Nehemiah 2:10
8 And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I will occupy.” And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.
9 Then I went to the governors west of the Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.
But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were deeply disturbed that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites.
11 After I had arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days,
12 I set out at night with a few men. I did not tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal with me was the one on which I was riding.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were deeply disturbed that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites.
- KJV
- When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
- WEB
- When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly, because a man had come to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
- ASV
- And when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly, for that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
- DARBY
- And when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobijah the servant, the Ammonite, heard [of it], it grieved them exceedingly that there had come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
- BLB
- And Sanballat the Horonite heard, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and they were disturbed exceedingly deeply that a man had come to seek the good of the sons of Israel.
- ÅB
- Men da horonitten Sanballat og den ammonittiske tjener Tobias hørte det, syntes de meget ille om at det var kommet en som ville arbeide for Israels barns vel.
- OTB
- Da Sanballat horonitten og Tobia ammonittenes embetsmann hørte om dette, ble de meget misfornøyde over at noen hadde kommet for å søke israelittenes velferd.
- B1930
- Men da horonitten Sanballat og den ammonittiske tjener Tobias hørte det, syntes de meget ille om at det var kommet en som vilde arbeide for Israels barns vel.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Nehemiah 2:19
But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked us and ridiculed us, saying, “What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”
Read in contextNehemiah 4:7
When Sanballat and Tobiah, together with the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites, heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they were furious,
Read in contextNehemiah 13:4
Now before this, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God
Read in contextActs 19:26–27
And you can see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in nearly the whole province of Asia, Paul has persuaded a great number of people to turn away. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all.
Read in contextProverbs 27:4
Wrath is cruel and anger is like a flood, but who can withstand jealousy?
Read in contextEzekiel 25:6–8
For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you clapped your hands and stomped your feet and rejoiced over the land of Israel with a heart full of contempt,
Read in contextNehemiah 6:1
When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left—though to that time I had not yet installed the doors in the gates—
Read in contextPsalms 112:10
The wicked man will see and be grieved; he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the desires of the wicked will perish.
Read in context