Nehemiah 2:12

And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(12-18) Nehemiah’s cautious preliminaries.

Benson Commentary

Nehemiah 2:12. I arose in the night — Concealing both his intentions and actions as far and as long as he could, as knowing that the life of his business lay in secrecy and expedition. Neither was there any beast with me, &c. — To prevent noise, and that no notice might be taken of what he did.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

2:9-18 When Nehemiah had considered the matter, he told the Jews that God had put it into his heart to build the wall of Jerusalem. He does not undertake to do it without them. By stirring up ourselves and one another to that which is good, we strengthen ourselves and one another for it. We are weak in our duty, when we are cold and careless.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The name Sanballat is probably Babylonian the first element being the same which commences "Sennacherib," namely, "Sin," the moon-God, and the second balatu, "eminent" (?),which is found in the Assyrian name, Bel-balatu. As a Horonite, he was probably a native of one of the Bethhorons, the upper or the lower (see Joshua 16:3, Joshua 16:5; 2 Chronicles 8:5), and therefore born within the limits of the old kingdom of Samaria. Tobiah seems to have been an Ammonite slave, high in the favor of Sanballat, whom he probably served as secretary Nehemiah 6:17-19 and chief adviser.

It grieved them - Compare Ezra 4:4-24; Ezra 5:6-17. The revival of Jerusalem as a great and strong city, which was Nehemiah's aim, was likely to interfere with the prosperity, or at any rate the eminence, of Samaria.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

11, 12. So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days—Deeply affected with the desolations of Jerusalem, and uncertain what course to follow, he remained three days before informing any one of the object of his mission [Ne 2:17, 18]. At the end of the third day, accompanied with a few attendants, he made, under covert of night, a secret survey of the walls and gates [Ne 2:13-15].

Matthew Poole's Commentary

I arose in the night; concealing both his intentions and actions as far and as long as he could, as knowing that the life of his business lay in secrecy and expedition.

Neither was there any beast with me, to prevent noise, and the notice of what I did.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And I arose in the might, I and some few men with me,.... Both the season of the night, and the small number of men to accompany him, were chosen for greater secrecy, that the business he came upon might not as yet be known, and so no schemes formed to obstruct or discourage:

neither told I any man what God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; he was satisfied that what he had in view was from the Lord, who had stirred him up to it, but thought it prudent for the present to conceal it, until things were prepared to put it in execution:

neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon; he only rode perhaps on a mule, being not yet recovered quite from the fatigue of his journey, and for the sake of honour; the rest went on foot, that there might be no noise made, and so pass on unheard and unobserved.

Geneva Study Bible

And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

12. Nehemiah went out ‘by night’ with only a few attendants. He did not wish to excite the curiosity of the people or to arouse the suspicion of his foes with respect to his intended project.

neither told I any man] He preserved a discreet silence, until he had personally formed some estimate of the nature and extent of the work to be undertaken in the rebuilding of the walls. It was also important to have the scheme thoroughly matured, so that upon its announcement he could anticipate objections and forestall opposition by immediate action.

had put] R.V. put. The R.V. reproduces the present tense of the original more accurately. The consciousness of the Divine inspiration continued with him. For the expression cf. Nehemiah 7:5.

at Jerusalem] R.V. for Jerusalem. Undoubtedly the right rendering of the preposition here. Nehemiah’s project was primarily to renovate Jerusalem and to remove the shame of its position as described in Nehemiah 1:2-3. It was preeminently work for the city.

neither was there any beast, &c.] A cavalcade would have attracted notice. Nehemiah probably rode a mule or ass rather than a horse. Riding over rough places by night he would require the most surefooted animal.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 12. - Some few men with me. All the arrangements are made to avoid notice. Nehemiah goes out by night, with few attendants, and with only one beast. He is anxious to see with his own eyes what is the extent of the repair needed, but wishes as few as possible to know of his proceedings. Nehemiah 2:12

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Nehemiah's arrival at Jerusalem. He surveys the wall, and resolves to restore it. - Nehemiah 2:11 Having arrived at Jerusalem and rested three days (as Ezra had also done, Ezra 8:32), he arose in the night, and some few men with him, to ride round the wall of the city, and get a notion of its condition. His reason for taking but few men with him is given in the following sentence: "I had told no man what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem." Although he had come to Jerusalem with the resolution of fortifying the city by restoring its circumvallation, he spoke of this to no one until he had ascertained, by an inspection of the wall, the magnitude and extent of the work to be accomplished. For, being aware of the hostility of Sanballat and Tobiah, he desired to keep his intention secret until he felt certain of the possibility of carrying it into execution. Hence he made his survey of the wall by night, and took but few men with him, and those on foot, for the sake of not exciting attention. The beast on which he rode was either a horse or a mule.