Nehemiah 2:12

12 And I rose up by night, I and a few men with me, and I showed not to any man (and I told no one), what thing God had given in mine heart, that I would do in Jerusalem; and there was no work beast with me, but the beast that I sat on.

Nehemiah 2:12 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 2:12

And I arose in the might, I and some few men with me
Both the season of the night, and the small number of men to accompany him, were chosen for greater secrecy, that the business he came upon might not as yet be known, and so no schemes formed to obstruct or discourage:

neither told I any man what God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem;
he was satisfied that what he had in view was from the Lord, who had stirred him up to it, but thought it prudent for the present to conceal it, until things were prepared to put it in execution:

neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon;
he only rode perhaps on a mule, being not yet recovered quite from the fatigue of his journey, and for the sake of honour; the rest went on foot, that there might be no noise made, and so pass on unheard and unobserved.

Nehemiah 2:12 In-Context

10 And Sanballat (the) Horonite, and Tobiah, the servant, (the) Ammonite, heard, and they were sorrowful by great torment, that a man was come, that sought prosperity of the sons of Israel. (And Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the Ammonite servant, heard of it, and they were greatly vexed that a man had come, who sought to do good for the Israelites.)

11 And I came into Jerusalem, and I was there three days.

12 And I rose up by night, I and a few men with me, and I showed not to any man (and I told no one), what thing God had given in mine heart, that I would do in Jerusalem; and there was no work beast with me, but the beast that I sat on.

13 And I went out by the gate of the valley by night, and before the well of the dragon, and to the gate of dung; and I beheld the wall of Jerusalem (that was) destroyed, and the gates thereof (that were) wasted by fire. (And I went out at night through the Valley Gate, toward the Dragon Well, and the Dung Gate; and I looked at the wall of Jerusalem, that was broken in many places, and at its gates, that had been destroyed by fire.)

14 And I passed forth to the gate of the well, and to the water conduit of the king, and there was no place for to pass, to the horse, that I sat upon; (And I passed on to the Fountain Gate, and to the King's Pool, but there was no place for the horse that I sat on, to pass through;)