And I said, should such a man as I flee?
&c.] The king's commissioner, who had the conducting and management of the whole affair of building the wall of Jerusalem, on whom it wholly depended; for, should he absent himself, the people would depart and leave their work, and the city and wall be left defenceless, which was what was hoped for from this scheme; and who had expressed such confidence in God, and had had such success:
and who is there, that, being as I am;
in such a post, and in such circumstances, and on whom so much depended:
would go into the temple to save his life?
or where there was little reason to believe it would be preserved long, should he take such a step as that:
I will not go in;
as being neither lawful, nor honourable, nor safe.