Matthew Henry

Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived with men from Judah. So I questioned them about the remnant of the Jews who had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

“The dignity to which he was advanced. Though he was a great man, and probably rising higher, yet he did not think it below him to take cognizance of his brethren that were low and despised, nor was he ashamed to own his relation to…”

let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to hear the prayer that I, Your servant, now pray before You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites.

“His penitent confession of sin; not only Israel has sinned (it was no great mortification to him to own that), but I and my father's house have sinned,”

Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses when You said, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to…

“This he quotes from Deut. xxx. 1-5 , and begs leave to put God in mind of it (though the Eternal Mind needs no remembrancer) as that which he guided his desires by, and grounded his faith and hope upon, in praying this prayer: Remember…”

O Lord, may Your ear be attentive to my prayer and to the prayers of Your servants who delight to revere Your name.

“Who art thou that thou shouldst be afraid of a man? Mercy in the sight of this man is what he prays for, meaning not the king's mercy, but mercy from God in his address to the king.”

O Lord, may Your ear be attentive to my prayer and to the prayers of Your servants who delight to revere Your name.

“Observe, He is not forward to tell us what great preferment he had at court; it is not till the end of the chapter that he tells us he was the king's cup-bearer (a place of great trust, as well as of honour and profit)…”

and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city…

“He asked for a commission to go as governor to Judah, to build the wall of Jerusalem, and to stay there for a certain time, so many months, we may suppose; and then either he had his commission renewed or went back and was sent…”

And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel to…

“Here was an immediate answer to his prayer; for the seed of Jacob never sought the God of Jacob in vain. In the account he gives of the success of his petition he takes notice, 1.”

I set out at night with a few men. I did not tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem.

“Wise men, and those who are worthy of double honour, yet covet not to come with observation, to make a show, or make a noise, no, not when they come with the greatest blessings.”

But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked us and ridiculed us, saying, “What is this you are doing?

“They represented the undertaking also as a wicked thing, no better than treason: Will you rebel against the king?”

At the Sheep Gate, Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests began rebuilding. They dedicated it and installed its doors.

“The priests repaired the sheep-gate, so called because through it were brought the sheep that were to be sacrificed in the temple; and therefore the priests undertook the repair of it because the offerings of the Lord made by fire were their inheritance.”

Next to him, Hananiah son of Shelemiah, as well as Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section.

“When a general good work is to be done each should apply himself to that part of it that falls nearest to him and is within his reach.”

Next to him, Hananiah son of Shelemiah, as well as Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section.

“In doing that which is good we need not stay to see our elders go before us; if they decline it, it does not therefore follow that we must.”

Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious and filled with indignation. He ridiculed the Jews

“The strength and safety of the church are the grief and vexation of its enemies. They despised it, and made it the subject of their ridicule.”

Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “If even a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!”

“He had notice brought him of what they said. It is probable that they themselves sent him a message to this purport, to discourage him, hoping to jeer him out of his attempt; but he did not answer these fools according to their folly; he…”

So we prayed to our God and posted a guard against them day and night.

“Having prayed, he set a watch against them. The instructions Christ has given us in our spiritual warfare agree with this example, Matt. xxvi.”

And our enemies said, “Before they know or see a thing, we will come into their midst, kill them, and put an end to the work.”

“The hindering of good work is that which bad men aim at and promise themselves; but good work is God's work, and it shall prosper. The discouragements which the builders themselves laboured under.”

When our enemies heard that we were aware of their scheme and that God had frustrated it, each of us returned to his own work on the wall.

“When they found that their design was discovered, and that the Jews were upon their guard, they concluded that it was to no purpose to attempt any thing, but that God had brought their counsel to nought.”

And each of the builders worked with his sword strapped at his side. But the trumpeter stayed beside me.

“When they acted as workmen, it was requisite they should be dispersed wherever there was work to do; but when as soldiers it was requisite they should come into close order, and be found in a body.”

So we continued the work, while half of the men held spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out.

“Thus ought we to be always upon our guard against our spiritual enemies, not only (as here) while it is light, but when it is dark, for they are the rulers of the darkness of this world.”

We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery.

“But let those who show no mercy expect judgment without mercy. It was an aggravation of the sin of these oppressing Jews that they were themselves so lately delivered out of the house of bondage, which obliged them in gratitude to undo the heavy burdens…”

Please restore to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and oil that you have been assessing them.”

“If men borrow large sums to trade with, to increase their stocks, or to purchase land, there is no reason why the lender should not share with the borrower in his profit; or if to spend upon their lusts, or repair what they have so…”

“We will restore it,” they replied, “and will require nothing more from them. We will do as you say.”

“He sent for the priests to give them their oath that they would perform this promise; now that their convictions were strong, and they seemed resolved, he would keep them to it.”

I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “May God likewise shake out of His house and possession every man who does not keep this promise.

“This cheerfulness in promising was well, but that which follows was better: They did according to this promise, and adhered to what they had done, not as their ancestors in a like case, who re-enslaved those whom a little before they had released, Jer. xxxiv.”

Instead, I devoted myself to the construction of the wall, and all my servants were gathered there for the work; we did not acquire any land.

“Say not then that he was a bad husband, but that he was a good governor, who aimed not to feather his own nest.”

Each day one ox, six choice sheep, and some fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine was provided.

“So far was he from extorting more than his due that he never demanded that, but lived upon what he had got in the king of Persia's court and his own estate in Judea: the reason he gives for this piece of self-denial is, Because…”