, nevertheless they also had one principal wife whom they designated as “the Queen. The legitimate queen of Artaxerxes was Damaspia.’
Although weren’t not told what that time was, we do know that it takes three to four months just to travel to Jerusalem one way and then he had to have time to help rebuild. The set time he had given the king most probably changed because Nehemiah’s first term in Judah was twelve years, Nehemiah 5:14, after which he returned to Artaxerxes, and then went back to Judah, Nehemiah 13:6-7.
Nehemiah also asks for a letter to pass through the land safely to Judah and for a letter to Asaph for building supplies for the city, Nehemiah 2:7. These governors were governors appointed by the Persians who served in the western territories of the Empire. On his way to Judah, Nehemiah would have passed through the border controls of several governors of the Persian Empire, hence why he asks for letters of authority that would allow him to pass unhindered and unquestioned.
The permission to rebuild the walls that were given to Nehemiah was a reversal of the Persian king’s decree that was made during the time of Ezra, Nehemiah 2:8 / Ezra 4:21. Notice that Nehemiah gives all the credit to God, Nehemiah 2:8, he is well aware that God is working in and through him.
In the former decree to stop the building of the walls, Artaxerxes had stated that the building should be stopped until another decree was made by him. Nehemiah’s authorization, therefore, was the other decree, which decree gave Nehemiah authority to build the walls.
Just as the Lord moved the spirit of Cyrus to allow the first exiles to return, Ezra 1:1, it’s possible that the Lord did the same to the king’s spirit as the king grants his request and he becomes the new governor of Judah.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘In all of the wonderful things that God did for the children of Israel, there are few things any more astounding than this. That a Persian king should have reversed a former decision stopping the work of the Jews on the walls of their city, and then have sent a trusted emissary, accompanied by a military escort, and endowed with full authority to reconstruct the walls and fortify the city of Jerusalem, only God could have caused a thing like that to happen.’
It appears that Sanballat and Tobiah aren’t impressed with Nehemiah because he has a full military escort, Nehemiah 2:9. Ezra had previously refused government protection on his journey several years before, Ezra 8:22, but here Nehemiah had special letters of authority from the government of Persia, Nehemiah 2:7-9.
Sanballat and Tobiah weren’t happy about this and they were disturbed because they both opposed the Jews and didn’t want them to be successful, Nehemiah 2:10 / Ezra 4:4-24 / Ezra 5:6-17. The problem for them was the king is on the side of the Jews and this would bring to an end, their ability to keep the Jews from rebuilding their city.
Sanballat was the governor of Samaria at the time Nehemiah was in Judah. The Tobiah family was a very influential family in the Palestinian area during the time of Nehemiah, and up to the second century, they retained their influence throughout the region.
Tobiah is evidently a wealthy landowner and lord of the time, and because of this, he had great influence throughout the region. The third individual that opposed Nehemiah’s work was Geshem, a prominent Arab leader, Nehemiah 2:19 / Nehemiah 6:1-2 / Nehemiah 6:6. Geshem was also a very influential person in the region, and so, he put his influence behind Sanballat and Tobiah to bring to an end anything that the Jews attempted.
Nehemiah goes to Jerusalem and after staying there three days he set out during the night with a few others, Nehemiah 2:11. He then goes out by night and begins to survey the city with a few men, Nehemiah 2:12. Notice how Nehemiah anticipated the resistance he would have received from Jews at Jerusalem, so he didn’t tell any of them what God had planned to do through him, Nehemiah 2:12.
He wants to keep his initial plans a secret until he had made a plan for rebuilding. He wants to see what had to be done and the best way to accomplish the task. At one point there were no mounts with him except the one he was riding on, Nehemiah 2:12.
By night Nehemiah goes through the Valley Gate, which was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah, Nehemiah 3:13. toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, which was the place where the excrement of humans and animals were disposed. The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Rekab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem. He rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place, Nehemiah 3:14.
He also examined the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire, Nehemiah 2:13. Then he moves on toward the Fountain Gate, which Shallun ruler of the district of Mizpah, repaired. He rebuilt it, roofed it, set up its doors, bolts, and bars, and repaired the wall of the Pool of Shelah at the king’s garden, as far as the stairs that descend from the City of David, Nehemiah 3:15.
Nehemiah also went by the King’s Pool, Nehemiah 3:15, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through so he went up the valley by night, on foot examining the wall, Nehemiah 2:14-15. Finally, he turned back and re-entered through the Valley Gate, Nehemiah 2:15 / Nehemiah 3:13.
Broadman, Bible Commentary, says the following.
‘Excavations by Kathleen Kenyon have revealed dramatically why Nehemiah’s mount could not pass along the eastern wall. The steep slopes had been built up with gigantic stone terraces. When Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city, those terraces with the buildings constructed on them collapsed into the valley below and when Nehemiah came the entire area (around that south-eastern section) was an incredible mass of fallen stones. Nehemiah abandoned the pre-exilic line of the east wall altogether and constructed a new wall along the crest of the hill.’
Notice the officials didn’t know where he had gone and what he had done, Nehemiah 2:16. Although Nehemiah was working under the authority of the Persian king, the local rulers of the Empire were working against him.
Nehemiah goes head and tells the Jews, the priests, nobles, and officials of his plan. He begins by pointing out all the distress they are facing from the opponents, like the Samaritans, Nehemiah 2:17 / Ezra 4:4-24. Since they hadn’t been able to rebuild the city, it became a daily reminder of their oppression. Notice how he gives God the credit again by informing them that it was God who had made this moment possible Nehemiah 2:18.
Nehemiah calls for them to end this oppression and show their enemies that they can rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and restore the burned down gates. Nehemiah knows if the Jews could finish the city, it would change their outlook on life. Think about this for a moment, Nehemiah has never seen a miracle, he never received any visions and he never had a visit from an angel, however, he had great faith, Romans 8:28-37.
Nehemiah tells the people about the support they have from the king and so, all these people needed to be refocused on rebuilding the city, they need a strong and encouraging leader like Nehemiah. Imagine how the Jews must have felt at this point, for all of a sudden there is hope, and they shout out, ‘let us start rebuilding’, Nehemiah 2:18 / Matthew 10:28 / Romans 8:31.
The people rise up at the encouragement of Nehemiah and begin to build, Nehemiah 2:18, because they desperately wanted to work for God. The opposition to the work of God first came by Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab who were mocking them, Nehemiah 2:19, that is, they are trying to embarrass those who are working.
The workers answered the mockers by saying, ‘the God of heaven will give us success’ Nehemiah 2:20. Nehemiah’s confidence to do the work of God resulted from his knowledge of the will of God for Israel. Notice he tells the mockers, who were Gentiles that they have no share or claim or historic right to the city, Nehemiah 2:20. Nehemiah focused on preserving the heritage of Israel for the coming of the Messiah, Ezra 4:2.