Nehemiah 2:19

19 When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite servant, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they made fun of us and ridiculed us. They asked, "What are you doing? Are you going to rebel 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 told them, "You see the trouble we're in. Jerusalem is in ruins, and its gates are burned down. Let's rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be insulted."

18 Then I told them that my God had been guiding me and what the king had told me. They replied, "Let's begin to rebuild." So they encouraged one another to begin this God-pleasing work.

19 When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite servant, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they made fun of us and ridiculed us. They asked, "What are you doing? Are you going to rebel against the king?"

20 "The God of heaven will give us success," I answered them. "We, his servants, are going to rebuild. You have no property or claim or historic right in Jerusalem."