Sanballat and his confederates dared not make open war upon the Jews; but with increasing malice they continued their secret efforts to discourage, perplex, and injure them. The wall about Jerusalem was rapidly approaching completion. When it should be finished and its gates set up, these enemies of Israel could not hope to force an entrance into the city. They were the more eager, therefore, to stop the work without further delay. At last they devised a plan by which they hoped to draw Nehemiah from his station, and while they had him in their power, to kill or imprison him.

Dette kapitel er bygget op over Neh 6
Sanballat og hans medsammensvorne vovede ikke at føre åbenlys krig imod jøderne, men de fortsatte med tiltagende ondskab deres forsøg på at berøve dem modet og gøre dem fortræd. Det gik hurtigt fremad med at fuldende muren omkring Jerusalem. Når den var færdig og portene sat i, havde Israels fjender intet håb om at tiltvinge sig adgang til byen. De var derfor ivrigere end nogensinde efter at standse byggearbejdet. Til sidst lagde de en plan, som gik ud på at lokke Nehemias ned fra muren, så de kunne dræbe eller fængsle ham.