B. Nehemiah’s Return (2:1-20)
Four months elapsed from the time Nehemiah received Hanani’s report (in Kislev, the ninth month) and his opportunity to appeal to the king (in Nisan, the first month of the new year). These months of fasting and mourning had exacted a physical and emotional toll on Nehemiah, as the king noticed immediately. In response to Artaxerxes' question, “What is it you want?” Nehemiah offered his famous “lightning” prayer (v.4b) even while formulating his request.
Nehemiah first requested permission to rebuild his native city. He never mentioned Jerusalem by name, perhaps because Artaxerxes had earlier ordered building projects there stopped (Ezr 4:21). Nehemiah then asked for official letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates for safe conduct and to the keeper of the royal forest for timber. When the king granted his requests, Nehemiah attributed his success to “the gracious hand of God” that was upon him (v.8).
Attempts to contrast Nehemiah’s use of a militant escort (v.9) with Ezra’s rejection of it (Ezr 8:22) miss the point. As an official of the king on a royal mission, Nehemiah was obliged to travel with full military honors. For Ezra the priest and scribe, such was not the case.
In 2:10 Nehemiah’s chief antagonists are introduced, Sanballat the Honorite and Tobiah the Ammonite. Sanballat is mentioned in the Elephantine Papyri where he is called “governor of Samaria” (Pritchard, 492). The Tobiad family, likely descended from this Tobiah, figured prominently in Jewish affairs during the intertestamental period. The arrival of a Jew in Jerusalem with royal authority to promote the welfare of the Israelites was perceived as a threat by these men.
Nehemiah’s initial act was to gain firsthand knowledge of the situation. He made a clandestine inspection of the walls of Jerusalem (vv.11-16). His secrecy was designed to forestall opposition until he was able to initiate a plan of action. Archaeological work in Jerusalem over the past two decades has illumined Nehemiah’s nocturnal walk. He began his tour on the west side of the city and proceeded counterclockwise around the old city of David.
Armed with this information, Nehemiah was able to present his plan for rebuilding the walls to the Jewish leaders (vv.17-18). He emphasized that both God and the king were behind the endeavor. The leaders responded, “Let us start rebuilding.”
Sanballat and his allies soon heard of the work and launched a verbal attack against the Jews, accusing them of rebellion (v.19). The addition of a third opponent, Geshem the Arab, meant that opponents confronted the Jews on three sides: Samaritans on the north, Ammonites on the east, and Arabs to the south. Later (4:7) the circle would be closed when enemies to the west joined these.
Nehemiah set the tone for future dealings with his opponents in his unequivocal response to their charges (v.20). He appealed to the Jews' divine mandate to rebuild, and then, utilizing legal terminology, informed his opponents that they had no share (ḥēleq), claim (ṣ'd̠āqāh), or historic right (zikkārôn) in Jerusalem.