In brief
Sanballat the Horonite is the main adversary of Nehemiah during the rebuilding of Jerusalem's wall, in the time of King Artaxerxes. With Tobiah the Ammonite and Geshem the Arab, he mocks the Jews, accuses them of rebellion, plans an attack, then tries to lure Nehemiah into a trap and frighten him with a false prophecy. Nothing stops the work: the wall is finished in fifty-two days. He is remembered as the pattern of opposition against God's work, and for how to respond to it.
What does the name Sanballat mean?
Sanballat is a name of Babylonian origin, generally linked to a formula calling on the god Sin to give life; the Bible does not explain it. It calls him “Sanballat the Horonite” (Nehemiah 2:10), which probably ties him to a place named Horon, and shows him surrounded by the army of Samaria (Nehemiah 4:2).
The story of Sanballat
A great displeasure
Nehemiah 2:9-10When Nehemiah arrives with the king's letters, Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant hear of it and are grieved exceedingly, “because a man had come to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.” Nehemiah has built nothing yet, but his arrival already disturbs them. From the start, opposition is there.
Mockery and the charge of rebellion
Nehemiah 2:19-20When the Jews decide to build, Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem the Arab ridicule and despise them: “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?” Nehemiah answers that the God of heaven will give them success, and that his opponents have no portion, right or memorial in Jerusalem.
Feeble Jews?
Nehemiah 4:1-6Hearing that the wall is being rebuilt, Sanballat is furious. Before his brothers and the army of Samaria, he sneers: “What are these feeble Jews doing?” Tobiah adds that a fox could break down their wall. Nehemiah does not answer them; he prays to God, and the people take the work to heart. The wall reaches half its height.
The coalition against Jerusalem
Nehemiah 4:7-23Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites band together to attack Jerusalem. Nehemiah prays and sets a guard day and night, arms the people by families and reminds them: “Don’t be afraid of them! Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome.” God frustrates their plan, and the work resumes, one hand at the task and the other holding a weapon.
The trap in the plain of Ono
Nehemiah 6:1-9With the wall complete, Sanballat and Geshem invite Nehemiah to a meeting in the plain of Ono, intending to harm him. Four times he refuses: he has a great work to do. A fifth, open letter accuses him of wanting to be king. Nehemiah replies: “There are no such things done as you say, but you imagine them out of your own heart,” and asks God to strengthen him.
A paid false prophet
Nehemiah 6:10-16Shemaiah urges Nehemiah to hide in the temple, claiming that men are coming to kill him at night. Nehemiah refuses and understands that Sanballat and Tobiah hired him to make him sin and ruin his reputation. He entrusts their deeds to God. The wall is finished in fifty-two days, and the nations recognize that the work is from God.
Test your knowledge
What Sanballat teaches us
- When you start building for God, expect opposition; it does not prove you are wrong.
- Facing mockery, do not answer the mockers: speak to God and keep working.
- Prayer and vigilance go together: Nehemiah prays and posts guards, holding the tool in one hand and the weapon in the other.
- Learn to say no to invitations that pull you away from your mission, even when they keep coming.
- Any advice that pushes you toward fear or sin does not come from God, even when it presents itself as a prophecy.
Key verses
Nehemiah's prayer in the face of Sanballat's contempt: he hands the insults over to God instead of hitting back at his opponents himself.
Nehemiah turns down the meeting Sanballat proposes: he is doing a great work and cannot come down. An answer that protects the mission.
Despite Sanballat and his allies, the wall is finished in fifty-two days, and the surrounding nations recognize that the work was done by the will of God.
Bible verses to meditate on
Sermons about Sanballat
- Nehemiah 4: Pray and Act in the Face of AdversariesThe preacher follows Sanballat in his anger, ridiculing the project with Tobiah, then redoubling his efforts with the Arabs, Ammonites and Ashdodites when mockery fails (Nehemiah 4:7). Nehemiah does not answer: he prays and acts.
- Nehemiah 2: What God Put in Your HeartThe message notes that as soon as Nehemiah reaches Jerusalem, opponents appear, Sanballat and Tobiah, a sign that obstacles will not be lacking for the one who carries out what God has put in his heart.
- Building Together: Your Place in God's HouseTo show that building together takes courage in the face of opposition, the preacher recalls that as soon as the wall goes up, Sanballat and Tobiah mock, insult, then conspire to spread fear (Nehemiah 4).
Frequently asked questions
Why did Sanballat oppose Nehemiah?
The text does not detail his motives, but it says he was greatly displeased that “a man had come to seek the welfare of the children of Israel” (Nehemiah 2:10). The Bible shows him surrounded by the army of Samaria (Nehemiah 4:2) and, later, allied by marriage to the high priest's family (Nehemiah 13:28). His methods run from mockery to the charge of rebellion, then to traps and intimidation.
What does the name Sanballat mean?
Sanballat is generally considered a name of Babylonian origin, linked to a formula calling on the god Sin to give life. The Bible does not explain it. It calls him "the Horonite," which probably ties him to a place named Horon, though the text does not say which.
Where can I find the story of Sanballat in the Bible?
Sanballat appears only in the book of Nehemiah: in chapter 2 (verses 10 and 19), chapter 4 (verses 1 to 8), chapter 6 (verses 1 to 14), and chapter 13, verse 28, where Nehemiah drives away a grandson of the high priest Eliashib who had become Sanballat's son-in-law.