“But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.”
My Notes
What Does Nehemiah 4:1 Mean?
Sanballat's response to the wall-building is emotional: he was "wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews." Three escalating reactions: anger (wroth), intense offense (great indignation), and verbal attack (mocked). The opposition to God's work begins with emotion before it becomes action.
The emotional progression reveals the psychology of opposition: first the internal response (anger — something is happening that threatens your position), then the intensification (indignation — the anger becomes righteous-feeling outrage), then the externalization (mockery — the internal emotion becomes public speech). By the time Sanballat mocks, the anger has been processed into a weapon.
The mockery (detailed in verse 2-3) targets the Jews' ability, resources, and materials: "what do these feeble Jews?" The questions are designed to demoralize through doubt. Sanballat's opposition strategy isn't military (not yet — that comes in chapter 4). It's psychological. The first assault on the wall is an assault on the builders' confidence.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Where do you recognize the anger → indignation → mockery progression in opposition you've faced?
- 2.Why is mockery more effective than military force at stopping God's work?
- 3.How does Nehemiah's response (prayer plus continued building) model the answer to psychological opposition?
- 4.What 'wall' are you building that someone is trying to stop through ridicule rather than force?
Devotional
Angry. Offended. Mocking. Sanballat's three-stage reaction to the wall being rebuilt traces the psychology of opposition: it starts inside (emotion) and works outward (speech). The enemy's first weapon isn't a sword. It's a sneer.
The progression matters because it reveals how opposition typically develops against what God is building. First: anger — the opponent feels threatened. Something is changing that diminishes their influence or challenges their status quo. The anger is internal and might not be visible yet. Second: indignation — the anger crystallizes into righteous-feeling outrage. Now the opponent has a narrative: this shouldn't be happening. The anger has found a moral framework. Third: mockery — the outrage becomes public speech. The opponent's internal reaction is externalized as vocal opposition designed to demoralize the builders.
The mockery is the most effective weapon because it attacks confidence rather than walls. Swords can be defended against. Mockery gets inside your head. Sanballat's questions (verse 2-3) — will they finish? Can they revive burnt stones? Will a fox break down their wall? — are designed to make the builders question whether the project is possible. If the mockery succeeds, the builders stop themselves. Sanballat doesn't have to tear down the wall. He just has to convince the builders it won't stand.
Every significant work for God faces this progression: someone gets angry, someone gets indignant, someone starts mocking. The opposition's first phase is always psychological, not physical. The questions about your capacity, your resources, your materials — they arrive before any army does.
Nehemiah's response (verse 4-6) is prayer and continued building. He doesn't argue with the mockery. He talks to God and picks up a brick. That's the answer to every Sanballat: prayer plus progress. Let the mocker mock. Keep building.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall,.... Or were building it; for as yet it was not…
Here is, I. The spiteful scornful reflection which Sanballat and Tobiah cast upon the Jews for their attempt to build…
Neh 4:1-23. The Opposition to the Work. (a) 1 6. The ridicule of the Samaritans. (b) 7 23. The menaces of the foe, and…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture