The Pulpit Commentary — Nehemiah — Section 21

Ver. 11.-1 . . . was there three days. of the streets" (' Stanley,' 1. s. c.); situated Compe.re Ezra viii 32. After the long towards the middle of the southern wall. journey, three days of rest were necessary. Ver. 14.-The gate of the fountain. A STEPS TAKEN BY NEHEMIAH PRELIMINARY gate _near the pool of Siloe.m (which, though TO HIS BUILDING OF THE WALL, AND FIRST bearing that name in eh. iii. 16, seems to be APPEAll.ANOE OF OPPOSITION (eh, ii. 12-20). here called "the king's pool") ; perhaps the "gate between two walls" of 2 Kings xxv. Hitherto Nehemiah had communicated his 4. There was no place for the beast that purpose to no one but the king and queen of wae under me to paee. The accumulated Persia. He expected opposition, and re- rubbish blocked the way. The animal could solved to baffle his opponents, as long as not proceed. N ebemiah therefore dismoun tcd possible, by concealing his exact designs. ai:id "in the night," dark as it was, pursued his way on foot. Even when further concealment was on the Ver. 15.-By the brook. "The brook point of becoming impossible, he made his Kidron," which skirted the city on the east. survey of the wall by night, that it might From this be would be able to " look up at escape observation. At last, the time for the eastern wall" along its whole length action being come, he 'WB.S obliged to lay the and see its condition. Following the brook: he was brought to the north-eastern anale matter before the head men of the city (ver. of the city ; on reaching which be ~eemtto 17), whom he easily persuaded when he have "turned back" towards the point assured them of Artaxerxes' consent and from which he had started, and skirting the goodwill Preparations then began to be northern wall,!to have re-entered by the gate made ; and immediately murmurs of opposi- of the valley. Ver. 16.-The rulers. On Nehemiah's tion arose. Three opponents are now spoken arrival at Jerusalem he found no single of- Sanballat, Tobiah, and an .Arabian, individual exercising authority, but a. num- Geshem or Gashmn, not previously men- ber of persons, a sort of town-council, whom tioned. These persons appear to have sent be calls khoi·im and saganvm. It is not a formal message to the anthorities of J eru- clear that he made his commission known to them at first, or indeed that he divulged it salem (ver. 19), taxing them with an inten- before the interview mentioned in vers. 17 tion to rebel Nehemiah made no direct and 18. The rest that did the work. This reply to this charge, but boldly stated his seems to be said by anticipation, and to resolve to " arise and build," and denied mean those who subsequently built the wall. Ver. 17.-Then said I unto them. Ewald Sanballat's right to interfere with him (ver. boldly assumes that this happened the next 20). day ; but there is nothing to show that it Ver. 12.-Some few men with me. All was so soon, The original contains no note the arrangements are made to avoid notice. of time-not even the word '' then." N ehe- Nehemiah goes out by ni,ght, with few at- miah simply says, "And I said to them." tendants, and with only one beast. He is The distress. Or " affliction," as the word anxious to see with his own eyes what is the is translated in eh. i 3. No special suffering extent of the repa.ir needed, but wishes as seems to be intended, beyond that of lying few as possible to know of his proceedings. open to attack, and being a '' reproach " in Ver. 13. -The valley gate. A gate on the the sight of the heathen. Lieth waste. On western or south-western side of Jerusalem, this hyperbole see the comment upon ver. 3. opening towards the valley of Hinnom. Ver. 18.-Then I told them of the hand There are no means of fixing its exact posi- of my God. Nehemiah sketched the history tion. It was one of those which Uzziah of his past life, and showed how God's fortified (2 Chron. x:xvi 9). The dragon providence bad always shielded him and well Dean Stanley suggests that " the supported him. This, however, would dragon well" is the spring known generally scarcely have had any great effect had be as '' the pool of Siloam," and that the legend, not been able to appeal further to the king's which describes the intermittent flow of the words that he had spoken. These words Siloam water as produced by the opening clearly contained permission to rebuild ihe and closing of a dragon's mouth, bad already wall, and took a.way the danger of their so sprung up ('Lectures on the Jewish Church,' doing being regarded as on act of re bell ion Third Series, p. 125); but the Siloam spring by the Persians. What others might think seems to lie too far to the eastward to suit was not of very much account. And they the present passage, and is most likely re- said, Let ue rise up and build. Nehemiah's presented by the "king's pool" of ver. 14. address had all the effect he hoped for from The d11I1g port. "The gate outside of which it. He was anxious to carry the nation with Jay the piles of the sweepings and olfscow'ings him, and induce them, one and all, to OFT. II, 9-20.] THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH. 19