MPV Commentary

When Sanballat learned that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and hostile. The Samaritan faction showed their bitter opposition to the Jews by ridiculing them with scornful remarks. They mocked our weakness in numbers and wealth, calling our plan to rebuild the walls and celebrate the feast of dedication in one day absurd. They also laughed at our idea of using charred and decaying debris from the old ruins as building materials.

The Samaritans' ridicule was fueled by their own party's disdain for us. They saw us as inferior and unworthy, and they reveled in our perceived weaknesses. Their scornful remarks were designed to increase hatred and contempt for us among their own people.

In response to these mocking comments, Nehemiah and his friends invoked God's judgment on their enemies. When they prayed, "If a fox go up," they referred to the fact that foxes infested the ruined areas of Jerusalem (Lamentations 5:18). This imagery highlighted the desolate state of the city.

Nehemiah and his friends prayed for God to hear them, as they were despised by their enemies. Their imprecations may seem harsh or vindictive, but they were motivated by a zealous desire to see God's glory and cause succeed. They saw Sanballat and his followers as enemies of God and His people, deserving of judgment.

Meanwhile, the wall was being rebuilt, with various groups of people working on different sections. The entire circuit of the wall had been divided into sections, and by this point, half of it had been completed to its intended height.