Sanballat Ridicules the Wall Builders in Front of His Army

When Sanballat hears that Israel is rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, he becomes furious. He mocks the Jews in front of the army of Samaria: 'What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from the heaps of rubble — burned as they are?' His companion Tobiah stands beside him and adds: 'Whatever they are building — if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones.' They laugh. Nehemiah does not respond. He prays instead: 'Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads.' The workers keep building.