Nehemiah 4.1
Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry (וַיִּחַר Qal Imperfect of חָרָה/kharah—to burn or blaze, to burn with anger) and greatly (הַרְבֵּה Hiphil Infinitive absolute of רָבָה/rabah—to increase greatly or exceedingly; the infinitive absolute is intended to express ‘emphasis,’ thus the reader may infer from this that Sanballat was not just angry, but “greatly” or “exceedingly” angered. The ESV tries to help in the expression by stating he was “greatly enraged.”) enraged (כָּעַס /kā as—to be indignant or angry), and he jeered (וַיַּלְעֵג Hiphil Imperfect of לָעַג /la ag—to mock, deride or ridicule*) at the Jews.
Notice how opposition mounted as the people of God set about the task and refused to give up. I am grateful for Warren Wiersbe’s insight into this verse and chapter when he writes: “British critic and author Thomas Carlyle called ridicule ‘the language of the devil.’ Some people who can stand bravely when they are shot at will collapse when they are laughed at. Shakespeare called ridicule ‘paper bullets of the brain,’ but those bullets have slain many a warrior.
It is not unusual for the enemy to insult the servants of God. Goliath ridiculed David when the shepherd boy met the giant with only a sling in his hand (1 Samuel 17.41-47). Jesus was mocked by the soldiers during His trial (Luke 22.63-65) and by the rabble while He was hanging on the cross (Luke 23.35-37), and some of the heroes of the faith had to endure mocking (Hebrews 11.36). When the enemy laughs at what God’s people are doing, it is usually a sign that God is going to bless His people in a wonderful way. When the enemy rages on earth, God laughs in heaven (Psalm 2.4).”**
*NIV: “He ridiculed the Jews.” NLT/KJV/NKJV/NASB/CSB: “mocked the Jews.” The CEV: [he] “started insulting our people.”
**Emphasis original. See Warren Wiersbe, Be Determined: Standing Firm in the Face of Opposition, an OT Commentary on Nehemiah (Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 1992), pp. 60-61.