When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.

NEHEMIAH 2:10KJV
Know the Bible

Nehemiah 2:10 (KJV)

What does Nehemiah 2:10 mean?

Nehemiah 2:10 describes how two local officials, Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant, became very upset when they heard that someone had come to help the people of Israel. Their strong negative reaction shows that Nehemiah’s mission to support Jerusalem was seen as a threat by those in power nearby.

Nehemiah 2:10 is set just after Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem, sent by the Persian king to rebuild the city’s walls. The verse highlights the immediate opposition Nehemiah faced from established leaders in the region. Sanballat and Tobiah’s distress signals political tension and foreshadows the resistance Nehemiah will encounter as he seeks the welfare (well-being) of the Israelites.

The Hebrew behind Nehemiah 2:10

  • "Grieved" (רָעַע, ra‘a‘) means to be deeply troubled or displeased. The word here suggests more than annoyance—it implies that Sanballat and Tobiah felt threatened or hostile toward Nehemiah’s intentions.
  • "Exceedingly" (רַע, ra‘ and גָּדוֹל, gadol) combines two words for emphasis: "bad" or "evil" and "great." This double use shows just how strongly negative their reaction was.
  • "Welfare" (טוֹב, tov) is often translated as "good" or "well-being." Nehemiah’s purpose was to seek what was truly good for the people of Israel, not just their safety but their overall flourishing.

Why Nehemiah 2:10 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Nehemiah’s arrival was not welcomed by everyone; it sets up the main conflict of the story, showing that seeking the good of God’s people can provoke opposition.
  • The strong language about Sanballat and Tobiah’s reaction helps the reader see the seriousness of the threat Nehemiah faced, not just from outside enemies but from influential neighbors.
  • Understanding the political landscape—who Sanballat and Tobiah were—makes it clear that Nehemiah’s mission was risky and contested from the very beginning.

Where else these words appear

“Horonite” Hebrew H2772 · used in 3 verses

  • Nehemiah 2:19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?
  • Nehemiah 13:28 And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son in law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me.

“Sanballat” Hebrew H5571 · used in 10 verses

  • Nehemiah 2:19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?
  • Nehemiah 6:1 Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein;(though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)
  • Nehemiah 6:12 And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

“Tobiah” Hebrew H2900 · used in 17 verses

  • 2 Chronicles 17:8 And with them he sent Levites, even Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijah, and Tobadonijah, Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, priests.
  • Nehemiah 6:1 Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein;(though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)
  • Nehemiah 7:62 The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred forty and two.

“Ammonite” Hebrew H5984 · used in 18 verses

  • Deuteronomy 2:20 (That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims;
  • 1 Kings 11:1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;
  • Ezra 9:1 Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.