Nehemiah 2:19

19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite officer, and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they made fun of us and laughed at us. They said, "What are you doing? Are you turning against the king?"

Nehemiah 2:19 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 2:19

But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the
Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian
This third man might be both an Arabian by birth, and governor of some part of Arabia near Judea:

heard it;
of their beginning to build:

they laughed us to scorn, and despised us;
as very silly people, that undertook what they could never perform:

and said;
adding threatenings to their scoffs:

what is this thing that ye do?
do ye know what ye are about? have ye any authority to do it? it is unlawful, you will certainly suffer for it:

will ye rebel against the king?
the king of Persia; it will be deemed rebellion and treason, and you will be taken up and treated as rebels and traitors; take care what you do, be it at your peril if you proceed.

Nehemiah 2:19 In-Context

17 Then I said to them, "You can see the trouble we have here. Jerusalem is a pile of ruins, and its gates have been burned. Come, let's rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so we won't be full of shame any longer."

18 I also told them how God had been kind to me and what the king had said to me. Then they answered, "Let's start rebuilding." So they began to work hard.

19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite officer, and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they made fun of us and laughed at us. They said, "What are you doing? Are you turning against the king?"

20 But I answered them, "The God of heaven will give us success. We, his servants, will start rebuilding, but you have no share, claim, or memorial in Jerusalem."