Nehemiah 4:3 - Expostion

Tobiah the Ammonite was by him . The presence of Tobiah on this occasion, before the alliance was made with the Ammonites ( Nehemiah 4:8 ), is a strong indication that his position was not one of independent authority, but of dependence upon Sanballat. There is nothing to show that he was more than a favourite slave of the Samaritan governor. A fox . Or, "a jackal," which would be more likely than a fox to stray over a ruined wall into a town.