The Meaning of Nehemiah 2:19 Explained

Nehemiah 2:19

KJV: 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?

YLT: And Sanballat the Horonite heareth, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, and they mock at us, and despise us, and say, 'What is this thing that ye are doing? against the king are ye rebelling?'

Darby: And Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobijah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it; and they mocked us and despised us, and said, What is this thing which ye do? will ye rebel against the king?

ASV: 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?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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? 

What does Nehemiah 2:19 Mean?

Study Notes

laughed
The obstacle of ridicule.

Context Summary

Nehemiah 2:12-20 - Braving Ridicule And Treachery
Suspicion, Nehemiah 2:12-20. Sanballat was probably a Moabite, a native of Horonaim; Tobiah had been a slave. There are many descendants of these two men in all our Christian communities today, hindering God's work. This heroic soul met their scorn and the depression of the people by unwavering faith and calm confidence in the good hand of God, Nehemiah 2:18. How small do our difficulties seem when brought into the sight of the God of heaven!
Reproach, Nehemiah 4:1-6. Whenever God's work revives, there is sure to be evil-speaking and reproach. It is a mistake to reply. Let us hand over our cause to God, and go on with His work. It matters very little what men say, as long as He is pleased. Had Nehemiah had the message of Christ he would not have prayed as in Nehemiah 2:5. Our Lord taught us to intercede for our enemies, Matthew 5:44. But let us emulate Nehemiah's zeal for the name of God, and let us remember that increased light means increased responsibility, Matthew 11:11.
Active opposition, Nehemiah 2:7-12. In time of hostility, our friends and allies are apt to grow discouraged and to advise the suspension of our work. "We are not able;" but faith looks to God alone and triumphantly holds on its way. [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 2:19 mean?

But when heard [of it] Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the official Ammonite and Geshem the Arab and they laughed at us and despised us and said what [is] thing this that you are doing will against the king rebel
וַיִּשְׁמַע֩ סַנְבַלַּ֨ט הַחֹרֹנִ֜י וְטֹבִיָּ֣ה ׀ הָעֶ֣בֶד הָֽעַמּוֹנִ֗י וְגֶ֙שֶׁם֙ הָֽעַרְבִ֔י וַיַּלְעִ֣גוּ לָ֔נוּ וַיִּבְז֖וּ עָלֵ֑ינוּ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ מָֽה־ הַדָּבָ֤ר הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַתֶּ֣ם ؟ עֹשִׂ֔ים הַעַ֥ל ؟ הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ מֹרְדִֽים

וַיִּשְׁמַע֩  But  when  heard  [of  it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
סַנְבַלַּ֨ט  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.
הַחֹרֹנִ֜י  the  Horonite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹרֹנִי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Horonaim in Moab.
וְטֹבִיָּ֣ה ׀  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  the  official 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
הָֽעַמּוֹנִ֗י  Ammonite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַמֹּונִי  
Sense: descendants of Ammon and inhabitants of Ammon.
וְגֶ֙שֶׁם֙  and  Geshem 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֶּשֶׁם 
Sense: an Arabian foe of Nehemiah.
הָֽעַרְבִ֔י  the  Arab 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַרְבִי 
Sense: an inhabitant of Arabia.
וַיַּלְעִ֣גוּ  and  they  laughed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: לָעַג  
Sense: to mock, deride, ridicule.
לָ֔נוּ  at  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
וַיִּבְז֖וּ  and  despised 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בָּזָה 
Sense: to despise, hold in contempt, disdain.
עָלֵ֑ינוּ  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
מָֽה־  what  [is] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
הַדָּבָ֤ר  thing 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַזֶּה֙  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
؟ עֹשִׂ֔ים  are  doing 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
הַעַ֥ל  will  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
؟ הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
מֹרְדִֽים  rebel 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: מָרַד  
Sense: to rebel, revolt, be rebellious.