We aren’t told how many Jews arrived with Nehemiah in Jerusalem, but there were at least a few men with him, besides the military entourage given him by the king (Nehemiah 2:9; cp. verse-12). It is, therefore, reasonable to assume that workmen, as well as settlers (families) accompanied him to Jerusalem, because the few men mentioned in verse-12 were chosen, so as not to excite curiosity over what was about to be done. Nehemiah wished to inspect the walls of the city, but it was done under the cover of darkness, so secrecy was of the essence. Therefore, the few men don’t seem to constitute the whole of the Jewish party who journeyed with him, but only a portion of those Jews who returned to Jerusalem with Nehemiah. Admittedly, however, whatever one concludes about these few men, and the number of Jews who returned with Nehemiah is pretty much conjecture.
Before he arrived in Jerusalem, Nehemiah stopped at the seat of the king’s satrap and his governors on the west side of the Euphrates to deliver the king’s letters to them, showing them he was sending Nehemiah to Jerusalem to reinstitute the building project there. Sanballat, the Horonite, is considered by some to be the king’s satrap, west of the Euphrates, according to their interpretation of Josephus.[1] However, if we take the reading of the text for our understanding, Sanballat heard that Nehemiah had come in support of the Jewish community at Jerusalem, only after Nehemiah had met with the king’s governors (Nehemiah 2:9; cp. verse-10). Only later did it become apparent that Sanballat, the Horonite, and Tobiah, the Ammonite, weren’t pleased with the king’s command, for they were enemies of the Jews and their interests west of the Euphrates River.
Once this was done, Nehemiah went up to Jerusalem, where he rested three days before contacting anyone in the city (Nehemiah 2:11; cp. Ezra 8:32). During the night, however, he and a few other men went up to the ruins to inspect the condition of the walls that would have surrounded the city, but he told no one of his intention (Nehemiah 2:12). It cannot be determined with certainty, but he seems to have inspected the south western wall and gates, near the dragon well (Nehemiah 2:13), which is probably the king’s pool, but the place was impassable for Nehemiah to continue on horseback (Nehemiah 2:14). Then, Nehemiah rode through the Kidron Valley along the easter side of the city and inspected the condition of the walls there up to the northeast gate, whereupon he turned back to where he’d been camped outside the city (Nehemiah 2:15).
None of the city’s rulers were aware of either what Nehemiah did or what his intentions were upon arriving just outside the place of the city’s walls (Nehemiah 2:16). However, after his three-day rest period (verse-11), he met with the rulers of Jerusalem and told them the reason why he had come (Nehemiah 2:17). Moreover, he reveled how the hand of God was with him, in that he had gained permission from the king to rebuild the city’s walls and the House of God to take away the reproach of the nations against Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:17-18). Nehemiah’s words were well received, and all agreed that they should immediately begin rebuilding the city’s walls and the Temple of God.
Sanballat and the other enemies of the Jews sought to discourage the building project by expressing their contempt with laughter and threats (Nehemiah 2:19). Nevertheless, Nehemiah expressed his faith in the operation and protection of God by telling them the Jews would continue to rebuild the city, and they had no portion with them, nor had they any right, legal or otherwise, to prevent the Jews from rebuilding their capital city, as well as the House of their God (Nehemiah 2:20).
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[1] See Josephus: Antiquities of the Jews; 11.7.2 “…there was one Sanballat, who was sent by Darius, the last king [of Persia], into Samaria. He was a Cuthean by birth; of which stock were the Samaritans also.”
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