Nehemiah 4:7
But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,
When Sanballat and Tobiah, with the Arabians and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up and that the breaches began to be stopped, they became very angry and furious. Their wrath rose with the progress of the work, so that opposition to God's work grew as the rebuilding advanced. Earlier efforts to complete the work had been stopped through the slanders of the adversaries, aided by a lack of faith and unity among the Jews. Nehemiah resolved that the enemies would not hinder the work again, for loyal, united workers relying on God could withstand attacks and press on with His purpose.
Against this open hostility of the heathen, the leaders humbled themselves before God, confessing their own sins and the sins of the people as if they themselves were the offenders, and patiently toiled and prayed and suffered. That open hostility was not what made the work most difficult, for the greater difficulty was the secret opposition of pretended friends, whose influence lent to the service of evil increased the burden tenfold by furnishing God's enemies with material for warfare upon His people, while their evil passions and rebellious wills remained at war with God's plain requirements. Though the allies zealously opposed the work, God worked through kings to help Nehemiah and to answer the prayers for help. The same united hostility from different groups faces those who restore God's law and warn the world, arising from shared hatred of the commandment-keeping remnant.