Nehemiah Secretly Inspects The Walls Of Jerusalem And The Decision Is Made To Rebuild Them (Nehemiah 2:11-18).
Having arrived safely in Jerusalem Nehemiah rested, prior to a secret surveillance of the condition of the walls. His men would have to be quartered, although that might have been in a camp outside the city. Meanwhile he and his officers no doubt had to endure a ceremonious welcome. A high Persian official would always be welcomed with due ceremony, especially when accompanied by a formidable armed escort. But he was clearly keen to get on with his task, for he was well aware of the opposition that would arise once the idea that he was to rebuild the walls got around, and he wanted to delay that opposition as long as possible. So, after making a secret survey in the dead of night, he called on the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem to commence the rebuilding.
‘So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.'
Arriving in Jerusalem he rested ‘for three days'. Three days only signifies ‘a short period', with each part of a day counting as a day. Thus he may only have taken one day of rest, after the day of arrival, using it to acclimatise himself and get to know the Jewish leaders, and to prepare for his surveillance. He knew what a daunting task the building of the walls might prove to be, and that he must move quickly. No one but himself was aware of what he had in mind.
‘And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me, nor did I tell any man what my God put into my heart to do for Jerusalem, nor was there any beast with me, except the beast that I rode on.'
In consequence when night came (the beginning of a new day for the Jews, so possibly the second night after his arrival), without telling anyone of his purpose, he took with him a few trusted men, and set off on his surveillance, without telling anyone what God had put on his heart to do for Jerusalem. No doubt he had a trusted Jerusalem guide, as well as a small armed escort. But he did not want to draw attention to what he was doing. The limitation to a single beast, no doubt an ass, may have been because of his awareness of his own importance, or it may have been because he feared that if others called on such beasts the secret might leak out.
‘And I went out by night by the valley gate, even toward the jackal's well, and to the dung gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and its gates were consumed with fire.'
Initially he went out by night by the Valley Gate (compare Nehemiah 3:13; 2 Chronicles 26:9), a gate probably in the West wall 1000 cubits (approximately 1500 feet, a little less than five hundred metres) from the Dung Gate which was at the southern end of Jerusalem, examining its condition as he passed through. Then he moved along southward outside the remains of the wall towards the Jackal's Well (or Dragon's Eye), a site now unknown, examining the walls as they went along, before arriving at the Dung Gate, which was probably almost at the southern end of the city. This was the gate through which rubbish would be carried out of the city to be hurled into the valley below, and was by the Pool of Siloam. It may be identified with the Potsherd Gate of Jeremiah 19:2. He discovered during his examination the condition of the gates and walls. The gates had been consumed with fire, and the walls were broken down.
‘Then I went on to the fountain gate and to the king's pool, but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.'
Then he moved northward up the East wall until he reached the Fountain (or Spring) Gate, which no doubt led out onto a spring-fed pool of water (possibly En Rogel). They then moved on to the King's Pool, the site of which is unknown, although it may well have had connection with the King's Garden. But it was at this point that they discovered that it was impossible to proceed further because of the rubble caused by the previous destruction of the walls by Nebuchadnezzar, rubble which has since been confirmed by excavation. Even his sure-footed ass was unable to proceed.
‘Then I went up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and I turned back, and entered by the valley gate, and so returned.'
Possibly at this stage he dismounted, or it may be that going up in the night by the brook he was able to skirt the rubble. There he viewed the eastern wall. He had seemingly seen enough for he now turned back and returned round the southern end of Jerusalem to the Valley Gate from which he had first emerged (Nehemiah 2:13). He had probably been able to survey the other walls quietly from the inside during the day without attracting attention. Now, therefore, he was aware of the difficulties that lay ahead.
Some, however, see him as indicating by this that he completed the circuit of the wall before re-entering by the Valley Gate, but without making further comment.
‘And the rulers did not know where I went, or what I did, nor had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest who would do the work.'
He now makes clear that no one knew where he had gone, or what he had gone to do. The initial mention of the rulers may suggest that he was staying in their palace. They would thus have been aware that he had gone out. But as far as they were concerned he may have been visiting his escort. They were unaware of his intentions. Nor had he given any explanation of his intentions to anyone, not the people, nor the priests, nor the nobles, nor the rulers, nor even those on whom he would call to do the work. He did not want to risk word leaking out.
‘Then I said to them, “You see the evil situation that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.”
But now, having satisfactorily concluded his survey he called them all together and pointed out the precarious and reproachful situation that they were in without walls or gates. It was dangerous and an embarrassment. Then he called on them to work with him in building the walls of Jerusalem so that they might once more be a proud independent city, without the reproach that came from them not being able to rebuild the walls. No longer need they be trodden down by their local enemies.
‘And I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me, as also of the king's words that he had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work.'
He then informed them how clearly God had been at work in making his appeal to the king of Persia successful, and what the king had said to him. This put a new light on things and strengthened their resolve with the result that they were all in agreement. ‘Let us rise up and build', they all declared. And in view of this they prepared themselves and nerved themselves for the huge task ahead.
That the divisions which later appear, such as Nehemiah's conflicts with Eliashib the High Priest, were not yet apparent, is clear. And it is what we would expect. Nehemiah was an unknown quantity and all that was in mind at the time was the rebuilding of the wall, which almost all saw as a good thing. Thus disparate groups were getting together with a will in order to see the task accomplished.