The Meaning of Nehemiah 2:10 Explained

Nehemiah 2:10

KJV: 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.

YLT: and Sanballat the Horonite heareth, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and it is evil to them -- a great evil -- that a man hath come in to seek good for the sons of Israel.

Darby: And when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobijah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there had come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Nehemiah 2:10 Mean?

Study Notes

Tobiah
Two Tobiahs are distinguished by many:
(1) "Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite," Nehemiah 2:10 ; Nehemiah 2:19 ; Nehemiah 4:3 ; Nehemiah 4:7 , Nehemiah 6:1 ; Nehemiah 6:12 ; Nehemiah 6:14 .
(2) A Jew, unable to prove his genealogy. But the reference to the latter ( Nehemiah 7:62 ) indicates that he was already dead. But one Tobiah, and he the Ammonite, is active in this book.

Context Summary

Nehemiah 2:1-11 - A Patriot's Self-Sacrifice
The seventh month answers to our March or April, so that four months had passed since Nehemiah had set himself to special prayer. Between the king's second question and Nehemiah's answer, the simple-hearted cup-bearer found time to pray to the God of heaven. Then, with the assurance that God was with him, he did not scruple to ask great things: that he might be sent to the city of his fathers to build it, and that he might receive all the materials necessary for its construction. But he is careful to record that his requests were granted, not by the clemency of the king, but according to the good hand of God. Do we recognize that good hand enough? We get glimpses here into the inner workings of this man's heart. He felt that God had put His holy purpose there. He did not hesitate to confess this to the Jews and amid the opposition and scorn of their foes; he strengthened himself in his God, sure that He would not have brought him so far to put him to shame. Be sure you are on God's side, and nothing will be impossible to you. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 2

1  Artaxerxes, understanding the cause of Nehemiah's sadness,
6  sends him with letters and commission to Jerusalem
9  Nehemiah, to the grief of the enemies, comes to Jerusalem
12  He views secretly the ruins of the walls
17  He incites the Jews to build

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 2:10 mean?

And when heard [of it] Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah official the Ammonite and were disturbed they exceedingly deeply that had come a man to seek the well-being of the sons of Israel
וַיִּשְׁמַ֞ע סַנְבַלַּ֣ט הַחֹרֹנִ֗י וְטֽוֹבִיָּה֙ הָעֶ֣בֶד הָֽעַמֹּנִ֔י וַיֵּ֥רַע לָהֶ֖ם רָעָ֣ה גְדֹלָ֑ה אֲשֶׁר־ בָּ֥א אָדָ֔ם לְבַקֵּ֥שׁ טוֹבָ֖ה לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

וַיִּשְׁמַ֞ע  And  when  heard  [of  it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
סַנְבַלַּ֣ט  Sanballat 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: סַנְבַלַּט  
Sense: a Moabite of Horonaim and the opponent of Nehemiah and the returned exiles in their goal of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.
הַחֹרֹנִ֗י  the  Horonite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹרֹנִי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Horonaim in Moab.
וְטֽוֹבִיָּה֙  and  Tobiah 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: טֹובִיָּה 
Sense: head of a family who returned from exile with Zerubbabel but who were unable to prove their connection with Israel.
הָעֶ֣בֶד  official 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
הָֽעַמֹּנִ֔י  the  Ammonite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַמֹּונִי  
Sense: descendants of Ammon and inhabitants of Ammon.
וַיֵּ֥רַע  and  were  disturbed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מֵרֵעַ 
Sense: to be bad, be evil.
רָעָ֣ה  exceedingly 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
גְדֹלָ֑ה  deeply 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בָּ֥א  had  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אָדָ֔ם  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
לְבַקֵּ֥שׁ  to  seek 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: בָּקַשׁ  
Sense: to seek, require, desire, exact, request.
טוֹבָ֖ה  the  well-being 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
לִבְנֵ֥י  of  the  sons 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.